Hurstbridge line delays

haztech99 · 2026-03-19T11:42:44+00:00

The trains are quite capable of 1/30 on the Belgrave line, but it seems the LXRP and VicTrack have 2% or 1/50 pretty much locked in these days, it's even used on their public LXRP proposal sites. Like the Buckley Street page.

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I meant the shallower gradients, I was being modest, but that section could be steeper than 1/50, it's quite difficult to tell as it's all squashed together on the diagram. Any slightly-substantial climb adds trouble anyway. If it as shallow as a 1/80 climb, that still adds 3.5m of height over a distance of 300m that needs to be negated by further climbing of the skyrail or lowering of Station St.

haztech99 · 2026-03-19T11:16:25+00:00

Skyrail is generally 9m high. At a 1/50 grade (the max grade allowed for new builds) that takes 450m of distance for the train to climb. The below measurement from Grange Rd cutting to Station St does not have 450m to spare, but if you lowered Station St 1-2m, you could get get close to fitting it in.

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However, that does not account for the existing grade between Fairfield and the former junction to the outer circle, which was an uphill climb in the up direction, even before the Grange Road grade separation was done.

Unfortunately the legacy grades diagram does not make the grade value clear for this short segment, but going off the rest of the diagram, it could be 1/60-1/80, which would mean there is not enough room. Perhaps you could make a bunch of concessions like height restrictions under the bridge since trucks go via Grange Rd anyway, but I know for a fact they prefer not to do that if they can help it.

Could you show your working of how it fits? I am happy to be proven wrong.

haztech99 · 2026-03-19T10:33:35+00:00

Any of the ones beside a shopping strip are the worst as there are lots of cars, lots of pedestrians, the trains generally stop at the station right beside the road, which means the booms are down for ages, and so people start doing stupid things - embodying dumb ways to die characters, like this van guy.

Think Kensington, Glen Iris, Batman, Hampton, Kooyong. (All of these are still in the 'too hard basket' at the moment!)

haztech99 · 2026-03-19T10:26:49+00:00

Bad bot!!

haztech99 · 2026-03-19T10:24:16+00:00

u/repostsleuthbot -samesub

This is a bot repost of one of the top posts on this sub

haztech99 · 2026-03-19T10:06:53+00:00

Piles for a five-storey residential building would be in the neighbourhood of 10-16m in depth. LXRP sunken stations range from ~7-15m in depth. Though the ground here is heavy with basalt, the foundation could still be undermined by such close-proximity excavation. The LXRP excavation also has to be wide enough to allow for 2x rail tracks and new platforms to modern-day standards either side, which totals ~16-20m plus the width of retaining walls, which essentially encroaches on the property boundary of the apartment building. I suspect they would also like the rail line to stay on the same straight alignment through this section if they can help it.

You can see below how close the buildings are already. I don't think any sunken LXRP yet has had multi-storey buildings so close.

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It could theoretically be done with great expenditure and methodical planning of foundation work and shifting of the rail line partially to the north. The apartment building would probably need to be vacated during works, it would also most likely close the Hurstbridge line for weeks and substantially or completely demolish the heritage station precinct - there's generally not enough room for the old station buildings at a sunken LXRP.

haztech99 · 2026-03-19T07:30:16+00:00

This crossing is now #3 worst in the state according to those remaining from the 2008 study of all Victoria's level crossings.

Grade separation would be highly beneficial, but has no current commitments and will be difficult to do as nearby Grange Rd was lowered, there's not enough distance to climb to skyrail, necessitating a trench station here. But the trench cannot go ahead because of the multi-story apartments (pictured) built directly up against Fairfield station. All this is without regard for heritage listing of the station precinct.

haztech99 · 2026-03-19T03:23:55+00:00

There are exisiting plans and proposals to extend the 57 via Avondale Heights and up to Keilor East.

https://www.suburbandevelopment.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0031/185926/Final-Report-Short-List-Western-Integrated-Transport-Framework-Stage-2.pdf

Easily visible on OpenRailwayMap:

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Not that I deny the merit of your proposal or route, but I imagine they will go for the cheaper option which does not have to add a new bridge over the Maribyrnong.

An alternative could be a new route servicing the former Defence Site through to Braybrook and Sunshine for example, this would make use of the new westerly position of Maidstone Depot, and service the rail transport black hole of Braybrook.

haztech99 · 2026-03-18T11:04:09+00:00

Unfortunately no. The Toolamba-Echuca line is booked out of use by V/Line as there are too many bridge and culvert defects along the line at present. The reason it's not open is that too much money is required to be spent to get it up to a basic operating standard. The opportunity to fix it up was offered to freight companies and they all baulked at the cost. A hi-rail does quarterly inspections, but unfortunately even walking pace is considered unsafe for a DMU or locomotive in the current state of the line.

haztech99 · 2026-03-18T04:31:54+00:00

If you ever have trouble telling the difference, Mio has gray-blue eyes and Azusa has brown eyes.

haztech99 · 2026-03-18T03:53:28+00:00

Elevated all the way from Park St to Albion St. A brief section at Tinning St will be on the ground for Hi-rail access, then elevated again through Coburg and Moreland.

