News Public Transport Users Association www.ptua.org.au

ISSN 0817 – 0347 Volume 42 No.4 September 2018 ‘Metro 3’ shows transport politics has turned a corner The Andrews Government’s announcement that it not already in a position to compare itself with large is planning a massive orbital rail line through cities such as London, Paris or Singapore, it almost ’s middle suburbs took everyone by certainly will be within Metro 3’s planning surprise. The orbital railway has apparently been timeframe. These large cities, while retaining very under consideration within government agency strong core areas, also possess high-quality orbital Development Victoria, and is mooted to involve public transport links. decades’ worth of construction and a price tag in Perhaps even more important, the Metro 3 the order of $50 billion - far cheaper than the announcement demonstrates that transport politics in equivalent length of motorway, if the $16 billion Victoria has well and truly turned the corner, to price tag for the North East Link is any guide. where Premiers and Transport Ministers are prepared The PTUA has to take seriously dubbed this project audacious, big- ‘Metro 3’, for a ticket rail projects, number of reasons. not just as once-in- First, its scale puts it a - g e n e r a t i o n on a par with the initiatives like the Metro 1 tunnel 1970s , project now but in a rolling underway, and the programme of proposed Metro 2 works. We are tunnel from finally seeing public Newport to Clifton transport take its Hill. Second, it deserved place on places the proposal Source - State Government of Victoria. the political stage. in the context of a de Of course, this is still early days. facto development plan for The Metro 3 project as yet carries no ‘business case’ Melbourne’s public transport infrastructure, where or formal evaluation. Asking for one in the short both Metro 1 and Metro 2, as key projects to boost term is difficult, given that Victoria’s official systems connections between the fast-growing western for project appraisal are severely compromised, suburbs and job-rich inner Melbourne, should still riddled with question-begging assumptions, and have overall priority. require a thorough overhaul. While not detracting from the imperative to progress What is imperative for the State Government now is Metro 2, it is clear that the government’s new to produce the Transport Plan that its own legislation proposal has merit. The PTUA has long adopted a calls for. This should feature Metro 2 and Metro 3 as cautious approach to orbital public transport in guiding priorities for transport infrastructure, Melbourne, recognising that the need is currently embedded within a comprehensive multimodal limited due to the predominantly radial focus of long- network plan and a competent authority charged with distance travel. While this approach makes sense for its execution, and carefully targeted rail and road a medium-sized city, it is steadily being overtaken by solutions for freight movement. Melbourne’s sheer growth, much of which is occurring in middle-suburban areas. If Melbourne is At least the outline of such a plan should feature in all parties’ platforms for November’s state election. PTUA News – September 2018 – Page !1 PTUA office Committee Member meetings Ross House, Anthony Morton – President Melbourne: 247 Flinders Lane, Melbourne David Robertson – Meetings will be advertised in PTUA e-mail: [email protected] Secretary News and on our website Phil Bourke – Treasurer www.ptua.org.au Internet Michael Bell : Our web site is at www.ptua.org.au Daniel Bowen First Saturday of every month (except January), 10:30am Tim Long The PTUA runs email lists for member Mary MacKillop Room, St Mary's discussions, and to stay up to date with Stuart McKenzie Parish Offices, cnr. Little Myers and PTUA events. Members can also view Anna Morton Yarra streets, Geelong archived newsletters online: Bruce Sutherland www.ptua.org.au/members/resources : Jennifer Williams Second Thursday of each month (except January), 7pm Membership Enquiries Geelong Branch: Paul Westcott – Convenor Freight Bar, corner Mair and Peel Streets E-mail the office (see above). Ballarat Branch: PTUA members can obtain cheap yearly Ben Lever – Convenor passes – see www.ptua.org.au/ members/offers

