Author: PTUA
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NE Link: Waste of money
When Infrastructure Victoria called the North East Link a “priority road project”, it was because its consultants gave the road a highly favourable initial assessment. The report last year by KPMG, Arup and Jacobs estimated the project (including the Eastern Freeway and M80 widening) would cost between $4.8 and $7.1 billion. The benefits were stated…
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PTUA welcomes extra Night Coach services
The Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) has welcomed the government’s announcement of extra Night Coach services for regional Victoria. Passengers on the Ballarat and Bendigo lines will benefit from new Night Coaches leaving Melbourne around 1am, in addition to the existing coaches which leave around 2am. This fills a gap of approximately 2 hours in…
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Call for govt to fund official PTV “every 10 minutes” train plan
The Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) has called on the State Government to fund the official PTV rail network service plan, which included trains every 10 minutes on most Metro lines by 2016 [1]. PTUA spokesman Daniel Bowen said the upgrade would revolutionise train travel around Melbourne, by cutting waiting times and crowding outside peak…
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Inside Melbourne’s new trains
Last week we took a look at the mock-up of Melbourne’s new train design, to give feedback to the project team. The mock-up is one and a half carriages, designed to show stakeholder groups the layout, including the inter-carriage connections. The platform alongside the mock-up has different heights, to simulate actual conditions around Melbourne’s rail…
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PTUA supports call for better services for Ballarat
The Public Transport Users Association today welcomed Committee for Ballarat’s new #59minuteballarat campaign, which calls for full duplication of the line to Ballarat, electrification of the line to Melton, and faster, more frequent and more reliable services. PTUA Ballarat Branch Convener Ben Lever said the region needs a long-term bipartisan plan to deliver the infrastructure…
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Port Rail Shuttle resuscitation welcomed
Vital context for unsolicited West Gate Tunnel Proposal, says PTUA The Public Transport Users Association welcomes the Andrews Government’s resolution on Sunday to progress work on the Port Rail Shuttle to “level the playing field” between road and rail freight for the Port of Melbourne. PTUA President Dr Tony Morton said the Port Rail Shuttle…
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Ballarat bus passengers still waiting
A new bus timetable for Ballarat will come into effect on 27 August to align with new train times, but the Public Transport Users Association note that most problems with the timetables still remain. Since January 2017, Ballarat bus timetables have been excessively padded out, with overly-generous estimates for how long parts of a journey…
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Remember Doncaster
Northeast has the worst traffic? It should remind planners that the idea for trains to Doncaster Hill springs from a genuine need long recognised by the community.
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Advice not so neutral
Infrastructure Australia began life as a disinterested adviser. Its board comprised independent experts, economists and planners alongside industry representatives and public-sector managers. But it has subtly morphed into a forum for big business interests to lobby governments from “inside the tent”. Lobbyists and privatisation advocates now dominate the board. Its latest report tries to breathe…
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Lacklustre debut for route 58, while other tram routes suffer
On 1 May Yarra Trams commenced running a new tram route 58, a reorganisation of existing routes to West Coburg and Toorak. This change had been a long time in planning, and was aimed at providing a higher daytime frequency on the increasingly popular William Street route, and providing a direct east-west connection complementing the…
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V/Line: Jack of all trades…?
V/Line has been very much a victim of its own success over the last decade, with each new investment, from Regional Fast Rail to the Regional Rail Link, resulting in a boom in passenger numbers. This shows that when governments invest in a decent public transport option, people will flock to it – but unfortunately…
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Problem of the Week
Seen a Public Transport problem that you want to call out? Something that bugs you – big or small – that could and should be fixed? Let us know via Email problems@ptua.org.au, Tweet @PTUA or Facebook. Include #PTUA #POTW hashtags. Send pics. We will investigate the most popular problems, look into the history, find the…
