Re: [Vic] Trains to Spencer Street

["Daniel Bowen" <dbowen@custard.REMOVE.net.au>]

"John Kerr" <jkerr@gil.com.au> wrote in message
3ae97bed$0$169@wodc7nh6.news.uu.net">news:3ae97bed$0$169@wodc7nh6.news.uu.net...
> As a visitor, I find it annoying when a train say from Dandenong in the
> evening goes direct to Flinders Street but terminates there, not to go to
> the sheds but to form a service through the loop back the way it came. It
> happened to me once and I didn't realise and the train was heading out
west
> via Flagstaff but bypassing Spencer Street altogether so I decided to walk
> from Flagstaff rather risk how long I might have to wait changing trains
at
> North Melbourne.

Four lines go through North Melbourne (5 at peak hour), directly to Spencer
Street at that time of day. You could expect a wait of about 5 minutes at
most times, except after the evening peak when the service level drops to 8
trains an hour.

Alternatively you could have caught a tram from Parliament to Spencer
Street.

>     I much prefer the Sydney system where trains behave pretty predictably
> goes round the circle the same way and serving all the circle stations.
Why

There was recently a very very long discussion about changing the Melbourne
system for consistent operation. There are pros and cons on both sides of
the argument.

> does Melbourne still have Flinders Street terminations when it has a loop.
I
> wrote and got an answer that seemed to suggest that this kind of thing
only
> happened when things were dislocated but I thought they were in the
> timetable. When you get out at Flinders Street I couldn't see any sign to
> indicate which platform would have the next Spencer Street train, I had to

Generally there is an announcement along the lines of "The next train to
Spencer Street will depart from platforms 6 or 7".

> go up to the concourse and wander from platform to platform to find where
to
> go. Fortunately I found one quickly but in such a process you often miss
the
> train because you are still find out where to go.

On weekday afternoons and evenings, by my count 6 lines go from Flinders
Street to Spencer Street (7 in peak hour), so even in the late evenings
there'd be 12 trains an hour - you wouldn't have to wait long.

>     Any comments?  John Kerr


Daniel
--
Daniel Bowen, Melbourne, Australia
dbowen@custard.REMOVE.net.au
Melbourne public transport FAQ http://www.custard.net.au/melbtrans/