Notice of Annual General In this issue Meeting • Melbourne Metro 3 p1

The Annual General Meeting of the PTUA will be • What is Melbourne Metro 2? p3 held on Thursday 18th October at 6:30 pm. in the Hayden Raysmith Room, 4th floor, Ross House, 247 • Cranbourne line - extend or Flinders Lane, Melbourne. duplicate? p4 Nominations for committee must be received in • Geelong branch report p5 writing by the returning officer no later than 3rd October. The nomination form is available on our • PSOs on trains p5 website at www.ptua.org.au/members/meetings, or contact the office for a paper copy. Nominations will • Mernda line opens p6 only be accepted from the floor at the meeting if insufficient nominations are received to fill required • Connecting to trains at positions. Frankston p6 A reminder that you must be a current financial • Ballarat branch report p7 member to attend and vote at the AGM, or to be nominated, or nominate someone for, the committee. Edited by Anna Morton. You may renew your membership at the meeting if it Newsletter contributors - Daniel Bowen, Ben Lever, is still current or no more than four months lapsed. Tony Morton and Paul Westcott. The guest speaker at the meeting will Rachel Printed by Kosdown, Port Melbourne. Lynskey from the Sustainable Cities campaign Our thanks to Margaret Pullar and the dedicated jointly funded by PTUA and Friends Of the Earth. mailout team.

PTUA News – September 2018 – Page !2 What is Metro 2?

We've all heard of Metro 1 - the Alongside other rail projects it proposed 3-lane West Gate Tunnel rail tunnel under construction to would improve connections, could handle. link the Sunbury line with the allowing far more trains to run. Dandenong line, via Parkville and But that wouldn't be stretching the Domain (to be known as Anzac Passengers on both lines would rail infrastructure. More can be station). have a faster, more direct trip into squeezed out the current lines right the CBD, which if accompanied by now, and a new tunnel should be Metro 2 is the proposal for a quality local feeder services able to run at least 24 trains, but up second metro rail tunnel. (buses) and infrastructure (bus and to 30 or more using high capacity bike lanes, and pedestrian signalling, and if built for it, 10-car It would be a connection from the facilities) would better compete trains. Mernda line, just north of Clifton with car travel. Hill station, tunnelling under There is a strong case not to delay Fitzroy (probably with a station From Werribee the new direct building such a project until after there), Parkville (with interchange route would make the train a better the Metro 1 tunnel is finished in to Metro 1), then Flagstaff, match for the Westgate Freeway. 2025 - rather, start now with Southern Cross, and then out to And not just for western suburbs to detailed planning, surveying, soil stations around new development CBD commutes; it would also testing, property acquisition, all the at Fishermans Bend, then under the cater much better for trips to and work that Metro 1 went river to Newport, to through ten years ago in connect with the preparation for the major Werribee line. works now underway. So the Mernda line Then preferably major would be separated from works (including the Hurstbridge line, excavation) can start on boosting capacity on Metro 2 as they finish on both (and allowing the Metro 1 - which isn't the Doncaster line to be built end of the first project, - though some argue that but some time early next this can be done sooner, decade. This would with high-capacity allow expertise and signalling). equipment to roll off one The Werribee line would onto the next. be separated out from the There's a cost to all this Williamstown and Altona of course - well above Loop (Laverton) lines. Melbourne Metro 2 - Source - Infrastructure Victoria. $10 billion, according to This has a lot of merit. Infrastructure Victoria. Although the Werribee line has from the Fishermans Bend area - But ultimately, Melbourne has a been freed of the contraints of the currently completely choice: a big boost to rail Geelong line trains thanks to the noncompetitive by public infrastructure and services, getting Regional Rail Link project, it transport. thousands more people onto public serves a massive growth area to If the line ran 15 trains per hour transport, or continued Melbourne’s south-west, and (up from about 7 in the busiest construction of massive motorway eventually the line will fill up hour now), that's at least 8800 projects, bringing thousands more again. Mernda is also seeing a lot additional people, assuming the cars onto the roads. of growth, and enabling high new design 7-car high capacity frequencies on the line might also metro trains, well above what the make possible a branch to Epping North. PTUA News – September 2018 – Page !3 Cranbourne line: Extend vs duplicate? Why not both?

