Big south-east train service upgrades turn 28

Today, 18 February, is a historic day in the history of Melbourne's train services. Old timetables were cast aside in favour of more frequent interpeak service across south-east Melbourne. 

More specifically, on this day in 1996:

* Frankston and Dandenong weekday trains improved from every 20 to 15 min (matching Ringwood and Glen Waverley), delivering what more would treat as a turn-up-and-go service. 

* Pakenham and Cranbourne line trains beyond Dandenong increased from every 40 to 30 min interpeak and from every 80 to every 40 min on Sundays. 

* Daytime Sunday services to Alamein, Belgrave, Lilydale, Dandenong and Frankston increased from every 40 to every 30 min.  

* Alamein line trains increased from every 60 to every 30 min Monday - Saturday night

This upgrade package constituted the most decisive increase in metropolitan train services for many years, if not decades. They certainly trump the early 1990s Sandringham line boost (also every 20 to every 15 min off-peak) and the peak gains the Frankston line got when its third track was built. 

It happened just before the March 1996 state election (at which the Kennett government was returned). A 15 minute frequency also raised more of the Melbourne's rail network to the service levels seen on Perth's newly electrified system which adopted 15 minutes as a base frequency (initially weekday, eventually 7 days). 

Rail frequencies set a sort of base service level for buses, especially in the middle suburbs. Before the rail frequencies were improved, the main bus routes ran every 20 minutes. The upgrade to trains every 15 minutes did not result in immediate gains for buses. However later some of the major routes in the south-east became SmartBuses (eg 703, 888/889, 700 and then later 900, 901, 902 and 903) which featured 15 minute weekday interpeak frequencies to retain a degree of headway harmonisation with trains. And even where buses were not upgraded, the boost in train services to every 15 minutes reduced average waits for those changing from buses.  

What about the West and North? They do not celebrate today. The Kennett government, especially in its first term, was south and east centric, reflecting its voter base. While the latter gained from the abovementioned service upgrades, they started a geographic inequality in train frequencies that has only widened since. 

Leaving aside the politics (with the north and west rusted on Labor) it may have been possible to justify the priority treatment for the east and south-east on patronage grounds. This is because Melbourne was more lopsided then with the eastern lines being busier. That's since changed with any previously valid usage excuses for the north and west not to get more train service evaporating.

There ought to have been a subsequent service catch-up to give the west equality with the east (like implementation of 2012's Network Development Plan - Metropolitan Rail would have done). However there hasn't been with the Frankston line 'haves' now enjoying half the waits of the Craigieburn and Mernda line 'have nots' at most times. Hence the distribution of rail frequency today increasingly reflects 'safe seat' politics more than objective measures like patronage or social needs. 

Returning to the 1990s, the other major Kennett era service boost happened before the 1999 state election in which metropolitan train and tram lines had Sunday services boosted between about 10am and 7pm to match their more frequent Saturday timetables. This was a major gain with benefits spread across Melbourne (unlike the 1996 upgrades).

Sunday evening services remained at every 40 minutes until a couple of years later when the Bayside portion got improved to every 30 min with the Hillside portion (under Connex) following suit a little later. Pre-10am Sunday morning services levels remain unchanged to this day except for the addition of earlier trips under Night Network and Werribee, Williamstown and Frankston upgrades in early 2021.  

These 1996 and 1999 train service increases are historically important as they represent a decisive turnaround from the cuts during the 1950s, 60s and 70s. Sure these might have cut costs but they also reduced patronage and contributed to increased car traffic (which carries its own cost in road construction and maintenance). Hence cutting service is counterproductive and doesn't necessarily save much money.

Better frequency on the other hand is beneficial as it reduces waits, making train travel more useful for diverse trips throughout the day, not just during the commuter peaks. And of the times where you could boost service, off-peak frequency is most cost-effective as the marginal cost of increasing it is low and it optimises fleet usage. Interestingly this was more realised and acted on in the late 1990s than in the 2020s (so far).  

