2050 is mentioned in Simon Love’s tweet above.
The timeframe is particularly interesting given the lack of scope in the western suburbs. Cheltenham to Box Hill is set to commence in 2022 - surely it doesn’t take 28 years to reach Melbourne Airport from the east?
Presumably if you’re actually trying to get to one of the stations on the exact opposite side of the loop you’re better off going into the city and out to the station as current.
I’d just hope that they can upgrade the western side of the ‘loop’ far quicker than the general estimates, they’d all be fairly independent projects and getting those new growth areas onto a Metro grade service instead of VLine would help ease the massive congestion on the line for regional trains.
They’d be mad not to at least make the reservations to achieve that.
If they are being serious about getting ahead of Melbourne’s sprawl it should eventually connect up to an electrified Geelong line around Little River, with a path that allows connections between the Ballarat/Bendigo/Geelong lines.
That means people who want to travel from Werribee to Bundoora (for example) will have to change trains twice: first at Sunshine, then at Melbourne Airport.
The new arrangement will make the Melbourne Airport rail link more like the T8 Airport Line in Sydney, than the airport lines in Brisbane and Perth which both have standalone branches.
I would prefer the SRL skipping the airport altogether and go straight from Sunshine to Broadmeadows.
Simon Love (10 News First reporter) also asked Victorian Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan about the controversial SRL train yard at Heatherton, which many locals say would take away valuable green space.
Almost half of the suburb is comprised of golf courses and parks.
I’m a bit late with this, but on Tuesday the start-up commuter train “Te Huia” between Hamilton and Auckland was launched, with two morning trains to Auckland, and two return trains to Hamilton in the evening.
For context, the last Hamilton-Auckland commuter train was canned in 2001. It’s a pretty big milestone for regional rail transport in New Zealand.
Has anyone been on an Ansair Flxible Clipper bus before? Found this one at a car show in Waterford,WA today and it looks neat even if it’s a motorhome.
Didn’t go for a ride but saw one at an event at Driver Coaches in Melbourne on Saturday. They took it around the yard and it runs well.
Herald Sun reports today that as many as 23 of Melbourne’s trams could be taken out of service, due to delays in delivery of vital wheel parts from South Africa caused by COVID-19. The Victorian Department of Transport and Yarra Trams officials found parts from companies in Italy and Germany but were unable to prevent a delay in getting them into Melbourne. Trams in need of replacements will be gradually taken off the network from this week, with A, B and C-Class trams all affected.
Just like our Australind trains in WA which it had to be taken out of service a few times because the wheel lathe at the Nowergup Depot north of Perth is out of service.
So, after several failed attempts last year and already a few this year… it seemed every time I thought about going somewhere they ended up in lockdown or another natural disaster but this time we’ve gone several days and it’s still all good!
We’re off on a holiday soon to Sydney to use some of our flight credits up from last year and for the birthdays in our family. Just wanted to see what the restrictions are like currently in Sydney and on trains etc… Are masks required? Being down here we’ve never had to wear them except for going to the doctor and me for work a couple of times at the medical practices.
I know we’ll need them at the airport and for the flights, we’ll be trying to get the kids to wear them when needed but I think they’re exempt under 12?
We’re looking forward to it though, only 5 days but looking forward to finally having a bit of a break off the island and going to the zoo and things like that and it’s a new place the kids haven’t been to.
No masks on public transport. Still recommended in Uber and cabs but not enforced.
Everything else is back to full capacity as far as I can remember.
Enjoy! Definitely try to do the ferry to the zoo.
Awesome, we’re going to be staying in Chatswood and will be easy going just straight from the plane to the train and get all the sights first by going across the bridge! Hopefully it’s good weather - temps look just like our summer at the moment so I’m happy with that!
They are not “required”, however NSW Health still “strongly” recommends wearing of fitted face masks on public transport.
Which probably results in similar levels of usage as on the Victorian public transport where it’s “mandatory” but has dramatically lapsed.
Federal Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese and Labor MP Patrick Gorman toured the C-series train mock-up at Perth’s Yagan Square this morning.
Except for Melbourne.
Beat me to it 
X’Traps and HCMTs both built in Melbourne. All parts sourced locally except for the shell bodies imported from overseas.
The C series in perth will be the same, only has 50% local content (HCMTs have more than 60%, E class trams have 60% local content too)
The NZTA have released a video outlining the current progress of the Northern Corridor Improvements, which includes connecting State Highways 1 and 16 through a new interchange, and an extension to the Northern Busway from Constellation Station to Albany, with a new intermediate bus station at Rosedale.
