Analysis: The Melbourne Metro Transport Plan

The government has finally realeased details of the Melbourne metro plan, analysis as follows:

An interchange or provision for an interchange should be provided at Lloyd street for connection with the Upfield and Cragieburn lines. This is currently not included in the plan.

The Arden metro should be located adjacent to Abbotsford st and Queensberry st to provide connections with the 57 West Maribynong tram. The Arden metro will likely see high rises spring up in North Melbourne. The government and local councils should work in concert to protect Errol St and heritage buildings in the area.

Consideration should be given to a new tram line servicing Docklands via the Arden metro to fully activate the North Melbourne Area. Connections to multiple tram line is essential to create a "CBD" type concentration.

The placement of the Parkville metro is excellent. It services the hospitals, university and research hubs in the area. Further it has excellent connections to tram lines down Flemington rd and Royal parade.

Consideration should be given to the effects of tram patronage once the Parkville metro opens. Should trams continue to terminate at the university or should a new terminus, perhaps at Docklands be used? It should be noted that this plan doesn't solve or address the Docklands blackspot.

I believe the location of the North and South CBD metros are appropriate and pragmatic. They take into account trains that travel through the loop and those that run direct to Flinders st. There will be those that a dissapointed that the new metro doesn't tread new ground. Perhaps with a stop that is not already well serviced, say Lygon St, though it's understandable that costs are kept manageable.

Lastly, I agree with the reasoning in the placement of the Domain metro. It will act to reduce peak loads on trams down St Kilda rd which should be commended.

Metro's first priority should be customer services

I would rate Metro's first month in Melbourne a fail. Sure they have a nice website, but it's what patrons see and hear everyday that counts. So far, it appears metro's priority is branding rather than customer service, and that's a huge blunder.

One wonders why they bother with brand promotion at such an early stage, when service levels are still poor. It just reinforces a negative brand perception. Do we really need to be reminded at each stop that "Metro" is arriving at? Who authorized such a stupid branding procedure, and why are our tax dollars being used to pay for it? Surely a common sense "Does this add value?" approach should be used. Does changing the arrival annoucement add any value? NO!

So what does add value? Thinking about how customers use trains. Can we add powerpoints for people to charge their mobiles and laptops? Can we offer a free wifi service at stations? Can we offer customers are chance to design their own timetables and vote for them?

There many, many more important things than branding at this moment. Hopefully metro gets a clue and starts thinking about them.

Should all Melbourne Premium Stations have ATMs?

A few years back, I remember reading an article in a Beijing newspaper at the outrage of the lack of ATM facilities in their new subway system, and can't help but find a similar problem here in Melbourne. Apart from Flinders St, which stupidly awarded ANZ sole rights, why aren't there more ATM's in conveninent locations for us to use them?

The lack of commercialization of our train stations is surprising given the massive foot traffic that passes through the system every day. Is this a department of transport issue, or is it an issue with the train operators? Or is it a security issue? Surely its not a commercial issue.

Either way a solution must be found. Is there any other things our train stations lack? What should the new operators MTM be looking at to improve our system?

Local considerations for Nunawading station upgrade

The premier recently announced the long overdue grade seperation of train tracks at springvale rd nunawading and relocation of nunawading station to the west of springvale rd. Apparently the grade seperation is due to finish 2010, but the station upgrade hopefully is still up in the air. Hopefully, some more thought into its design, especially feedback from the local community is considered before the station upgrade is implemented. (I don't want them to try to rush the implementation just to get some election kudos.)

Here's my top 3 considerations:

1) Passenger distribution. The station entrance is at the head for trains deperating towards Flinder st, and at the tail for trains from Belgrave to Lilydale. Will this be mirrored if they move the station west side? Or will the station entrance be placed in a different location. Designers need to condsider the impact on the distribution of passengers getting on a nunawading, and also downstream in stations like Blackburn and Box Hill. Overcrowding in certain carriages could be a potential fallout.

2) Shops and ammenities such as the milk bar, bakery will need to "moved" or replaced. It's a no brainer that car parking and bus stops must be replaced, but other amenities must be considered in the interest of passenger convenience. Obviously this must be co-ordinated with better links to the existing shops, the nearby community centre and the christian school closeby.

3) Redevelopment of the existing nunawading station and shops. With the tracks going under, it's a great opportunity to create a new block of land. A square or community area could be built, creating a new "Nunwading Central". The basis for this is obviously Box Hill.