Regional Rail Link

Work on Regional Rail Link was well underway, with the new flyover outside Fotscray taking shape to carry the new tracks over the Werribee line.

And the cutting closer to Footscray was being widened for the extra tracks.

The new suburban platforms were also taking shape at Footscray station.

And the existing footbridge was being extended north over the future tracks.

The bridge over the low level goods lines was also being widened.

With the rail alignment outside Sunshine also ready for the extra tracks.

While at the stalled Caroline Springs station site, work had restarted – but it was only a road deviation due to RRL related road closures.

The final stage of Regional Rail Link opened in June 2016, but Caroline Springs station had to wait – it finally opened to passengers in January 2017.

And off to Ballarat

I went on a trip to Ballarat onboard a 80 year old diesel railcar.

Along the way we had to give way to some far more modern trains.

Before our arrival into Ballarat.

But there is one thing that hasn’t changed in 80 years – the diesel exhaust belching into the air at Southern Cross Station.

Protective Services Officers

Melbourne’s first group of Protective Services Officers were deployed in February 2012 to Flinders Street and Southern Cross stations, with the roll out ramping up soon after.

The limiting factor on their deployment – providing a prison cell at every railway station.

Ding ding!

A decade ago there were no accessible tram stops or low floor trams running along Elizabeth Street in the Melbourne CBD.

But there was some progress being made – the tram tracks along Elizabeth Street were being relaid.

And Yarra Trams was using their new ‘kletterweichen’ (‘climbing turnout’) to allow trams to terminate short of the works, rather than forcing passengers to walk from the nearest permanent crossover.

However the new crossover still had some teething issues, as the first tram to pass over it derailed!

Yarra Trams having to send their heavy recovery vehicle to the site, to pull the tram back onto the rails.

Meanwhile over on Swanston Street, dimwitted motorists were getting confused by the new platform stops – driving through the bike lanes.

While out at Ascot Vale motorists were inflicting more damage, this driver having impaled their ute on five metres of safety zone fence.

So what was the solution that Yarra Trams has been applying across the network?

Closing tram stops.

“A recent review by Yarra Trams and Public Transport Victoria of the environment and layout at these stops has identified an increased safety risk to passengers and pedestrians. A number of improvement strategies have been trialled with minimal success”

And on the tram stops that remain – hiding network maps behind advertising slogans.

Buses

A decade ago City Sightseeing Melbourne was running a hop-on hop-off bus services around Melbourne using a fleet of open top double deck buses.

The service was a victim of the Covid-19 pandemic, and is yet to restart operations

Another competing tourist service was the Melbourne Free Visitor Shuttle.

It was discontinued in 2017 after years of declining patronage.

Meanwhile out in Footscray, I found a colourful arrangement of Westrans, Sita and Melbourne Bus Link buses running route services.

Today they’re operated by CDC Melbourne, Transit Systems Victoria and Kinetic Melbourne, and the orange PTV livery has replaced that of the private operators.

Myki

Myki had taken over as the only ticketing system in Melbourne, with Metcard ticket machines pulled out of trams, and replaced by an extra seat.

But the reliability of the new system was somewhat lacking – I found this stack trace for ‘log4net‘ displayed on this Myki reader.

And the rest

Remember Melbourne Bike Share?

It ceased operations in November 2019.

Meanwhile over at 447 Collins Street, work was underway to reinforce the failing facade.

The marble facade panels being removed from the lower floors to avoid any further pieces falling to earth.

But it was only a temporary fix – the entire tower was demolished in 2015, with the ‘pantscraper’ known as ‘Collins Arch‘ completed on the site in 2020.

Footnote

Here you can find the rest of my ‘photos from ten years ago‘ series.

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This time around it was ABC Radio Ballarat, who had seen my recent posts on the Ballarat line through Bacchus Marsh and curve easing for faster trains, and thought it would be of interest to their listeners.

I said yes, and so I was up early the next morning jabbering on about the history of the Ballarat line.

We’ve seen a lot of changes to the Ballarat train line over the last couple decades, but it’s only when you piece it all together that you see the sheer scale of the works that have been done.

Marcus Wong is an avid train fan and has been writing about the Ballarat line over the past few weeks on his blog Waking Up in Geelong, unearthing some answers to the strange quirks in how it was built.

You can check me out at the ABC Radio website.

Or listen to it below.

Unfortunately the recording cuts off abruptly at the end, but luckily it’s only the last 30 seconds or so.

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I’ve written about the history of the Ballarat line a lot recently, including the construction of a deviation to cut the length of the journey between Melbourne and Ballarat, but today I’m looking at a much less “sexy” improvement – curves easing so that trains could run through them a little bit faster.

Some background

If you’ve read my past items on the history of the Ballarat line and the looping section of track outside Bacchus Marsh you know the story by now – the line was born as two single track branch line serving towns along the way, until 1889 when the two met in the middle to form a through route that now linked Melbourne to Adelaide.

For this reason the railway was built to a cost, avoiding expensive earthworks, viaducts and tunnels by following a twisting route around the countryside, with multiple 40 chain (800 metre) and even some 20 chain (400 metre) radius curves along the way, forcing trains to slow down to to 80 km/h and 50 km/h respectively when traversing them. For early steam locomotives this wasn’t much of a problem, given their low top speeds.

PROV photo VPRS 12800/P0001 H 5012

But as the top speed of trains increased, these curves limited the actual speeds that could be achieved.

PROV image VPRS 12800/P1, item H 2545

Enter Regional Fast Rail

In 2000 the newly elected Bracks Government announced Regional Fast Rail – a project to speed up trains between Melbourne and the regional centres of Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo and Traralgon.

For the Ballarat line travel times before the upgrade were quite variable.

6.9 Ballarat Line
6.9.1 Existing Infrastructure Review

Existing Timetable
The existing travel time between Spencer Street and Ballarat varies according to the particular service, the time of day, available train paths, rolling stock and stopping patterns:
· The shortest travel time is 85 minutes
· Typically, the most frequent fastest travel time for an Up train is 85 minutes
· Typically, the most frequent fastest travel time for an Down train is 88 minutes
· 60% of all trains have travel times less than or equal to 90 minutes
· The slowest trains are mainly for opposing peak flow moves
· The slowest train is 104 minutes, an up train where this has to wait for two down train crosses.

As can be seen the variation in travel time is considerable.

For the Ballarat line a number of upgrades were considered.

6.9.3 Travel Time Scenarios

For the Railway line from Melbourne (Spencer Street) to Ballarat three travel time scenarios have been proposed:
· 70 minutes,
· 60 minutes, and
· 55 minutes.

Various options to reduce travel time were investigated. This investigation included assessing the merits and impacts of these options. The options ranged from low cost options to large scale engineering works, and are as follows:

· Applied cant and transition adjustments; low cost solution with small benefit.
· Curve easings to achieve typical minimum curve radii of 1500m; moderate cost with small benefit.
· Curve easings to achieve typical minimum curve radii of 2000m; significant cost with increased benefit.
· Major route alignment changes; major works costs resulting in significant time savings

At this stage, it is likely that deviation works (and associated land acquisitions) will be required to achieve travel time targets.

Eventually a target travel time of 64 minutes was set, which meant that the existing steam-era alignment needed to be rebuilt to allow the new maximum top speed of 160 km/h to be reached.