The future

The current state government has found it easier to borrow tens of billions for new infrastructure than to find more modest (but recurring) amounts to make service more frequent and thus useful. Over the last decade or so this has been notable for all modes of transport except V/Line trains (which have enjoyed both large infrastructure and service gains).

Hence it's a common sight in the suburbs for there to be shiny new stations served by trains as far apart as 30 or even 40 minutes at important times people travel. Melbourne's 'infrastructure first' approach is quite different to 'service first' planning practice elsewhere, such as Sydney, that have done much to reduce maximum waits to much lower amounts (like 15 or even 10 minutes) over a much wider span of the day (while simultaneously pursuing a large infrastructure program). 

Will Melbourne's approach change any time soon? Will service finally get its day in the sun? Large Metro Tunnel banners raise hopes though without specifics it remains to be seen how widely spread the benefits will be. 

Further reading

https://melbourneontransit.blogspot.com/2011/05/melbourne-interpeak-train-service.html

https://melbourneontransit.blogspot.com/2011/05/melbourne-evening-train-service-levels.html

https://www.ptua.org.au/files/2008/2023/12/PTUA-News-Volume-23-No.-2-June-1999.pdf

UN 169: Do busy lines get the best service?

One of the reasons you hear people give for suburban trains being not as frequent as they could be are level crossings. That might apply during peak times on busy lines but not really outside them. Ditto for signalling capacity, rolling stock or the Metro Tunnel not being open yet. People who should know better sometimes peddle myths around train frequency and how difficult it is to have all day.

That needlessly lets service sceptical state governments off the hook and makes trains less useful for diverse trips than they should be. This has been a particular problem in Melbourne whose evening and Sunday morning trains are now only half as frequent as Sydney's (whose state government has been much stronger on service matters than ours has). 

Low usage is another reason sometimes given for not running much service. Although it's a chicken and egg situation as poor service can induce low usage as much as frequent service encourages patronage. If you've got reasonable population density around stations (or good buses running to them) then that declines as an excuse too.  

Fortunately station boarding numbers exist and we can settle the question. Are busier sections of the network better serviced than quieter sections? Or are service levels more due to history and politics than catchment density, patronage and community need? It would be particularly extraordinary, and a failure of responsive planning, if a popular line also had low service with timetables basically unchanged for decades. You'll find out whether that is the case in a moment.

Gauging service by maximum waits

My interactive 10pm Sunday frequent network map has a layer where you can see stations colour coded by maximum wait between approximately 7am and midnight (on any day of the week).

I changed the presentation of that to show maximum waits by line section based on major junction stations in the suburbs. Because the central area (inside North Melbourne, Jolimont, Burnley, Richmond and Footscray) has many lines I didn't colour code frequency there. I then used per station 2022-23 boardings data obtained from DTP to add up boardings per section and plot them for each section. 

The result (Metro services only) is below: 

In most cases the longest waits happen on Sunday mornings, often closely followed by evenings. Pakenham had 60 min gaps while all northern suburb lines (and Sandringham) had intervals up to 40 min between trains.

30 minute intervals were common in the inland east, including busy junctions like Camberwell, Ringwood and Dandenong. These were also encountered not only on Sunday morning and evenings (particularly weekends) but also weekday interpeak at stations east of Ringwood.

Lines with the shortest maximum waits (20 min) were those mostly hugging the bay including Frankston, Werribee and Williamstown. These had 30 or even 40 minute gaps but a timetable improvement in early 2021 reduced maximum waits to 20 min. Sandringham almost qualifies but didn't due to its infrequent Sunday morning timetable. 

The maximum wait approach I've taken is not perfect. For example it doesn't differentiate between lines that have frequent service most of the time and those that don't. For example it rates Werribee higher than Dandenong despite the latter's 10 minute  midday service all week. But when you look at after 7pm weekend evening and Sunday morning service lines like Werribee take the lead with 20 minute frequencies versus 30 minutes for Dandenong. 

I make no apology for this since having short to medium maximum waits over say a 6am to midnight span is a necessary condition for a railway to be useful for diverse trip types. And if a line already runs frequently or semi-frequently 7 days then the extra annual service kilometres needed to cut maximum waits from 30 to 15 - 20 minutes at the ends of the day is trivial. So it's purely due to inertia that we don't have it. 