As we move towards the state the line from Dandenong to quickly snowballing into larger election, the mainstream parties Cranbourne, with associated track ones. have each pledged upgrades to upgrades around Caulfield and the Cranbourne line, but have Dandenong at a cost of $750 Single track has no place on a differing views on the priority. million, with completion by 2023. modern metro rail system, let alone the busiest rail line in Melbourne. In July the Coalition promised that Labor claims this is a prerequisite if elected they would extend the to extending the line to Clyde, so it But the extension is also vital, and line five kilometres at a cost of can cope with the extra passengers, shouldn't wait until well into next $487 million, with new stations at and they say they will do planning decade. The growing outer suburbs Cranbourne East and Clyde. work for the extension. But it's are crying out for better access to They've said that road and rail unclear why the duplication plan is public transport, not years after would be grade-separated along costed at 50% more than the travel patterns are established, but the extension, including at extension. as new residents move in, before Cranbourne (South Gippsland they fill their driveways with a car Highway). Construction would The fact is, the south east needs for every adult in their household. both of these upgrades. commence in 2019, to be Ultimately, voters will determine completed by 2022. Single track continues to cause which plan gets priority. But to In August the Labor government havoc with the busy Dandenong whichever side gains power in promised that if re-elected, they line, limiting service frequencies, November, we say: do both. would complete the duplication of and resulting in minor delays

Vale Shaun Ashdowne. Since many election The PTUA committee were promises are still to be saddened to hear of the recent passing of Shaun Ashdowne after made, PTUA will be issuing a long illness. Shaun was very involved in the development and an evaluation of party maintenance of the PTUA website policies for the state election in its early years, and the artwork for It’s Time to Move (a PTUA closer to polling day. Watch policy document). He was at the time partner of then PTUA for updates via email, secretary Vaughan Williams. We Facebook/Twitter and extend our condolences to Vaughan, and Shaun’s husband, www.ptua.org.au family and friends.

PTUA News – September 2018 – Page !4 Geelong branch report

The two main concerns of the are the busiest on the V/Line In the meantime, we are Geelong Branch as the state network. They are suburban campaigning for both the election approaches are the stations, but can only be served by government and opposition to take unacceptable situation on the V/Line Geelong trains. The the lack of any internal bus Tarneit section of the Regional patronage generated adds to the transport in Armstrong Creek Rail Link (RRL), and the fact existing pressure on Geelong trains seriously. We know PTV has a that the burgeoning suburban during busy periods, as well as long-standing plan for a bus development in Armstrong slowing the end-to-end journey for network in the rapidly-growing Creek still has no internal public Geelong passengers. development, and that it has transport. submitted a request for funding to New subdivisions seem to pop up provide the first part of it. The recent announcement of an along the Tarneit section almost orbital ring rail scheme for monthly, and Wyndham Council The local Liberal Party state Melbourne was attention-grabbing. wants the three other stations member hasn't displayed any real However, that long-term project by planned for the line to be provided concern about the inevitable car no means obviates the need to fix as soon as possible. Geelong trains dependence of Armstrong Creek existing problems with the rail could not possibly accommodate residents, seemingly oblivious to system, of which the RRL is a the extra patronage generated by the link to his campaign for major prime example. those new suburban stations. road expansion to cope with growing car traffic. The RRL was originally marketed We are advocating to politicians to Geelong residents as an and in the media that the only His Labor competitor for the “express route to Melbourne". viable solution is to complete the November state election tells us However, there was never RRL as designed - four tracks to that, when door-knocking in sufficient funding to build it fully, , two electrified to Armstrong Creek, the lack of buses including four tracks between provide a true suburban service, in the development has been a Sunshine and Wyndham Vale, so with the other two providing the common concern. We have told that was never going to be the bypass for Geelong trains of the him about what is required to fill case. suburban rail network that was that gap, and about PTV's so-far falsely promised back in 2008. unsuccessful attempt to get buses Only three years after opening, running in the area. Wyndham Vale and Tarneit stations