The headline act was the construction of a 8.2 kilometre deviation to shorten the journey between Millbrook to Dunnstown, west of Ballarat.

But another factor limiting top speeds was having to slow down to 50 km/h on what was otherwise a 160 km/h railway. Hence a targeted plan to replace tight curves with wider ones, using land already within the railway reserve wherever possible.

Speeding through Melton

Before the upgrade, Melton station had a 40 chain (800 metre) radius curve on the approach, limiting trains to 75 km/h.

And a 20 chain (400 metre) curve on the departure, limiting trains to 50 km/h.

But both were rebuilt, as well as the station platform.

7 November 2005

Over the past four weeks, Thiess Alstom Joint Venture has worked to upgrade the Station-Exford Road level crossing so that it could accommodate the addition of a second track, which leads to the newly extended Melton station platform.

Melton station platform has been extended 27.5 metres on the Melbourne-bound side and 44 metres on the Ballarat-bound side, to accommodate the new signalling requirements.

A swathe of land beside Melton Weir flagged as part of the project area, allowing a chunk of land beside the Coburns Road level crossing to be acquired.

VicPlan map

The old sharp curve being cut off.

Weston Langford photo

And the road rebuilt across it.

Weston Langford photo

And a new track on a smoother alignment constructed to the south.

Weston Langford photo

Combined with land acquisition closer to Melton Weir, the 50 km/h curve was replaced by a 120 km/h curve to the left, followed by a 150 km/h curve to the right.

Rebuilding the Parwan Curves

The sweeping curves over Parwan Creek outside Bacchus Marsh have been a favourite of railfans for years.

But they played havoc with the speedy operation of trains, thanks to the series of 30, 26 and 20 chain (600, 520 and 400 metre) curves, limiting train speeds to 50 km/h.

As a result, a wide swathe of land was made part of the project area, and land compulsorily acquired to give a smoother alignment between the curves.

VicPlan map

The bulldozers and dump trucks then rolled in to create a new embankment over the Parwan Creek.

Weston Langford photo

The fill coming from a massive cutting created between Parwan Creek and Bacchus Marsh.

Thiess ALSTOM Joint Venture photo

The end result – 50 km/h curves replaced by a 120 km/h curve to the right, followed by a 120 km/h curve to the left.

Bacchus Marsh station

Bacchus Marsh station is located at the bottom of the valley, with a 20 chain (400 metre) curve at the down end limiting trains to 50 km/h as they start their long climb towards Ballan.

The solution – rebuilding the entire Ballarat end of the station.

15 November 2005

Realigning the track
Major changes have also been made to the track alignment on the western entry into, and within, the rail yard.

The Ballarat-approach to Bacchus Marsh has traditionally supported trains that travel at an average speed of 45km/h. Track alignment works were required so that the faster trains could approach and enter the Parwan Road level crossing and rail yard safely.

Thiess Alstom Joint Venture’s works have included the installation of one new crossover and six refurbished turnouts within the yard. Recycled timber sleepers have been used in the reconstruction of the sidings which is where the trains will park when not in operation.

The existing station platform has also been modified to support the new track alignment. Over 30 m of bluestone has been cutback so that the platform aligns with the newly positioned track. A concrete platform extension of 75 m has also been constructed.

With a wider curve leading away from the station.

Leaving a disused section of platform behind, so that trains could enter the new wider curve earlier.

The end result – a left hand curve up from 50 km/h to 100 km/h.

Arriving into Ballan

You wouldn’t notice it today, but at the Melbourne end of Ballan station was once a sticking point – a 30 chain (600 metre) curve limiting trains to 65 km/h.

So the Regional Fast Rail project went and flagged a whole row of properties on the inside of the curve.

Department of Sustainability and Environment map

Then acquired a chunk of each to build a new smoother curve.

VicPlan map

The new route left the old one behind.

Weston Langford photo

Making a bridge redundant.

And creating a big green patch of land beside the Windle Street level crossing.

On what was once the main railway line between Melbourne and Ballarat.

The end result – an increase in curve speed from 65 km/h to 160 km/h.

Blink and you’ll miss it – Llandeilo Lane

Midway between Ballan and Ballarat is the Llandeilo Lane level crossing – otherwise forgettable, except for a 40 chain (800 metre) radius curve that limited trains to 80 km/h between to otherwise 160 km/h sections of straight track.

The solution – cutting the corner by relaying the track on a wider curve, squeezing up against the parallel road.

VicPlan map

Giving a speed increase from 80 km/h to 160 km/h.

Portland Flat Road – a bridge to nowhere

Still following the back road from Ballan, you’ll find something bizarre – a rusty stretch of disused railway, crossed by a timber bridge.

And the bridge leading leading nowhere.

Thanks to the railway running alongside.

The reason for the rebuilding was the 40 chain (800 metre) curve that limited trains to 80 km/h.

Weston Langford photo

Demolishing the bridge was not an option, as it is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register, so the new alignment was built clear of the existing bridge.

Thiess ALSTOM Joint Venture photo

Construction able to progress without disturbing rail services.

Weston Langford photo

Until the new line was cut into service.

Weston Langford photo

Allowing trains to increase their speed from 80 km/h to 160 km/h.

And the big one – the Bungaree Deviation

The original circuitous route via Bungaree was full of 30 and 40 chain (600 and 800 metre) curves, with speeds as low as 65 km/h.

It was replaced by a 8.2 kilometre deviation on a far more direct route.

The top speed for the new line – 160 km/h.

The verdict

Increasing line speeds from 80 km/h to 160 km/h is a massive improvement, especially in sections of railway between stations where a train could be travelling at top speed.

But improvements such as those at Ballan and Bacchus Marsh now look rather pointless, given the demise of the Ballarat to Melbourne express services, that skipped these stations to complete the run in 59 minutes.

As today every train stops at both Bacchus Marsh and Ballan, with both stations having gained a second track, platform and footbridge as part of the Ballarat Line Upgrade.

All part of a focus on service frequency and reliability, not raw speed.

Footnote: more detail on curve speeds

Current day curve speeds on the Ballarat line are from this V/Line driver training video.

While historical curve radii are taken from the 1989 Grades and Curve book:

Melton
Old: 40 chain approach, 20 chain departure
New: 120 km/h curve left, 150 km/h right

Parwan Creek:
Old: 30, 26 and 20 chain curves
New: 120 km/h curve right, 120 km/h left

Bacchus Marsh
Old: 20 chain curve
New: 100 km/h curve left

Ballan
Old: 30 chain curve
New: 160 km/h line speed

Llandeilo Lane
Old: 40 chain
New: 160 km/h line speed

Portland Flat Road
Old: 40 chain
New: 160 km/h line speed

Bungaree Deviation
Old: 30 and 40 chain curves
New: 160 km/h line speed

Historical curve speeds can be found in the Victorian Railways 1928 General Appendix, page 291.

12-20 chains = 25 mph (40 km/h)
20-25 chains = 30 mph (48 km/h)
25-30 chains = 35 mph (56 km/h)
30-35 chains = 40 mph (64 km/h)
35-40 chains = 50 mph (80 km/h)
40 chains = 60 mph (96 km/h)

With metricated distances found alongside miles per hour speeds in the 1979 edition.