A move from a 'peak heavy' to 'all day frequent service' pattern is more aligned to modern working patterns, especially post-pandemic. A higher patronage to service elasticity assists the cost recovery ratio. Frequent all day service is also what differentiates a good system from a poor system and can drive more efficient land use and housing policies as well as widening households' choice regarding car ownership, with significant cost of living benefits. 

Patronage versus maximum waits

What about the patronage? I worked from the outside in, although the stars are at junction stations. For instance the 4.3 million is Werribee - Seaholme, 2.4 million is Newport - Seddon and 4.2 million is  just Footscray and South Kensington (actually mostly Footscray). Not surprisingly the inner area had the highest at 53 million (mostly comprising suburban residents returning home). 

What sections have similar patronage levels but very different services? Most notable is the Craigieburn versus Frankston lines. Craigieburn has higher patronage than the Frankston line yet gets only half the service. This applies not only when waits are maximum (every 40 vs every 20 min on Sunday morning) but other times eg midday (every 20 vs every 10 min 7 days). Evenings also have a gap with Craigieburn's 30 versus Frankston's 20 minute frequency. Frankston is a famously politically marginal line while Craigieburn is populated by Labor loyalists who (in public transport services) have not had their political faith repaid by successive Labor governments. 

The above north-south disparity reflects 2024 service levels but there wasn't always a difference. Thirty years ago the Frankston line had a similar off-peak service level as lines in the north. However there has been a long-term trend to boost Frankston line service while timetables in Melbourne's north stagnated with the disparity growing over time.

Hence Frankston line passengers now enjoy a 7 day turn up and go service (with a maximum 20 minute wait at night and on Sunday mornings) versus 20 to 40 minute frequencies on northern lines. To be fair the latter got extensions into growth areas (Watergardens, Craigieburn, South Morang, Sunbury, Mernda) however basic off-peak frequencies were never improved despite strong patronage.  

Also in the north-west/north are the Sunbury and Mernda lines. These have similar patronage (around 6.5 million) and, like Craigieburn, are in the 40 minute maximum wait club on Sunday mornings. Sunbury should get improvements when Metro Tunnel starts though nothing conclusive has yet been published since the 2016 business case. Each line's annual usage closely matches Ringwood's usage (6.4 million) which gets a 30 minute maximum wait. The difference between these lines is highest on weekends thanks to Ringwood's 10 minute midday service versus 20 minutes on the other lines.   

Pakenham, with its 2.6 million annual boardings gets a particularly raw deal on the maximum wait scale due to it's terrible Sunday morning timetable with hourly gaps. It's a big contrast with nearby Cranbourne (which has barely half the usage) and an even bigger contrast with Williamstown (with 1/5 the usage). It does however enjoy a better weekday interpeak frequency (20 min) compared to the also short-changed Belgrave and Lilydale sections east of Ringwood (every 30 min). Stations in this ara like Mooroolbark and Bayswater (recently rebuilt with level crossings removed) are demographically similar to the likes of Carrum and Frankston yet get only one-third the off-peak frequency (30 vs 10 min). 

Conclusion

It's almost all politics! Not 'objective' criteria like population density, usage and social needs. 

The maximum waits you have for trains depends on who your neighbours vote for and especially how politically loyal they are. Service differences between some lines have gone from negligible 30 years ago to about 2:1 today, despite major sections of the less served line attracting higher usage (notwithstanding the inferior service). 

The record shows significant policy difference between the main parties when in government. Labor has had a stronger public transport infrastructure agenda than Coalition governments. But on service, especially metropolitan rail service, if anything it's been the Coalition that has been stronger.

For example past Coalition governments (even Jeff Kennett's) greatly boosted Metro train services (mostly in their east-of-Yarra safe or marginal seats) while Labor governments returned few similar favours for their loyalists in the north.

The result is thus a widening have/have-not gap in the geographical distribution of 7 day frequent train service so necessary for Melbourne to function as a prosperous, liveable and equitable city. 