PSOs on trains - win for PTUA policy

The State Government in as patrol stations to ensure protect passengers most September announced a change passenger safety and security. effectively, including on trains, is a in the arrangements for better strategy than restricting Protective Service Officers The PTUA has long pointed out them to a one-size-fits-all role on (PSOs) on the public transport that personal safety problems on stations (including many that have system. Key to the new public transport are not restricted never reported a violent incident arrangements is flexibility for to station platforms, and that and are unlikely to do so). PSOs to travel on trains as well targeting PSOs to where they can

PTUA News – September 2018 – Page !5 Mernda line opens

Thanks in part to marginal seats, Local bus routes were also re- but mostly to a concerted organised around the rail community campaign, the extension, and will hopefully give Mernda rail extension opened in many residents an alternative to August. A community day the driving to the station - as we know week before the line opened from experience, car parks are attracted thousands of visitors to never enough to satisfy demand. the three new stations: Mernda, Hawkstowe and Middle Gorge. Mernda station is currently next to an empty paddock, but a planned While there are misgivings about town centre will be developed name of the latter, already the new there soon. In the meantime, we PTUA spokesperson Daniel Bowen at Middle stations are proving popular with encourage train users to watch Gorge station. passengers. out for dragons at Middle Gorge!

Connecting to trains in Frankston, for less than $30 million

Public transport advocates in Not to be outdone, the Andrews often clouded by the idea that a car Australia are perpetually government has responded with a park represents ‘infrastructure’ - a challenged to justify generous massive $150 million programme fixed asset - whereas a bus service service provision in economic to provide 11,000 station car park is merely recurrent expenditure terms, given it requires a spaces. This averages just 8 years’ with little ‘capital’ value. But in substantial public subsidy. worth of Myki fares per space, but reality, even fixed assets have a Yet the call for justification is raises the same question. limited life span, and the oddly selective. Aside from the There is no question Frankston and government itself has accounting enduring double standard vis-a-vis other stations have big car parking rules that allow the two to be road projects, scrutiny of benefit problems, but just as with trying to directly compared. Both a car park versus cost tends to evaporate ‘bust’ traffic congestion by and a feeder bus provide a valuable when car parking at stations is building more roads, it is not at all outcome for the public, after all. considered. Take the promise by clear that more parking is the Using a basic ‘future value’ the State Opposition to provide an solution - particularly since natural calculation of the sort the Victorian extra 450 car parks at Frankston growth by itself will fill the Treasury would do, a car park with station, at a cost of $30 million for additional 450 spaces in the time an upfront capital cost of $30 a multi-storey parking structure taken just to build the facility. million and a notional life span of Simple division places the cost at Other methods that should be 50 years is equivalent to a ‘real over $66,000 per individual space - considered to provide convenient future cash flow’ of about $2 and while this is comparable to the access to the station include million per year. (Technically, this cost per space at other multi-storey expanding feeder bus services and is based on a ‘real discount rate’ of parking facilities already built at improving bicycle facilities - both 7% p.a. for future expenditure.) stations such as Glen Waverley and of which have much greater This annual sum, applied to Syndal, it clearly raises the potential to scale up to meet boosting the frequencies of question of value for money. In demand, and can continue to existing bus services to Frankston, purely nominal terms, $66,000 function all day, not just for peak- could deliver substantially more pays for almost 40 years’ worth of period early birds. than 450 additional passengers to Zone 1/2 Myki fares. The argument for feeder buses is the station, in car-free comfort, all day long.