402m = 30 mph (48 km/h)
604m = 35 mph (56 km/h)
805m = 50 mph (80 km/h)

Footnote: construction timeline

The February 2004 Thiess Alstom Joint Venture project newsletter gave a timeline of works along the Ballarat line.

Dec 2003 to April 2004
Melton: Earthworks and track formation west of Melton Station.

Dec 2003 to April 2004
Bacchus Marsh: Earthworks and track formation between Bacchus Marsh Station and Woolpack Road.

Feb 2004 to April 2004
Ballan: Realignment of Walsh Street, upgrade of the Windle Street level crossing.

Dec 2003 to April 2004
Gordon: Earthworks and construction of the new Portland Flat Road Bridge.

Feb to June 2004
Millbrook to Dunnstown: Construction of a new bridge over Spread Eagle Road.

Feb to June 2004
Construction of a new bridge over Peerwerrh Road.

Feb to December 2004
Construction of a new bridge over Lal Lal Creek.

Feb to July 2004
Construction of a new bridge over Moorabool River.

April to August 2004
Construction of a new bridge over Old Melbourne Road.

April to August 2004
Construction of a new bridge on Sullivans Road.

Feb to December 2004
Earthworks throughout the newly constructed corridor.

Sources

The archived website for the Thiess Alstom Joint Venture which delivered the Ballarat line portion of the Regional Fast Rail provided further detail, as did the archived Department of Infrastructure website.

The Department of Sustainability and Environment’s Regional Fast Rail Project, Integrated Approval Requirements document for the “Rail Infrastructure Projects Ballarat Rail Corridor Deviation” gave a high level overview of the land affected by the project.

A more detailed view of each railway deviation can be found on the VicPlan planning map.

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Some history

I’ve written about the history of the Melbourne-Ballarat railway before. Ballarat’s first railway was completed in 1862 as double track, but was indirect and travelled via Geelong. Today’s direct route to Melbourne came much later, being built from both ends over a 10 year period as a single track branch line serving towns along the way, until 1889 when the two met in the middle to form a through route that now linked Melbourne to Adelaide.

PROV photo VPRS 12800/P0001 H 5012

But following the completion of the heavily engineered Geelong-Ballarat and Melbourne-Bendigo railway lines, the finances of the young colony were depleted, so the new railway to Ballarat was built on a more economic basis. An example of this was when the surveyors reached the steep Moorabool River valley, they didn’t build a bridge – they sent the railway north for for the flatter terrain of Bungaree and Wallace, then back south to avoid the foothills of Black Hill outside Gordon.

In the years that followed the number of trains using the railway between Melbourne and Ballarat grew, as did the size of each – but the dogleg via Bungaree remained.

PROV image VPRS 12800/P1, item H 2545

In the 1970s the Bureau of Transport Economics looked at a number of upgrades to the Melbourne – Serviceton railway, with straightening out the line one of the options considered.

Millbrook to Dunnstown Deviation

It is proposed to straighten out the line between Millbrook, and Dunnstown to reduce the distance between these two localities by about 5 km.

A 5 minute reduction in transit time is expected for both directions of travel if the deviation is introduced at a capital cost of $1.5 million.

But this option was not pursued – instead a lower cost package of signalling upgrades and longer crossing loops was completed.

Weston Langford photo

Enter Regional Fast Rail

In 2000 the newly elected Bracks Government announced Regional Fast Rail – a project to speed up trains between Melbourne and the regional centres of Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo and Traralgon.

For the Ballarat line a target travel time of 64 minutes was set, which meant that the existing steam-era alignment needed to be rebuilt to allow the new maximum top speed of 160 km/h to be reached.

At Bungaree the solution to speeding up trains was simple – they brushed off their old plans, and proposed a brand new 8.2 kilometre section of railway joined the two halves of the existing doglegged route, bypassing the numerous tight curves along the way.

Sounds simple, eh?

But where will the line line run?

Drawing a line on a map is one thing, but new railway deviation cut through 30+ parcels of private land.

Department of Sustainability and Environment map

And the government failed to engage the local community following the announcement of the project.

Hansard, Legislative Assembly
13 June 2001

Mr Leigh (Mordialloc) – I will quote a letter from the Department of Infrastructure. It is a very nice letter to a whole range of people who live along what is called the Bungaree diversion. It is part of a loop on the Ballarat line that the government has to get rid of .It is where the government should look if it wants to use of some of the $550 million and reduce time frames on the Ballarat line.

Firstly, the government introduced the program without telling a resident or anyone else. Following the announcement, when the people in the area looked at the local newspaper they saw a report that their land would be blighted by this scheme, and the government had not told the parties concerned. What did Premier Bracks then do? Nothing.

After some months I forced the government to call a public meeting of the residents, and the honourable member for St Kilda — or Ballarat East, as I think he refers to himself — said he was getting on with it.

A letter dated 5 June from the Department of Infrastructure, which I will make available to the house, if necessary, says, in part:

Millbrook to Dunnstown deviation – Regional Fast Rail project

On 31 May the government released the expression of interest documentation to the market as the start of the bidding process

Work on whether the deviation is required between Millbrook and Dunnstown is still continuing, however this may not be resolved until the end of the tendering process early next year.

The government regrets the uncertainty …

Farmers and others who live in the community have no knowledge of what is going on.

At the public meeting the people supporting the fast train proposal put forward a great idea about how farmers could resolve the problem of crossing the track with their sheep. They said the train line should be buffered to protect them.

The track will go right through the middle of one farmer’s property. The head of the infrastructure group said, `I do not understand what your problem is, because we are going to make a payment to you. With that payment you will be able to afford to hire a transport company to move your sheep from one side of the railway neck to the other when you need to. Every time you want to move your sheep you will have to ring Ballarat to get a transport company out. There will be enough money for you in an account so you can afford to pay for that forever’.

That is the sort of nonsense that is going on.

The first community meetings being held in 2002.

Minister Meets with Landowners On Regional Fast Rail
Media release from the Minister for Transport
22 July 2002

Transport Minister Peter Batchelor attended a meeting Thursday of last week in the Millbrook Community Centre to brief landholders who could have their properties acquired for the Millbrook to Dunnstown rail deviation as part of the Regional Fast Rail Project.

The deviation is essential to reduce the distance the new fast trains will travel in this location, and to allow the trains to reach a speed of 160km/h to achieve a 64 minute express trip between Ballarat and Melbourne.

The Fast Rail project is the biggest upgrade of the regional rail system in 120 years.

But with the 2002 Victorian state election approaching, the railway deviation became a political football.

Liberals not prepared to reveal fast train policy called
Ballarat Courier
21 October 2002

The Liberal Party will reveal its policy on the fast rail project’s controversial Bungaree loop after the next state election called.

That was the message it delivered to Millbrook and Dunnstown residents at a public meeting on the issue last night.

The Liberal Party’s Ballarat East candidate Gerard FitzGerald and Ballarat Province candidate Helen Bath met with up to 50 people at the former Millbrook Primary School to discuss the impact of the Bungaree loop bypass on landholders.

Mr FitzGerald said he supported the farmers’ stance at the meeting and had presented their concerns to the Liberal Party.

Millbrook and Dunnstown landowners have banded together to fight a plan to build a new train line through or near their properties to bypass the Bungaree loop.

The group believes the bypass is unnecessary and would not be worth the pain it would cause the area.