Another look at at patronage data is provided by Daniel Bowen here. 

Index to Useful Network items here

Public Transport to public swimming pools

It's summer which means many will be heading to swimming pools to cool off. How good is public transport, especially weekend public transport, to them? To find out I grabbed a list of public swimming pools and did a quick assessment of routes and service levels (like I did for hospitals).

Criteria include proximity, destinations and availability of transport from multiple directions with 7 day service and frequency (especially on weekends). But I will make some allowances for area. Eg if an area has poor public transport but the pool is well located within it (eg handy to local shops) then I've been more generous as it's more convenient for people to walk to or combine with other trips. Conversely pools less well located or near walking hostile roads with large roundabouts that lack pedestrian crossings are marked down even though they may have more bus routes nearby. 

Pools are listed roughly in order of suburb name.  

* Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre - MSAC (Albert Park) 

GOOD Trams 12 and 96 nearby. 

* Bayfit Leisure Centre (Altona North) 

POOR Buses 412 and 432 nearby. 412 is only every 80 min on weekends while 432 is slow and indirect. 

* Ascot Vale Leisure Centre 

FAIR Nearest transport is tram 57 and bus 472 (Moonee Ponds - Williamstown). 472 is every 15-20 min Mon-Sat but only every 50 min on Sunday. Also about 10 min walk from station. 

* Ashburton Pool and Recreation Centre (Ashburton)

FAIR Within 10 minutes walk of Ashburton station on Alamein train line, bus 734 along High St and 903 on Warrigal Rd. 

* Boroondara Sports Complex (Balwyn North) 

FAIR Bus routes 302 and 304 stop outside. This provides a reasonable east west service most days, although Sunday frequency drops. Lowering the score is the near absence of north-south connectivity on nearby Balwyn Rd, with only a poor weekend service offered on the 285 (which doesn't run on Sundays). 

* Belgrave Swimming Pool 

POOR The nearest public transport is the only occasional Route 699. 697 is next closest. It's more frequent than the 699 but is still very limited on weekends. A few might walk from the station (trains every 30 min on weekdays) but the area's hilly terrain and limited footpaths may put many off. 

* Glen Eira Sports and Aquatic Centre (GESAC) (Bentleigh East) 

POOR-FAIR Served by one bus - the 627 - which runs north-south every 30 min weekdays and 40 min weekends. The 822 - another north-south route - behind the pool is another option for some. The pool's location away from major east-west roads limits access in that direction. However there is the 703 on Centre Rd every 15-20 min weekdays and 30 min weekends. The centre is not near any train station. 

* Knox LeisureWorks (Boronia) 

POOR No buses within about 600m. The nearest routes are 737 and 753 which are typically only every 40 - 60 min on weekends. An indirect 10-15 min walk from Boronia station which has only a limited (every 30 min) weekday service. 

* Aqualink Box Hill (Box Hill) 

FAIR Not near station but about 300m from Station St served by 732, 735 and 903. These offer a reasonable number of buses per hour on weekends but reference to timetables are still needed. The pool is also about 400m from Elgar Rd which has the 767. Access from the east and west is poor due to the absence of a bus on Canterbury Rd. 

* Broadmeadows Leisure Centre 

FAIR - GOOD Walkable from a variety of local and Smart bus routes and the train at Broadmeadows station. Area is walking hostile for a town centre though. 

* Brunswick Baths (Brunswick) 

FAIR - GOOD Very close to frequent 19 tram on Sydney Rd. Even closer to the Upfield line but about midway between Brunswick and Jewell stations. Both provide efficient north-south connections. East-west access is however limited with the popular 506 bus reducing its frequency on Saturday afternoon and not running Sunday. 

* Latrobe University Sports Centre Indoor Pool (Bundoora) 

FAIR The location deep within the university campus is not that convenient if walking from the 86 tram on Plenty Rd. Frequent buses operate on weekdays (including the 301 university shuttle) but  only the 250 and 561 runs 7 days. 