PTUA News – September 2018 – Page !6 Ballarat branch report

In the last few months, Ballarat along the Ballarat line in the last The PTUA's Ballarat branch will has been the epicentre of the few months, as more mobile soon be launching its Connecting state's bus strikes; CDC operates towers have been built and more Ballarat paper to the media and about half the routes in Geelong VLocity trains have been fitted general public. The paper proposes and a handful of routes in with the signal-boosting repeaters. t o r e f o r m r o u t e m a p s b y Melbourne, but all the routes in It's taken a lot longer than first connecting routes on opposite Ballarat. planned, but the government has sides of town together, so they can recently announced that the entire take a straighter and more sensible When CDC drivers went on strike, VLocity fleet has been converted. path through the CBD, as well as Ballarat was entirely without a bus Several towers have already gone making some tweaks to routes out network for a day or half-day, up, and while some are still being in the suburbs. When the Ballarat which had a serious impact on built, the difference is already Line Upgrade project is completed many. Poor communication was a noticeable - data connectivity in late 2019, the line will shift serious issue throughout the strike seems constant for the whole from a 60-minute frequency to a – in several cases, people did not journey between Ballarat and 40-minute frequency – this realise a strike was happening at Melbourne. Despite the delays, this upgrade is very welcome but will all, so were left waiting for a bus is a huge win for passengers on mean the 30-and 60-minute buses that wasn't coming. In other cases, regional lines, with commuters will struggle to align with trains. the official information said that being able to work, study or talk This presents an opportunity to the strike would be from with friends and family much more upgrade bus frequencies to 2pm-6pm, but this was the time easily. There will also be benefits maintain those connections and to buses would be at the depot for passengers on the Ararat and provide a more attractive and protesting; services could be Maryborough long-distance lines; usable service for people getting affected for up to an hour either despite not getting extra mobile around Ballarat. The paper also side of this, so anyone who towers, the signal repeaters will pushes for excessively-padded thought they'd be able to catch a still boost their signals, giving timetables to be tightened up for a bus around 1:45pm or 6:15pm them significantly more coverage faster service, and for buses to run would be similarly stranded. than before. earlier in the morning and later in Eventually, as Transdev's drivers the evening. The PTUA will be There has also been good progress threatened to join strike action and lobbying local candidates, council with the Ballarat Line Upgrade impact a larger area of Melbourne, and other bodies to support this project. Sleepers and tracks are a last-minute deal was struck and proposal in the lead-up to the 2018 starting to be laid in the Caroline the issue now seems to be election. The Connecting Ballarat Springs-Melton section, and the resolved. This strike action is the paper will be launching in the next spans have been installed for a first of its kind for many years, and few weeks, so keep an eye on our second bridge over Toolern Creek. it has highlighted just how social media channels for the New stabling facilities at important buses are to the public details. Maddingley are well under way, transport network at large, and and early works have commenced Ballarat in particular – and how on the Ballan and Millbrook loops. important it is for PTV and At this stage it looks like the operators to be crystal clear when project is on track for its c o m m u n i c a t i n g p l a n n e d completion date in late 2019, and disruptions to passengers. it's possible the Caroline Springs- There has been a noticeable Melton section could see trains improvement in mobile coverage running even earlier than that.

PTUA News – September 2018 – Page !7 PTUA News Newsletter of the Public Transport Users Association, Org. No. A-6256L Print Post: Publication No. PP 100002658 If undeliverable, return to: PTUA Office, 247 Flinders Lane, Melbourne 3000

Inside:

‘Melbourne Metro 3 - transport policy turns a corner. What is Melbourne Metro 2? Cranbourne - extend or duplicate - why not both? Mernda rail opens.

Changed your address? PTUA office 247 Flinders Lane, Melbourne Make sure your PTUA News follows you when you move! Cut out or photocopy this form, fill in and return to us at: e-mail: [email protected] PTUA, Ross House, 247 Flinders Lane, Melbourne 3000. Or e-mail us at [email protected] www.ptua.org.au

Name ______Join us New address ______If you are reading a friend’s newsletter and would like to join Town/Suburb ______Postcode ______and help the fight for better public transport, it’s $50 per year Phone (H) ______(W) ______(M) ______($25 concession). Contact the office, or see www.ptua.org.au/ Email ______join

Responsibility for electoral comment in PTUA News is taken by Tony Morton, 247 Flinders Lane, Melbourne.

PTUA News – September 2018 – Page !8