At Millbrook and Dunnstown 18 properties will, under present plans, be affected by a new track that will partially replace the Bungaree loop and cut four minutes off travel times.

Mr FitzGerald said he wanted to see the money proposed for the Bungaree loop to be spent on improving the gridlock between Sunshine and Spencer St instead.

“What I am telling my party in Melbourne is that the deviation is clearly a waste of money,” Mr FitzGerald said.

However, the two candidates stopped short of committing to scrapping the Bungaree Loop plans.

Ms Bath said it could not yet commit to scrapping the loop deviation project until an election was called, any time between November 30 this year and the end of next year.

“As soon as the election is called you will have a very clear distinction (between the Liberal Party and Labor),” Ms Bath said.

Ms Bath also said she would organise a meeting with the party’s leader Robert Doyle and transport spokesman Geoff Leigh.

But the deviation was given the go ahead in 2003.

Government to Proceed With Millbrook Rail Deviation
Media release from the Minister for Transport
6 February 2003

Works on the deviation of the Ballarat rail line between Millbrook and Dunnstown for the Regional Fast Rail project will go ahead, Transport Minister Peter Batchelor announced today.

Mr Batchelor said the deviation was one of several necessary to create a high-quality 64-minute trip between Ballarat and Melbourne, a travel time strongly supported by the Ballarat Council and community.

Mr Batchelor will meet with affected landowners tonight at the Millbrook Community Hall.

“There is no feasible or cost-effective alternative to the deviation,” Mr Batchelor said.

“The only way that the travel time can be achieved on the Ballarat line is by building the deviation and realigning the track in four other locations.

But the state opposition still kept up the pressure on the government’s handing of the project, and proposed an alternate solution – double tracking the Ballarat line closer to Melbourne.

Hansard, Legislative Assembly
27 August 2003

Mr Mulder (Polwarth) — On 8 August, without any discussion, the Minister for Planning gazetted compulsory acquisition of 44 pieces of land in the Millsbrook–Dunnstown area for the $30 million Bungaree deviation. As one of the 20 affected land-holders, Graeme Harris says that Labor has bulldozed its way along.

There has been no proper consideration of alternatives such as those suggested by the Liberal Party to spend the same amount on duplicating the rail line between Deer Park West and Rockbank and abandon the Bungaree deviation.

Not a single rail has been laid on the $573 million fast rail projects. Today we see in the Herald Sun that there are further cost blow-outs of an initial $8 million for just the Bendigo and Traralgon projects. This bill will be picked up by all Victorians.

When will the Premier, the Minister for Transport and the members for Ballarat East and Ballarat West start to listen? The Bungaree deviation is about the Premier’s image in his own home town of Ballarat. According to the Ballarat mayor, David Vendy, it is no wonder the Premier’s body language is embarrassed! Fast rail construction delays are set to cost Victorians over $100 million.

Duplicating the track closer to Melbourne would benefit Ballan, Bacchus Marsh and Melton residents. This is all about the selfish pride of the Premier versus a small country community. The Ballarat members would do better to look after the small country.

But the government stuck to their plans, with newsletters for the Regional Fast Rail project being used to justify their choice of upgrades.

Regional Fast Rail Bulletin
Issue 2
November 2003

Why can’t the Government just run some more trains and leave the rail line as it is?

Victoria’s regional rail network has not been upgraded in decades, and much of the infrastructure is reaching the end of its life. The track includes sections of poor quality rail and sleepers which can result in uncomfortable journeys and wear-and-tear on trains, and the outdated signals are responsible for many delays.

As with roads, rail lines need to be upgraded. The Government is spending $130 million on bringing the Ballarat line up to modern standards to provide high-quality rail services which are frequent, fast, comfortable, reliable and safe.

How can services travelling in opposite directions run without being delayed on the single track?

Many sections of the country and metropolitan rail network operate safely and efficiently as single-track lines with passing loops. Duplication of the Ballarat line from Melton is not required to provide for more frequent and reliable services, and is unaffordable within the project’s budget. The introduction of 38 new trains, the redevelopment of the timetable to better match community needs, and the major upgrade of the tracks and signalling system will improve service frequency and reliability for all communities along the line.

What will be done about the delays between Melton and Sunshine, and in the metropolitan area?

Many of the delays experienced between Melton and Sunshine are caused by signalling problems. By replacing the outdated signals with an automated, centrally-controlled signalling system, reliability will be greatly improved. The upgrade of the signals on the country network will also reduce delays caused by trains missing their timetable slot once they reach the metropolitan system.

Improving the capacity and operation of the metropolitan system is a priority for government. Planning studies have begun to examine rail service operation on the Sunshine corridor, which provides paths for Ballarat line services. These studies will identify bottlenecks, clarify the causes of delays and formulate options for upgrading infrastructure, signalling and operating systems.

Why is the land acquisition necessary?

The track realignments are necessary to achieve the target express travel time of 64 minutes between Ballarat and Spencer Street station. A travel time close to one hour is strongly supported by the City of Ballarat and the Ballarat community, and faster travel times are required if rail is to compete with road travel. The only other option for achieving the 64 minute travel time without bypassing the Bungaree Loop is to bypass Bacchus Marsh, which is not appropriate. Affected landowners will be fairly compensated in accordance with the provisions of the Land Acquisition and Compensation Act 1986.

Building it

Now that a route was chosen, it was time to build.

VicPlan map

In came the bulldozers, scrapers, dump trucks and graders – clearing the way for the new railway.

Weston Langford photo

Some impressive civil works were required to build the new line, which had no level crossings:

• 380,000m3 of cut and fill earthworks,
• Construction of four road over rail bridges:
  • Sullivans Road (16m span)
  • Spread Eagle Road (12.5m span)
  • Peerewerrh Road (12.5m span)
  • Old Melbourne Road (18.5m span)
• Two rail over water bridges:
  • Moorabool Bridge: 270m long, 27m high
  • Lal Lal Bridge: 363m long, 40m high

The two massive rail over water bridges being the main feature.

Thiess ALSTOM Joint Venture photo

Built to an innovative design not seen before .

The construction of the Moorabool River and Lal Lal Creek bridges on the Bungaree Deviation included many innovative design and construction solutions. The challenge for the design team was to develop an innovative design that would minimise the on-site works and therefore minimise risk for the construction phase of the project.

The design and construction methodology included the following objectives:
• Minimise work at heights
• Prefabricate and preassemble as much as possible including access systems
• Assemble as much on the ground as possible
• Use of physical handrails rather than fall arrest systems

A breakthrough in the design was the use of wind tower technology for the steel bridge columns, fabricated by Keppel Prince in Portland.

Lal Lal Creek piers:
– rolled from 32mm plate
– maximum length of 38m
– maximum weight of 82 tonnes
– base diameter up to 4.5m tapering down to standard 1.5m at the top

Moorabool River piers:
– rolled from 20 – 25mm plate
– maximum length of 25m
– maximum weight of 25 tonnes

All the piers were transported to site in one section including the platforms and access systems to enable piers to be erected straight off the truck.

During construction, the pre-cast concrete crossheads weighing 27 tonne were lifted onto each steel pier with the permanent access platforms installed on the crossheads on the ground prior to final erection.

Three super T pre-cast concrete beams (ranging from 62-76 tonne and 27-33 metres) were laid in parallel to span each gap between the columns.