* Carlton Baths Community Centre Outdoor

FAIR - GOOD Right on the 250/251 bus route which form a frequent corridor. Also walkable to 1 & 6 trams on Lygon St and 96 on Nicholson St. East-west connectivity is however poor with the nearby 546 bus not running weekends. 

* Clayton Aquatics & Health Club Indoor

FAIR - GOOD On popular bus routes including 631, 703, 704 and 733 although with typical 30 - 40 min weekend frequencies. About 10 min walk to Clayton station which offers trains every 10 min 7 days a week. 

* Doug Ellis Pool Monash University (Clayton) Indoor

FAIR - GOOD Approx 5 min walk from bus interchange which includes routes from a wide area. Weekend frequencies are however limited, being typically every 30 to 60 min with some routes not operating. 

* Collingwood Leisure Centre Indoor

VERY GOOD Opposite Clifton Hill train station with frequent service. Also served by frequent 246 bus. 504 bus in area but less frequent on weekends. 546 connects to north-east but doesn't operate weekends. 

* Coburg Leisure Centre Indoor

VERY GOOD Close to frequent 19 tram and walkable from Coburg Station. Also has frequent east-west connections via buses 513/514, 527, 561 and 903 SmartBus.  

* Coburg Olympic Swimming Pool Outdoor

POOR - FAIR Nearest route is 526 which doesn't run Sundays and has limited hours on other days. 561 a little further away offers 7 day service every 50 min on weekends. Some may also walk from 19 tram which runs frequently 7 days. 

* Splash Aqua Park and Leisure Centre (Craigieburn) Indoor

FAIR On edge of town centre with several bus routes to surrounding areas typically every 40 min on weekends. No frequent 7 day route runs to local stations. Walkability also uninspiring. 

* Casey Recreation & Aquatic Centre (RACE) (Cranbourne) 

POOR - FAIR Not in town centre. Near 897 bus that runs every 20 min 7 days but limited access from other parts of Cranbourne especially to north. 

* Crib Point Pool Outdoor

POOR - FAIR Within 600m of Crib point station and 782 bus. Low frequency of both (approx every 2 hours) limits access. 

* Croydon Leisure & Aquatic Centre (AquaHub) Indoor

FAIR Nearest bus, about 200m away, is 664 every 30 - 60 min. About 500m from station and bus interchange. Local buses are limited and train only every 30 min on weekdays. 

* Croydon Memorial Pool Outdoor

FAIR - GOOD Short walk from station and bus interchange. No crossing of major roads. 

* Dandenong Oasis Leisure Centre Indoor

POOR - FAIR Well beyond walking distance of station. Served by multiple bus routes but all are infrequent weekends or (like 802 and 804) do not run 7 days. 

* Diamond Creek Outdoor Pool Outdoor

FAIR - GOOD Very good location only 100 metres from train station but rating was held back by trains only every 40 min. Buses 381 and 580 run 7 days, 343 does not. 

* Doveton Pool in the Park (Doveton) Outdoor

VERY POOR Only bus is 844 which finishes early Saturdays and does not run Sundays. 

* Emerald Lake Park Wading Pool (Emerald) Outdoor

POOR - FAIR About 400m from 695 and 695F buses. 

* Eltham Leisure Centre (Eltham) Indoor

POOR No public transport to centre. Nearest buses are 513 and 902 on Main Rd accessible via Wingrove Park trail. 

* Fawkner Leisure Centre Indoor & Outdoor

POOR - FAIR 530 bus stops outside but limited frequency. About 700m to limited service weekday only 531 bus on Sydney Rd. 800m to station. 

* Fitzroy Swimming Pool Outdoor

FAIR - GOOD Short walk from frequent Route 11 tram on Brunswick Street and somewhat longer to 86 tram on Nicholson St. East-west transport is however poor with nearby 546 bus not running weekends. 

* Yarraville Swim Centre (Footscray West) Indoor

POOR Served only by Route 414 bus. Operates limited hours, every 80 min Saturdays with no Sunday service. Train at the uninviting Tottenham station approx 800m walk away. 

