RRL Sydenham line shutdown observations & discussion

[Brendan03]

If RFR works are complete by Monday, could V/Line trains from Ballarat and Bendigo run to the normal timetable and then divert via Newport to get to Southern Cross?

I think with the reversing at Newport, It'd just be easier to keep running with Coaches, I don't know if Spion Kop (sp?) would be any easier, either.

[RailwayBus]

Heard that they are running about 4 days behind schedule.

Metro trains will be resuming normal operation along the Sydenham line on Monday morning.

Stay tuned for info re: V/line services.

[red baron]

It was all fun during the two weeks of the shutdowns and saw a number of drivers who are on the forum out and about in the Western Suburbs,
see you guys out here again after Christmas for more fun,including the guys on the footpath taking photo's of all the different operators in the
state.
Cheers
Red Baron.

[BroadGauge]

The temporary footbridge at Albion is to be removed commencing on Thursday. Seems a strange move to take it down when in 5 months time it may even see some use again!

[Alex on the Bus]

The temporary footbridge at Albion is to be removed commencing on Thursday. Seems a strange move to take it down when in 5 months time it may even see some use again!

If you've seen some of the local "wildlife" arounnd Albion, taking down the bridge now and putting it back up after Christmas might be a wise move.

[lukey boy]

It was all fun during the two weeks of the shutdowns and saw a number of drivers who are on the forum out and about in the Western Suburbs,
see you guys out here again after Christmas for more fun,including the guys on the footpath taking photo's of all the different operators in the
state.
Cheers
Red Baron.

Whats happening after Christmas?

[BroadGauge]

Whats happening after Christmas?

New Years Eve.

[RailwayBus]

It was all fun during the two weeks of the shutdowns and saw a number of drivers who are on the forum out and about in the Western Suburbs,
see you guys out here again after Christmas for more fun,including the guys on the footpath taking photo's of all the different operators in the
state.
Cheers
Red Baron.

Whats happening after Christmas?

Nothing. Normal train service.

[simple]

Whats happening after Christmas?

Nothing. Normal train service.

According to popular rumor, the Ballarat and Bendigo lines will be shut down for 4 weeks in January, being replaced by road coaches.

[RailwayBus]

Nothing. Normal train service.

According to popular rumor, the Ballarat and Bendigo lines will be shut down for 4 weeks in January, being replaced by road coaches.

There, you said it yourself, rumour!

[E.L.Wood]

According to popular rumor, the Ballarat and Bendigo lines will be shut down for 4 weeks in January, being replaced by road coaches.[/quote]

There, you said it yourself, rumour![/quote]
absolute rumour,
the latest rumours(from within the JV partners who put together the last closure services)say that no closures or replacements will happen in January for the RRL project.

[E.L.Wood]

There has been official confirmation that there will be no RRL works during the school holidays into the new Year with weekend closures in February being the next major works on this project.

[dex]

Yeah, no funds left. Remember, Brumby lived in regional Victoria and promised the works, Baillieu couldnt give a fat rats about the country. I've heard middle of the year it will happen again. Probably wrong but ahh well.

[alburybuses2]

Sorry Dex, he lives in Strathmore.

[system improver]

... Brumby lived in regional Victoria ...

Sorry Dex, he lives in Strathmore.

Both correct. He has a family farm near Bendigo as well.

[712M]

Temporary timetable for the Bendigo line next week is now available on PTV.

http://ptv.vic.gov.au/news/service-alte ... ugust-2012

Bendigo and Castlemaine appear to be the big losers, with their normal travel times on the flagship services doubled. Very interesting timetable, I wouldn't fancy getting up at 3am to catch a coach from Kangaroo Flat to Melbourne arriving at 7:12.

[712M]

Does anyone know what operators are expected to be out on the Bendigo line next week? I can't imagine there would be a lot of spare buses during weekday peak hours during the school term...