Each beam was fitted out on the ground prior to lifting into final position. The fit out included the installation of ballast walls incorporating permanent hand rails, drainage system and temporary handrails around lifting points. Additional lifting clutches were incorporated to take into account the change in centre of gravity due to the beam fit out.

The use of very large steel columns, precast beams, and crossheads required detailed planning for each lift. Mobile cranes were used for all the lifts and special attention was placed on prepared detailed engineering solutions for all lifts including access roads and the provision of piled support systems and embankment strengthening works for the crane positions.

The two bridges were functionally complete by late 2004.

Weston Langford photo

And following the completion of works elsewhere along the line, Premier Steve Bracks and Transport Minister Peter Batchelor launched VLocity trains along the upgraded line on 22 December 2005.

Matt Julian photo

But a false economy

Despite building a shorter route, it was decided to retain the old route as a crossing loop, so that trains in opposite directions could pass each other without stopping.

The new deviation joining the existing route at Millsbrook in the east.

And Dunnstown in the west.

Cost cutting on the project was attacked at the time.

Submission to the Select Committee, Train Services, Parliament of Victoria
Rail Tram and Bus Union
18 September 2006

Much has been made of the improvements to the Ballarat line which features the hugely expensive deviation from Millbrook to Torpys Road ($45,000,000) This was done to facilitate a time saving of 5 minutes in the running time of the fast train service.

All the track improvements were carried out with one objective, that is to allow one service to negotiate the distance from Ballarat to Sunshine in 45 mins. This would explain why two sections of track from Bacchus Marsh to the Horseshoe Bend and from the Horseshoe Bend to Ingliston were not even touched and left with the original wooden sleepers and worn out rail. There was no speed gain on this section of track because it was too costly to upgrade. The total length of these two sections is around 15 – 20 kms. A further 2 km section of track exists on the approach to Ballarat where the concrete sleepered new track finishes at Stawell Street and passengers are treated the last bit of their journey on this rough old section. The reason for this? No speed gain on this piece of line so leave it.

All crossing loops were left in situ ( except for Bungaree) and were extended for run off purposes at Bank Box, Parwan, and Rockbank, using mostly second hand plant, ie: rails and sleepers.

The track around through Bungaree (the original line) has been made into a ridiculously long crossing loop (over 7 kms) purely to save the cost of constructing a new loop on the deviation track.

Because the Ballarat line is single track throughout any late running will compound right down the line causing delays to all trains because of the poor siting of the crossing loops.

The incompetent arrangements at Bacchus Marsh are a prime example. Rather than reworking the station (which has significant commuter traffic) to an island platform, the station still has only a single platform face which seriously inhibits crossing trains. In fact it is the only station on the line with a single platform face and over 70% of the patronage on this line occurs out to Bacchus Marsh.

And the cost cutting came back to bite them in the years that followed – in 2008–09 had to come back and install more than 50,000 concrete sleepers in the section of track they skipped a few years earlier.

And in the 2012/13 financial year VicTrack had to fund upgrades at four level crossings along the ‘old’ Bungaree Loop.

A mess finally cleaned up as part of the recently completed $518 million Ballarat line upgrade project – the ‘long way around’ via Bungaree was closed.

Replaced by a brand new crossing loop at Milbrook, so that opposing trains could still pass each other.

The project also duplicated the Ballarat line as far as Melton.

And provided second platforms at Bacchus Marsh and Ballan.

Upgrades suggested two decades earlier in place of the deviation via Bungaree.

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Photo by Marcus Wong (Wongm), via Wikimedia Commons

Let’s take a tour

Today covered by the City of Greater Geelong, Geelong used to be part of multiple local government areas – the City of Geelong, City of Geelong West, City of Newtown, City of South Barwon and Shire of Corio making up the urban areas, with the urban fringe managed by the Rural City of Bellarine, and parts of the Shire of Barrabool and Shire of Bannockburn.

VicPlan map, Local Government Areas pre-1994 amalgamations layer

Ballarat was similar – today’s City of Ballarat was once the City of Ballarat, Shire of Ballarat and Borough of Sebastopol covering the city, with parts of the Shire of Bungaree, Shire of Buninyong, Shire of Grenville and Shire of Ripon covering the outskirts.

VicPlan map, Local Government Areas pre-1994 amalgamations layer

Today the City of Greater Bendigo, Bendigo was once governed by former City of Bendigo and Borough of Eaglehawk, with Shire of Strathfieldsaye, Shire of Huntly, Rural City of Marong and parts of the Shire of McIvor covering the outer areas.

VicPlan map, Local Government Areas pre-1994 amalgamations layer

Gippsland was a little different – what is now the City of Latrobe was split between the City of Moe and City of Traralgon which governed the cities of the same name, the City of Morwell governed both the city and surrounds, and the Shire of Traralgon, Shire of Narracan and Shire of Rosedale managed the rest.

VicPlan map, Local Government Areas pre-1994 amalgamations layer

North East Victoria was another part of Victoria subject to “double barrelled” LGAs – both Benalla and Wangaratta had a City covering the urban area, and a Shire of the same name covering the surrounding districts.

VicPlan map, Local Government Areas pre-1994 amalgamations layer

Maryborough had some odd boundaries – they just drew a square on the map and called it the City of Maryborough.

VicPlan map, Local Government Areas pre-1994 amalgamations layer

Castlemaine is another box drawn on the map, the City of Castlemaine having since been merged with the Shire of Maldon, Shire of Metcalfe and Shire of Newstead to form today’s Shire of Mount Alexander.

VicPlan map, Local Government Areas pre-1994 amalgamations layer

And finally, South West Victoria – Camperdown and Colac were their own little islands in the Town of Camperdown and City of Colac.

VicPlan map, Local Government Areas pre-1994 amalgamations layer

So how did they all come from anyway?

The short answer is “history” – for the rest I’ll just crib from the Wikipedia page on Local government in Victoria.

Local government had existed in Victoria since before its separation from New South Wales in 1851. The Town of Melbourne was established by an Act of the NSW Governor and Legislative Council in 1842 and the Borough of Geelong was established in 1849. Both bodies continued after the creation of Victoria as a separate colony, and both later became cities.

Road districts were established under legislation passed in 1853. From 1862 many road districts became shires pursuant to the District Councils Bill 1862. To become a shire, the road district had to be over 100 square miles (260 km²) in size and have annual rate revenue of over £1000. Promotion to town or city status was dependent on the gross revenue of the council.

The 1989 Local Government Act eliminated administrative distinctions between cities and shires, introduced the category of rural city and removed the possibility of declaring any further boroughs or towns. Five shires became rural cities.

An example of this evolutionary process is the local councils that once covered Geelong – established in the 1800s as either a “Road District” covering a small township or a “Borough” covering a young suburb, and growing in the years that followed to become a “Shire” or “City” respectively.