* Aqualink Nunawading (Forest Hill) Indoor

POOR - FAIR Only nearby public transport is the Route 902 on Springvale Rd which runs every 15 min weekdays and 30 min weekends. Absence of a bus route on Canterbury Rd means there is no east-west transport to the centre. Indirect and not frequent bus 765 is however an indirect walk to the south. 

* Peninsula Aquatic Recreation Centre (PARC) (Frankston) Indoor, two water slides

GOOD Short walk from Frankston Station and bus interchange (including 901 SmartBus). Connections to Mornington possible via Routes 781, 784 and 785. On weekdays frequent buses operate to Karingal (789, 790, 791) with a lesser weekend service. Rating would be higher if other local routes ran more frequent and/or 7 days (many don't). 

* Pines Forest Swimming Centre (Frankston North) Outdoor

FAIR Directly served by Route 833 between Frankston and Carrum which runs every 30 min weekdays and 60 min weekends. Approx 1km walk from 901 SmartBus on Frankston - Dandenong Rd which offers half these waits along with local route 832. 

* Harold Holt Swim Centre (Glen Iris) Indoor & Outdoor

FAIR - GOOD Directly on tram route 6 which offers frequent service. Tram 5 and 72 are a further walk away but may be useful for some. Poor access from south with only option being 624 bus (hourly on weekends) on Tooronga Rd. 

* Monash Aquatic & Recreation Centre (Glen Waverley) Indoor & Outdoor

POOR Located on Route 623 which offers east-west connectivity with buses every 30 min weekdays and 60 min weekends. Unfortunate placement in middle of large block distant from north-south main roads limits north-south connectivity. However a number of buses run to Glen Waverley from Springvale Rd (about 600m east). 

* WaterMarc Banyule (Greensborough) Indoor, water slides and splash park

GOOD Area a little hilly to walk but still within 200m of Greensborough station served by numerous bus routes including 901 and 902 SmartBuses (each every 30 min weekends). 

* Pelican Park Recreation Centre (Hastings) Indoor

POOR - FAIR About 400m from 782/783 buses in Hastings town centre. These run approximately hourly each day. About 1.2 - 1.4km east of Hastings station on infrequent Stony Point line. 

* Hawthorn Aquatic & Leisure Centre (Hawthorn) Outdoor

EXCELLENT Opposite Glenferrie Station with Route 16 tram even closer. 

* Healesville Outdoor Pool 

FAIR - GOOD About 300m from Route 685 to Lilydale. About 10 min walk from town centre.

* Jack Hort Memorial Indoor Pool (Healesville) 

VERY POOR No nearby public transport. Significant walk to 685 bus. 

* Heidelberg West Olympic Leisure Centre Indoor

GOOD Multiple bus routes nearby including 250, 517, 903. 549 does not run 7 days. 

* Highett Waves Leisure Centre Indoor

POOR - FAIR Distant from station or local shops. Served by 767 bus (every 30 - 40 min weekends) and infrequent 811/812. No east-west routes. 

* Wyndham Leisure & Events Centre (Aqua Pulse) (Hoppers Crossing) 

POOR - FAIR Served by 170 bus every 20 min 7 days between Werribee and Tarneit. Not near station. East-west routes on Heaths Rd but some distance away and poor walkability. 

* Ivanhoe Aquatic & Fitness Centre Indoor

POOR Only bus is 549 which is infrequent and doesn't run 7 days. Next nearest bus is 548 which also doesn't run 7 days. Route 250 does run 7 days but is some distance to west. 

* East Keilor Leisure Centre Indoor & Outdoor

POOR - FAIR Nearest bus is indirect 469. 465 and 903 are somewhat further away (typically every 20-30 min Sat, 30-40 min Sunday). 

* Brimbank Aquatic and Wellness Centre (Keilor Downs) Indoor

FAIR 418 and 421 (every 40-60 min weekends) stop nearby. Pool is close to shopping centre. About 1km to station. 

