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Of all the trains, trams and buses in Melbourne, it does seem that the blue Siemens train seats are consistently the dirtiest. Some have been upgraded to a multi-coloured design that seems cleaner (or at least looks cleaner), but many carriages still have this blue design that so often puts people off.

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We’ve flagged Smartbus overcrowding before, but it’s also happening on other routes. This is route 513 on Bell Street, a section shared with the 903 Smartbus. Obviously more services are needed to keep up with demand, and better coordination to ensure even frequencies.

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We’re getting more reports of overcrowding on V/Line services, particularly in peak hour. The Geelong line appears to be worst, but it’s also occurring on the other lines. Some passengers regularly find they have to stand for long periods — or as can be seen here, sit on the floor.

While the government is midway through delivering a batch of extra carriages, if growth continues, they’re going to need to place a new order quickly to keep up.

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(Pic: Carlo, on Twitter)

PTUA members have recently noticed a number of buses without Myki readers aboard. It appears new vehicles are not being fully kitted out with Myki devices before going into service — although they are managing to get all the Metcard equipment installed.

On this bus, running on route 626, the driver waved bemused Myki cardholders aboard, which would mean in some cases they got a free ride.

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The new Westall station. Plenty of cover from the rain along the platform, but none on the steps. Hopefully they don’t get too slippery.

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Flagstaff is the only Melbourne railway station that is closed on weekends.

The sign helpfully suggests using the City Circle tram to get to Melbourne Central, but this doesn’t run before 10am, or after 9pm Saturdays or 6pm Sundays.

Originally the station was open on Saturdays, but the whole Loop was closed on Sundays. In the 90s the Loop opened on Sundays, but Flagstaff completely closed on weekends.

Melbourne is a busy city now 7 days-a-week, and there are more and more residential apartment blocks in the area. The Queen Victoria Market is nearby, and the station is also adjacent to tram route 55, which passes no other CBD railway station. Does it still make sense for Flagstaff to be open only on weekdays?

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Nunawading station.

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(Pic: Chris on Twitter)

The sign says Moorabbin, but this train has actually just pulled into Melbourne Central, having travelled the 12 stations from Moorabbin.

Sadly it’s not uncommon for carriage displays and automated announcements to be confused about where the train is. It must make things very confusing for occasional users.

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The Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) has called on the Public Transport Minister Terry Mulder to clarify the position regarding Myki short-term tickets.

PTUA Regional Spokesman Paul Westcott said yesterday’s announcement about Myki had created uncertainty for regional bus users in areas using Myki, including Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo.

“Over sixty percent of bus travellers are using short-term tickets[1], yet Mr Mulder says that they are going to be eliminated ‘to the extent possible’. That threatens to create a huge problem for bus passengers and is likely to be a disincentive for people to use public transport.”
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This was spotted at Melbourne Central Station recently.

Yesterday the government announced they will keep the Myki system, and promised to “make it work”. And while PTUA members report the system has worked much better this year than it did last year, clearly, the government has some work to do to get it right.

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