1849 – Geelong incorporated as a Town
1853 – Barrabool Road District proclaimed
1853 – Portarlington Road District proclaimed
1856 – Connewarre Road District proclaimed
1857 – South Barwon Municipal District proclaimed
1857 – South Barwon Road District proclaimed
1858 – Newtown and Chilwell Borough proclaimed
1860 – Portarlington Road District renamed as Indented Head Road District
1861 – Corio Road District proclaimed
1862 – Bannockburn Road District proclaimed
1863 – Meredith Road District proclaimed
1863 – Queenscliff and Point Lonsdale separated from Indented Head Road District to form Queenscliffe Municipal District.
1863 – South Barwon Borough created by amalgamating South Barwon Municipal District and South Barwon Road District
1864 – Bannockburn Road District redesignated as Shire
1864 – Corio Road District redesignated as Shire
1865 – Indented Head Road District redesignated and renamed as Bellarine Shire
1874 – South Barwon Shire created by amalgamating Connewarre Road District and South Barwon Borough
1875 – Geelong West Borough proclaimed
1910 – Geelong proclaimed a City
1915 – Meredith Shire added to Bannockburn Shire
1922 – Geelong West proclaimed a Town
1924 – Newtown and Chilwell proclaimed a Town
1929 – Geelong West proclaimed a City
1959 – Newtown and Chilwell proclaimed a City
1967 – Newtown and Chilwell City renamed as Newtown City
1963 – Queenscliffe Municipal District redesignated as Borough
1974 – South Barwon proclaimed a City
1989 – Bellarine proclaimed a Rural City

And where did they go?

Ian Tiley from the University of New England Centre for Local Government has the answer to this one, in his paper Evolution of Council Amalgamation in Victoria Tasmania and South Australia. The proliferation of local governments had been seen as a problem for some time.

Progressive investigations into local government reform have been undertaken since the 1960s, when Victorian local councils numbered 210. In 1962, a Commission of Inquiry into Victorian Local Government recommended reduction in the number of municipalities to 42, but the Inquiry was not acted on. A 1979 Report to government recommended establishment of a Municipal Commission to restructure local government. In 1985, the Victoria Grants Commission undertook a statistical analysis of economies of scale in local authorities of varying sizes and predicted a financial crisis in smaller units unless they were amalgamated.

The Cain Labor Government deciding to take action in 1985, but failing.

In September 1985, Victorian Premier Cain announced a strategy for state-wide amalgamations of local government. There was pressure for amalgamation in some economically-depressed, manufacturing reliant Victorian provincial cities, which had a relatively large number of local authorities in their urban areas, such as Geelong (four), Bendigo (five) and Ballarat (six) councils.

However, a year later, because of a combination of community opposition, bypassing of existing local government power structures, failure to establish majority support, conflicting aims, and lack of restriction in scope, the Premier announced that restructuring would only occur on a voluntary basis and attempts to reduce the 210 local authorities in Victoria at that time failed.

With the Kennett Liberal Government reopening the issue on winning government in 1992.

The local government reform implementation process took place in two stages. The first phase occurred during the initial Kennett Government term of office and entailed a radical agenda that fundamentally altered local government. The second reform phase from 1996 onwards consisted of consolidation of central direction of the local government sector through a variety of means including threats, contempt for some local government representatives and ad hoc interventions by the Minister.

The Kennett government quickly introduced the Local Government (General Amendment) Act 1993 to enable transformation of the Victorian municipal system. The Act established a Local Government Board to provide a process for reviewing local government structure and specifically precluded the Victorian Supreme Court from hearing any proceedings brought against the Board, its staff or the Minister in respect of such review.

The Board adopted a forceful “top-down” style (and community of interest was not considered a relevant issue, except where it could be used to suggest that existing local government boundaries divided communities as strong commercial area.

But merging local government areas wasn’t the only outcome of the Kennett-era reforms.

There were three key features of the municipal reforms.

Firstly, councils were summarily sacked in successive stages so that local government was effectively suspended and communities disenfranchised as Government-appointed commissioners assumed administrative responsibility under strict oversight of the Local Government Board.

The second feature was the ultimate reduction in the number of local government councils from 210 to 78 and allied reduction in staff numbers, buildings, plant and equipment, services and capital reserves.

The third key feature was that an increasing proportion of council budgets were required to be subject to Compulsory Competitive Tendering. The management tools of CCT and the consequent privatisation of services created a more “entrepreneurial” government and reduced the role and function of local government in favour of the private sector.

The hollowing out of local government capabilities following the introduction of Compulsory Competitive Tendering is still seen today.

Footnote 1 – the one that got away

There was one local government area that escaped the forced amalgamations of 1994 – the tiny Borough of Queenscliffe. Covering an area of just over 10 square kilometres and with a population of almost 3,000 people, it is the smallest local government area in Victoria.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Queenscliffvic-airview-0508-2601-63.jpg

Labor Party MP for Geelong North stating at the time.

…we are not sure why it was omitted. The Minister for Local Government said it was because Queenscliffe is unique. The Premier said it was because of the council’s effectiveness. Some people suggest the uniqueness of Queenscliffe has a lot to do with the number of influential Liberal Party members living at Point Lonsdale who have exerted pressure

Footnote 2 – the mysterious Yallourn Works Area

Out in the Latrobe Valley west of the City of Moe was the mysterious Yallourn Works Area.

VicPlan map, Local Government Areas pre-1994 amalgamations layer

I knew Yallourn was a company town run by the State Electricity Commission of Victoria.

Photo by , via Wikimedia Commons

Which was eventually swallowed up by a coal mine.

But I didn’t realise Yallourn was also an unincorporated area subject to the almost total control of the SECV.

Yallourn was a company town, which meant that the State Electricity Commission was simultaneously landlord, employer and governor. The Commission decided who lived there, and exercised control over public and private space in the town.

The establishment of the Yallourn Town Advisory Council in 1947 curtailed the SEC’s autocratic administration of the town. But resident action groups were no match for the SEC or the Victorian Parliament once the decision was made in the 1960s to get rid of the town.

Footnote 3 – Kennett complains about ‘woke’ names

In 2021 the Moreland City Council was in the news for wanting to change its name due to links to slavery, and Jeff Kennett weighed in by saying that councillors who voted for the name change should pay the cost of the changeover. One small problem there Jeff – you created it back in 1994 when you amalgamated the former local government areas of the City of Brunswick, the City of Coburg and the southern part of the City of Broadmeadows.

Footnote 4 – PTV’s local area maps and local government areas

Public Transport Victoria doesn’t publish a full map showing all models of public transport in Melbourne – they stopped updating it back in 2009 – but does have a series of local area maps broken down by local government areas.

As someone who grew up in Geelong, it has taken me years to work out which local government areas cover which part of Melbourne, and I still don’t know the borders between most of them – just rough mappings to suburbs.

So perhaps I shouldn’t be so hard on the people I’ve met who didn’t know that Victorian towns outside of Melbourne are big enough to be divided up into named suburbs.

Further reading

• Evolution of Council Amalgamation in Victoria Tasmania and South Australia by Ian Tiley.
• Local Government Areas for Victoria prior to the 1994 amalgamations dataset at Data Vic.
• Controversial council amalgamations redesign Melbourne, The Age, 1994,
• State Electricity Commission (Yallourn Area) Act 1947

Plus the former local government areas in regional Victoria and metropolitan Melbourne are listed over at Wikipedia.

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On the road to Ballarat

We start off on the Western Highway headed to Ballarat, where work was underway on the $200 million Anthony’s Cutting upgrade outside Melton.

The winding road over Djerriwarrh Creek was about to be bypassed.

As well as the steep drop down into Bacchus Marsh.

The reason for my visit – another brand new X’Trapolis suburban train was about to leave the Alstom factory at Ballarat.