* Springers Leisure Centre (Keysborough) 

POOR Located in middle of park hemmed in by freeway and school, increasing distances. About 400m south of busy Cheltenham Rd which has buses 812 and 828 (both hourly on Sundays) but walking distance is increased further by lack of convenient pedestrian crossing causing backtracking. 

* Laverton Swim and Fitness Centre Indoor

POOR Approx 400m to buses on Bladin St. Of the three routes (400, 414, 417) only 400 operates 7 days (every 40 min approx). Over 1km from station. 

* Lilydale Swimming Pool Outdoor

FAIR - GOOD Approx 400m to station and bus interchange. Weekday trains only every 30 min while weekend buses are either infrequent or do not run. 

* Maribyrnong Aquatic Centre Indoor

FAIR - GOOD Close to 82 tram and generally frequent 223 bus. 409 bus also nearby. Some other bus routes eg 408 have infrequent Sunday service. 

* Melbourne City Baths Indoor

EXCELLENT Near numerous trams and Melbourne Central Station. 

* Melton Waves Leisure Centre Indoor

POOR On two indirect bus routes (453 & 455) that each run only hourly on weekends. Distant from station and not near shopping centre. Area has poor walkability. 

* Mill Park Leisure Centre Indoor

POOR On bus route 382 (every 40 min). East west access provided by bus route 566 which is indirect, confusing and infrequent. Area has poor walkability with pedestrian-hostile roundabouts. 

* Monbulk Aquatic Centre Indoor

POOR - FAIR About an 800m indirect walk from the main shops the site is served by bus 663. This is every 30 min weekdays and 60 min weekends. 


* Mordialloc Aquatic and Leisure Centre (proposed) 

LIKELY POOR Located in an industrial area the site has a discontinuous path from Mordialloc station and limited bus services. The nearest routes to the Governor Rd site include the weekday peak only 705 and the hourly (on weekends) 708 between Hampton and Carrum. Route 709 operates every 30 min 7 days but is further away, requiring negotiation of a walking hostile roundabout. Improved walkability and a weekend upgrade to 708 to run every 30 min would increase its rating to fair. 

* Healthways Recreation Centre (Mont Albert North) Indoor

POOR - FAIR Served only by the limited service daytime only 612 bus that runs hourly on Saturdays and not at all on Sundays. A 1km (approx) indirect walk to the 109 tram on Mont Albert Rd. 

* Queens Park Outdoor Pool (Moonee Ponds) Outdoor

FAIR - GOOD On frequent tram route 59 and a short walk from Moonee Ponds Junction. Holding back the score is poor east-west connectivity due to infrequent buses on weekends. 508 is only every 30-40 min on weekends while 506 lacks Sunday service. Route 404 from Footscray also doesn't run Sundays.   

* Casey Aquatic and Recreation Centre (ARC) (Narre Warren) Indoor

POOR Nearest bus stops are on busy Princes Hwy with no pedestrian crossing. Otherwise passengers can alight at the uninviting Fountain Gate bus interchange. Typical weekend service every 40 - 60 min only. 

* Noble Park Aquatic Centre Indoor & Outdoor

FAIR About 10 min walk from station with frequent train service and some local buses. Buses in some directions are however limited with 811 only every hour and no route connecting the area to Noble Park North. 

* North Melbourne Recreation Centre Outdoor

GOOD - VERY GOOD Within 200m of 57 tram and 402 bus. Will be even closer to Arden station served by Metro Tunnel trains. 

* Oakleigh Recreation Centre Outdoor

POOR Nearest service is 624 and 693 on Princes Hwy (both hourly weekends). Poor pedestrian connectivity across major highway to stops. 800, 802, 804 and 862 stop on Warrigal Rd but only indirect pedestrian access and only Route 862 runs Sundays. 

* Olinda Outdoor Pool (Olinda) 

VERY POOR Route 696 stops nearby but this is a limited service weekday only shopper route. Otherwise approx 1km walk west to Olinda shops where the 7 day 688 can be caught. 

* Cardinia LiFE (Pakenham) Indoor

* Pakenham Outdoor Pool (Pakenham) Outdoor

POOR Distant from station. On bus routes 925 and 926 which typically have 60 - 80 min gaps. 