[E.L.Wood]

This is not an RRL closure, Dysons have the contract and it could be interesting as not too many operators will have spare capacity outside of school hours. It is in fact the shut down originally mooted for last January relating to the Sunbury electrification project

[E.L.Wood]

Apparently the current shutdown(Jan 2013)has seen many works completed ahead of schedule, however this weekend(Jan 12/13)will see the demolition of the well known pedestrian bridge at West Footscray removing one favourite location of rail fans.

[712M]

Bus replacements have been coping well between Flemington and Albion with a number of spare buses waiting to be called up when required. I travelled up to Sunbury on Monday and Metro are running Comeng shuttles between Albion and Watergardens/Sunbury every 6/12 minutes using mainly 3-car sets, however I managed to catch a 6-car set that stopped two cars short at Ginifer and overcarried a few angry passengers to St Albans. To top it off, the train sat outside Sunbury for 15 minutes because there were terminating services from both the north and south getting in the way of each other and by the time we rolled into Sunbury it had been 80 minutes since departing Flinders Street. No doubt many Sunbury commuters are taking advantage of the V/Line express coaches to SCS while they can.

[E.L.Wood]

Bus replacements have been coping well between Flemington and Albion with a number of spare buses waiting to be called up when required. I travelled up to Sunbury on Monday and Metro are running Comeng shuttles between Albion and Watergardens/Sunbury every 6/12 minutes using mainly 3-car sets, however I managed to catch a 6-car set that stopped two cars short at Ginifer and overcarried a few angry passengers to St Albans. To top it off, the train sat outside Sunbury for 15 minutes because there were terminating services from both the north and south getting in the way of each other and by the time we rolled into Sunbury it had been 80 minutes since departing Flinders Street. No doubt many Sunbury commuters are taking advantage of the V/Line express coaches to SCS while they can.

If they are going to/from the city they're mad if they don't as the express services are taking as little as 35 minutes with the lower traffic densities in January and they don't get a double change between modes, the downside is they're only hourly.

[tranzitjim]

My experiences on Thursday

On Thursday, I undertook my first ever trip on a Spark to Sunbury, and naturally got to check out all of the works and diversion services as well.

At Flemington Racecourse,

++I noticed the lack of ticket-tocuh-devices, so I could not touch off at the station. Whatever people say, instincts say to touch off at Albion, so you would need to touch on again at Flemington Racecourse. So the feat that would be in peoples mind would be bad.
++Why do they not set this up on a more long term basis, so they can make use of this location in the case of emergency shutdowns at any time they happen.

The ride on a Grenda liveried bus was fine. By the way, I did touch on and off in the bus just for the sake of it.

AT Albion
++Just missed what I would guess to be a Sunbury train, but noticed an interesting headlight from the Sunshine direction while I was on the pedestrian overpass.
++Northbound NR87 and NR96 soon made their way through with the Intermodal train.
++I could see clearly, they are replacing the overhead staunchens between Albion and Sunshine, with a great deal of the masts having been put up.

The Ride
++Got the next spark to Watergardens changed there, and the next one on to Sunbury.
++We got held just on arrival at Sunbury also. I wonder why they had so many sparks on the Sunbury line.
++My return came via a route #500 bus to Melbourne Airport, #901 to South Morang, then train home. So, I got my first ride on both lines on the same day.

[dex]

You rode the 500 on Thursday?
Holy crap.....

[712M]

Another shutdown is planned for the July school holidays.

See http://ptv.vic.gov.au/disruptions/buses ... july-2013/

[BroadGauge]

They've finally put some information about the shutdown on the website, only about a week after they started putting up posters everywhere (including on the floor) at Sunbury line stations, plus internally on some train sets, telling people to go to the website for details.

http://ptv.vic.gov.au/disruptions/buses ... y-14-july/

Still no timetable information for the effected services, but notably the line between Sunbury and Bendigo is closed for the duration too (last time they ran shuttle trains), as well as the Ballarat line.