So I followed it on the diesel locomotive-hauled delivery run to Melbourne.

Passing the abandoned bluestone station buildings of the Geelong-Ballarat railway.

And the V/Line coach that now links the two cities.

Today there are 210 X’Trapolis trains on the Melbourne network, the bulk of them delivered since 2009 to cope with surging patronage.

Another train I captured leaving Ballarat was 122 year old steam locomotive Y112.

It was headed from the home base of Ballarat for Geelong, where it hauled a weekend worth of special trips for happy passengers.

Level crossings and bridges

At Anglesea Road in Waurn Ponds, I found a new level crossing about to be opened.

But it was only a temporary one – constructed to permit the grade separation of the level crossing as part of Stage 4A of the Geelong Ring Road.

You can replace a level crossing with a bridge, but at Separation Street in North Geelong motorists still find a way to crash onto the tracks.

In 2010 $3.2 million was spent to replace the Melbourne-bound parapets with a concrete wall, with the Geelong-bound lanes similarly upgraded in 2020 at a cost of $4.2 million.

And finally, on nearby Thompson Road I found a level crossing with no trains.

Part of the mothballed Fyansford line, the line lay idle for twenty years following the closure of the cement works in 2001, until it was finally pulled up in December 2011.

Scenes that are gone

Ding ding on La Trobe Street, my usual hackspot for capturing trains headed out of Southern Cross Station, but this month the interesting bit is behind this W class tram – a clear view of the old The Age offices, and National Bank House at 500 Bourke Street.

And in the other direction, Docklands Stadium.

Today all you’ll see is a wall of apartment towers along Spencer Street, and the fire damaged Lacrosse building in the other.

I also headed out to the abandoned RAAF Williams base to capture passing trains.

In 2010 the location was named as the site of the $86 million ‘Point Cook’ station, which opened in 2013 as Williams Landing, along with the extension of Palmers Road into the namesake housing estate.

And you thought insurance is boring?

The clock on top of the Mercer Street silos in Geelong hasn’t worked for years, but the thing I noticed was the ‘We Are Geelong’ billboard.

Back in 2010 Newcastle-based for-profit health insurer NIB started sponsoring the Geelong Football Club, in an attempt to butter up locals pending their hostile takeover of Geelong-based mutual health fund GMHBA. The takeover was rejected, and NIB pissed off with their tail between their legs.

On the same insurance note, I also paid a visit to National Mutual Plaza on Collins Street.

Once the home of Melbourne’s first rooftop restaurant, National Mutual was demutualised in 1996 and sold to AXA, with Suncorp Insurance having taken over the building.

A year later part of the facade fell from the tower, narrowly missing people down below. In 2014 demolition of the building was approved despite a pending heritage listing, with the ‘pantscraper‘ now occupying the site.

Footnote

Here you can find the rest of my ‘photos from ten years ago‘ series.

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We start over at Flinders Street Station, where Hitachi trains were still in service with then-suburban train operator Connex Melbourne.

Connex was replaced by Metro Trains Melbourne in November 2009, but the Hitachi trains hung on until December 2013.

Nearby signal box Flinders Street ‘A’ was being rebuilt as part of the ‘Signal’ youth arts centre.

But around the corner was the abandoned trackbed of platform 11.

It has since been turned into the ‘Arbory’ bar, opened in 2015

We’ve been watching the construction at North Melbourne station for months now, and in May 2009 the temporary scaffolding was coming down, exposing the new concourse at the city end.

Down near Moonee Ponds Creek I photographed a V/Line train headed out of the station.

Since Regional Rail Link opened in 2014 these tracks are only used by suburban trains, with V/Line now using their own tracks that bypass North Melbourne station entirely.

Once upon a time passenger trains all over Victoria once carried parcels as well as passengers, but in 2009 the ‘Green Star’ parcel service still operated using V/Line trains.

The public parcel service was wound up in 2010, but V/Line still continues transporting blood products for the Australian Red Cross Blood Service as part of a separate agreement.

Another much heavier freight task is the movement of steel products from the BlueScope Steel plant at Hastings, to the Melbourne Steel Terminal next door to Docklands.

A decade on the trains still run, this freight terminal no longer exists – the site was cleared in 2015 to make way for the ‘E’ Gate development, only for Transurban to acquire it in 2016 as part of the West Gate ‘Tunnel’ city access ramps.

Around the corner at the South Dynon depot, I found a 114 tonne diesel locomotive being lifted by a crane.

B64 originally entered service in 1952 and was in service with V/Line for 40 years until retired in 1992. It then went through a succession of owners who intended to restore it to service, but to naught – it’s currently dumped out the back of the railway workshops in Bendigo.

Another similarly aged locomotive is steam engine R761.

It also entered service in 1952, but was withdrawn far earlier in 1974, but retained for use on special trains, such as this run to Ballarat.

The steep climb out of Bacchus Marsh drew quite a crowd.

As did the spin on the turntable on arrival at Ballarat.

Along the way I stopped into the ghost town that was Rockbank station.

The station is currently being upgraded as part of the Regional Rail Revival project, but there is nothing ‘regional’ about Rockbank – the new station is intended to serve sprawling new suburbs of Melbourne.

While I was up in Ballarat, I stumbled upon for the former Joe White Maltings plant in Wendouree.

A complex series of conveyors and elevators once moved grain around the facility.

But by the time I visited the plant had closed, bulk of the site having been demolished in 2006, leaving just the silos.

The site then lay empty, with the silos demolished in late-2010 after plans to convert them into apartments fell through.

We end down in Geelong, where I picked up a “Short Term Ticket”.

They were a cardboard single use smartcard ticket, sold on buses in Ballarat, Bendigo and Geelong following the introduction of Myki in 2009.

The rollout of short term tickets was cancelled by the Baillieu government in June 2011, acting on advice contained in a secret report by consultants Deloitte. Supposedly the continued rollout was cancelled because the cards cost $0.40 cents to manufacture – making up almost half of the $0.90 charged for a concession bus fare in Geelong!

Despite the objections of locals, the sale of two hour and daily short-term tickets ended in Geelong on Friday 19 April 2013.

Footnote

Here you can find the rest of my ‘photos from ten years ago‘ series.

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Remember flip phones? Telstra was flogging the crap out of them at Southern Cross Station in 2009.

Elsewhere on the concourse the suburban train displays were finally switched on, after three years of service from the ‘temporary’ screens alongside.

But at the north end work on the ‘Yardmaster’ building was racing along, thanks to the precast concrete construction.

Out in Ballarat the new railway station at Wendouree was almost complete.

While at Laverton work had started on a third platform and turnback siding for Altona Loop trains.

In March 2009 the tracks through platform 1 (now platform 2) were ripped up.

Allowed the trackbed to be cleared out.

But that didn’t stop V/Line trains from running to Geelong.

As they were routed via the remaining track on the other side.

Some smart planning there!

Down in Geelong grain trains were running again, following years of drought.

The tracks out of Geelong towards Moorabool have since been duplicated, making it easier for freight trains to access the port.

But no so lucky was the gravel traffic to North Shore – terminated in November 2009, and now moved by road.

I saw a few ‘out of place’ trains in my travels.

Midway between Geelong and Ballarat I found an ex-Adelaide H type tram sitting in a backyard.