* Oak Park Aquatic Centre (Pascoe Vale) Outdoor

FAIR Approx 500m walk from Oak Park Station. Closer to 542 bus but this is limited service with no Sunday service on this portion. Route also lacks stops right near Pascoe Vale Rd. 


* Pascoe Vale Outdoor Pool 

FAIR About 700m walk from Pascoe Vale Station. Bus routes 513 & 514 stop nearby. Every 20 min weekdays but drop to a combined 40 min service on Sundays. 

* Prahran Aquatic Centre Outdoor

VERY GOOD Near intersection of 72 and 78 tram routes. Also served by 603 and 604 buses. Prahran Station about 600m away. 

* Reservoir Leisure Centre Indoor & Outdoor

POOR - FAIR Served by several bus routes including 552, 556 and 561. Typically every 15-25 min weekdays, around every 40 min weekends. Getting to bus stop may require crossing large unsignalised roundabout. Approximately 800m east of station. 

* Richmond Recreation Centre Indoor

VERY GOOD Near intersection of 48/75 and 78 tram routes. Approx 10 min walk from 12 & 109 trams. Approx 1km east of West Richmond Station. 


* Ringwood Regional Aquatic & Leisure Centre (Aquanation) Indoor

FAIR Approx 300m east of 901 bus on Wantirna Rd (every 15 min weekdays, 30 min weekends). Approx 1km south of train station and large bus interchange.  

* St Kilda Sea Baths Indoor

GOOD 16 and 96 trams stop close by. Also served by 606 (nearby) and 623 bus (slightly further). Both are every 30 - 40 min on weekends. 

* Sunbury Aquatic & Leisure Centre Indoor & Outdoor

FAIR - GOOD About 500m from Sunbury station and bus interchange. Services typically every 40 min. 

* Sunshine Leisure Centre Indoor & Outdoor

FAIR - GOOD Nearest buses are 408 and 410 on Devonshire Rd. Each is every 15-20 min Mon-Sat but drop to hourly on Sundays. No convenient pedestrian crossing on Devonshire Rd near Kennedy St. Handy to shopping centre on Hampshire Rd where other buses eg 220 and 903 stop. Approx 800m to station. 

* Doncaster Aquarena Aquatic and Leisure Centre (Templestowe Lower) Indoor & Outdoor

FAIR Located on main road served by buses 279 (some trips), 293 (hourly weekends) and 902 (every 30 min weekends). 

* Thomastown Recreation & Aquatic Centre (TRAC) Indoor & Outdoor

FAIR Bus 357 (every 40 min most times) stops close by. Approx 500m west of station. 

* Werribee Outdoor Pool 

POOR - FAIR Approx 300m to infrequent 153 and 443 routes. Past end of long shopping strip, approx 1km away from station and even further from bus interchange. 

* Whittlesea Swimming Centre Outdoor

FAIR - GOOD About 300m from town centre and 382 bus stop (service every 40 min).

* Yarra Centre (Yarra Junction Aquatic Centre) Indoor

FAIR - GOOD Opposite main shops. About 100m from 683 bus (approx every hour). 

Conclusion

A summary of transport to each known operational public aquatic centre or swimming pool has been presented above. Assessments are only approximate and you might disagree with some - opportunity to comment below. 

Some centres are so poorly located that when they become too expensive to repair the best option may be closure and relocation to a more transport-friendly site. 

However most others are in at least reasonable locations. These have opportunity for service improvements to improve access to them. The most important of these include:

* Good active transport access including direct walking and cycling paths, pedestrian crossings on 'desire lines' to remove backtracking, traffic calming and large roundabout removals/intersection signalisation for better walkability.

* Bus operating hours and frequency upgrades, especially on weekends where many routes still run half (or less) service compared to weekdays. 

* Bus network reform where scope exists to improve connections between a pool and its surrounds. 

Because local councils are heavily involved in the funding, construction and management of pools and leisure centres they have a strong role in advocating (and in some cases construction) for necessary transport and access improvements.