Between Geelong and Melbourne I found an Indian Pacific liveried locomotive hauling The Overland through Lara.

And at South Dynon I found the Road Transferable Locomotive – a truck that could haul freight wagons along railway lines.

The biannual Avalon Airshow was held in March 2009, and V/Line was running plenty of extra trains to transport patrons from Melbourne to Lara, where a bus connection was provided to Avalon Airport.

Extra trains were transferred out of Bacchus Marsh on Friday night to help move the crowds.

One of the days was pissing down rain.

But the weather eventually came good, as I spent the weekend driving in the shadows of the You Yangs.

Capturing V/Line trains along the Geelong line.

Another unusual train I captured was a 707 Operations charter to Colac.

And a rebirth of the Southern Aurora train as the Bacardi Express – a travelling music festival taking bands along the East Coast of Australia.

The festival was held in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Footnote

Here you can find the rest of my ‘photos from ten years ago‘ series.

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It seems that every month sees me start in Geelong, where this time around I photographed a boring blue bus at Geelong station.

The ‘GTS’ stood for Geelong Transit System and was the operating brand for public transport in Geelong between 1983 until 2000, when it was replaced by a mishmash of bus operator branding. Today no sign of it remains, Myki being the ticketing system, and the Public Transport Victoria livery has been applied to buses.

I also took at look at progress on the Geelong Ring Road through the Barrabool Hills.

Barrabool Road had been slewed to one side, allowing construction of the bridge over the future freeway to be carried out without interference with traffic.

Excavation work on the long cutting towards Waurn Ponds was well underway.

As was the massive climb uphill from the Barwon River.

Another ongoing theme is the decline of rail freight – I found a rake of redundant superphosphate hopper wagons in storage at North Geelong Yard.

As well as a rake of much older cement hoppers.

Both were destined for the scrap yard – the superphosphate traffic was completely lost to rail in the early 2000s, but cement traffic was still barley holding on but in smaller volumes, hence the retirement of older wagons.

But there was one new traffic that rail won – the transport of containerised mineral sands from the Iluka Resources processing plant outside Hamilton to the Port of Melbourne for export.

The service was run by small operator El Zorro, with the transport of the mineral sands between mine and processing plant also moving to rail in 2011.

And another success was the transport of Geelong football fans to Melbourne, where they would see the Cats get thrashed by Hawthorn in the 2008 AFL Grand Final.

A number of special 8 car trains ran between Geelong and Richmond during the finals seasons, with one of the trains on grand final day wearing a special ‘Geelong Cats’ headboard on the lead locomotive.

Up in Melbourne I took a walk through Flinders Street Station, where Connex had opened a new customer information booth on the main concourse.

The booth still exists today, just rebranded for Metro Trains Melbourne.

I also photographed the ‘split flap’ Solari boards hidden on the main concourse, which once listed train departures for each line.

Installed in the 1990s, the screens were decommissioned in 2007 but remained in place for a few years, hidden by advertising.

Over at Southern Cross Station I followed a speedy piece of construction – a new loading ramp at the north end of platform 1.

Built to enable the provision of motorail services on The Overland between Melbourne and Adelaide, two weeks later it was virtually complete.

The first cars were loaded onto The Overland in February 2009, but today the ramp stands unused – the motorail service was withdrawn in November 2015.

Finally, we end this month with a trip to Ballarat.

In the small township of Millbrook I came across a level crossing on Old Melbourne Road, protected by bells and lights but no boom barriers.

VicTrack funded a upgrade of this level crossing during the 2012/13 financial year, but the railway line is due to be closed in a year or two time, made redundant by the Ballarat Line Upgrade.

On the shores of Lake Wendouree is the Ballarat Tramway Museum, where I photographed tram 33 departing the St Aidans Drive terminus.

While a short distance away I paid a visit to the future Wendouree station site.

The railway past the station was still being used by trains to Ararat, so the tracks were slewed away from the platform, allowing construction to be completed without delaying V/Line services.

I also had a look at the Alstom workshops at North Ballarat, where the sidings were full of abandoned trains.

I found Comeng carriages 1109T and 533M showing plenty of accident damage; as well as classmate 671M stored in a stripped condition, minus windows, doors, cab front and who knows what else.

Comeng carriage 671M was eventually made part of a new MFB training facility at Craigieburn in 2014, while 1109T and 533M were scrapped in 2010.

I also found Hitachi carriages 204M and 203M.

Both scrapped in 2010.

But there was also signs of new life – Hitachi carriage 225M was under refurbishment.

It reentered service soon after, remaining in service until 2014.

Along with a number of Great Southern Rail carriages being upgraded for use on the Indian Pacific and The Ghan services.

They also saw use on the ultra expensive Southern Spirit service that operated between 2010 and 2012.

But we end some something I just stumbled upon – the abandoned Joe White Maltings factory at Wendouree.

The factory itself had already been demolished, with the silos meeting the same fate in 2010. Houses now occupy the site.

Footnote

Here you can find the rest of my ‘photos from ten years ago‘ series.

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‘Crate Men’ were appearing all over Melbourne – I found this example beside the railway line at Newport.

Also at Newport I came across a port shuttle train with a load of containers from the CRT Logistics terminal at Altona North.

These trains no longer run, with the government dragging their heels on their reinstatement, resulting in more trucks on the road in Melbourne’s west.

Back home in Geelong new rail infrastructure was being built, with an extension of the station building at Lara well underway.

As well as new standard gauge rail sidings at the Port of Geelong.

I also went chasing a number of trains, such as this Steamrail Victoria special at Geelong station.

This short trainload of logs bound for the Midway woodchip mill at North Shore.

And Pacific National clearing out their collection of life expired freight wagons at North Geelong Yard.

Up the road at Avalon Airport I photographed a Jetstar A320 arrive at the very spartan terminal.

As well as abandoned Qantas 747-300 VH-EBU ‘Nalanji Dreaming’.

She arrived at Avalon Airport in February 2005 for long term storage and was stripped of parts, eventually bein removed from the Australia aircraft register in May 2008.

I also paid a visit to Ballarat on a Seymour Railway Heritage Centre train, much to the delight of this newly married couple.

While I found V/Line’s ‘bus’ service to Ararat parked outside the station.

I found a much more conventional bus service outside North Melbourne station, where a pack of buses for the new route 401 shuttle to Melbourne University were parked.

At the station itself cranes were at work building the new concourse at the southern end.

With a temporary crash deck allowing work to continue while trains passed below.

I also found a diesel locomotive parked on the other side of the station, as construction work continued on the ‘Southern Star’ observation wheel behind.

The Southern Star wheel was shortlived – opened two years late in December 2008, it was shut down 40 days later due to design faults, and didn’t reopen until 2013 as the ‘Melbourne Star’ wheel.

As for the diesel locomotive, it has had a far more salubrious life – built by Clyde Engineering of Sydney in 1957 for the Kowloon-Canton Railway of Hong Kong, where it hauled passenger and then freight services for over 50 years, before being purchased by Chicago Freight Car Leasing Australia (CFCLA) in 2005 and brought back home to Australia for a second life hauling freight trains.

And we end on this touch of the 1980s I spotted onboard a V/Line carriage.

As well as my 1:160 scale model of a V/Line N class diesel locomotive, posed in front of the real thing.

Footnote

Here you can find the rest of my ‘photos from ten years ago‘

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