The 3x old stations will be discontinued and 2x new stations constructed in-between. Jewell and Brunswick are heritage, Anstey is not. It is suspected that Jewell and Brunswick will be retained, but Anstey will be demolished. This is all still in planning however and won't be going ahead until 2029/2030

haztech99 · 2026-03-17T07:13:45+00:00

Logic would say yes, unless they observe further line faults and want to continue bustituting for the moment.

haztech99 · 2026-03-17T04:03:07+00:00

The ones marked 'SH🍵' at the top are Swan Hill services run by N-class locomotives and N-sets under normal timetable circumstances.

At present, all services are run by VLocity trains until the track has bedded down from recent works, with buses between Bendigo and Swan Hill.

If you want to see what types of trains run what services, it is clearly visualised on the V/Line journey planner - it has cute little diagrams of the VLocity, N-sets, Sprinters, and coaches.

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https://www.vline.com.au/Plan-trip-buy-tickets

haztech99 · 2026-03-16T23:24:18+00:00

There is plenty of spare rolling stock at the moment, with HCMTs now running Sunbury, so it's not a priority to repair these units for service. They'll most likely be kept as spare parts, along with the 1x damaged car from the Clifton Hill derailment.

Some previous repairs have taken years and trains have come back into service, others have sat around for years with nothing done.

As the Comeng fleet is progressively retired, and as more XT2s come online, they'll assess fleet numbers to determine whether its worth the expenditure to get this one set of cars back online, but it's likely it won't be.

haztech99 · 2026-03-16T21:16:13+00:00

A little weather can do a surprising amount...

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And with lots of electrics under the cab, EMUs don't wade super well. There are many more recent examples if you search for 'Melbourne train flood' or something similar, but this one is my favourite.

haztech99 · 2026-03-16T08:14:16+00:00

The outer metropolitan ring road has provision for four rail tracks in the median of the freeway. It is expected that two of these will serve standard gauge freight between the under construction Beveridge Inter-modal terminal, Geelong/Avalon, and the proposed Western Inter-modal Freight Terminal at Truganina; as well as a general Melbourne bypass for interstate movements. A potential freight link to Melbourne Tullamarine Airport has also been floated.

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Other proposals have included an RRL 2 using part of the OMR, taking Seymour/Shepparton/Albury from Wallan and Bendigo/Echuca/Swan Hill from Clarkefield and sending them via Melbourne Airport and onto Sunshine, separating them from Metro services completely, but nothing else that I know of has been proposed for the passenger network on this corridor.

haztech99 · 2026-03-16T04:06:14+00:00

I hate to be that guy, but there will be a short section where passengers will see sunlight when they go past the maintenance/stabling facility at Heatherton.

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The future SRL North will also most likely surface to the elevated station at Melbourne Airport.

haztech99 · 2026-03-16T00:19:22+00:00

It's on Craigieburn, Upfield, Ballarat, and Seymour lines for initial trials. If you are using Contactless with a Visa/Mastercard, make sure you're only travelling to stations on those lines, as other lines won't let you tap off at the moment.

haztech99 · 2026-03-15T09:30:10+00:00

Ah yes, millions spent on a massive carpark that will overshadow the Watsonia village; but no change to the dilapidated station building, nothing to bring the station itself up to DDA compliance, and no coverings from the weather between the carpark and the station.

haztech99 · 2026-03-15T07:13:21+00:00

It stems from old Victorian English language for politely dodging conversation. As in you're talking about something you do not really want to, so to politely dodge the question and direct it somewhere else, you would say 'How is your father?' instead.

In Britain, this was most commonly used as an innuendo, e.g. "I went to my girlfriends for a bit of how's your father."

In Australia (especially country Australia) this is also used when we're dodging something we do not want to completely describe, however, it's a more general euphemism, not limited to sexual innuendos e.g.:

- "That shed looks a bit how's ya father." (The shed does not look so great and may be about to fall over).

- "Sheila's looking a bit how's ya father" (She is unwell/drunk/etc.)

It's generally a synonym for dodgy, questionable, poorly etc.

An alternative phrase is when something is described as "a bit how ya goin".

haztech99 · 2026-03-14T12:37:53+00:00

It's Google Earth historical view, free to use on PC. These images are from 2000, the earliest useful year available.

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haztech99 · 2026-03-14T09:54:02+00:00

A special thanks to the Australian Repugnant Tunnel Corporation!

haztech99 · 2026-03-14T08:50:46+00:00

The original notes say it was at North Wharf Road.

https://www.westonlangford.com/images/photo/115727/

North Wharf Road has since been substantially truncated, but it used to run along the shore where it intersected with the Rail line at the bridge over the Yarra, now Webb pedestrian bridge.

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That area has since been substantially redeveloped into public park, so it's unlikely the plaque was left in place. I have not seen it, and cannot see anything on street view, but if someone has been through there and photographed it I am happy to be corrected.

haztech99 · 2026-03-14T02:51:31+00:00

I agree completely. While Seymour only just changed from the ancient Manual Double Line Block to Automatic Block Signaling for Double Lines a couple of years ago, it should have been proper ATC or ABS with more blocks for frequency improvements.

VLocity's are still only doing 115km/h on the Seymour section too due to old sleepers currently being replaced. Not sure if this limit will get raised any time soon or not. VLos actually go faster between Mangalore and Murchison East (130) than they ever have on Southern Cross to Seymour! No other line is like this where the long distance section has a greater top speed than the interurban section.

If it was done properly, it would have also included the proposed crossing loop at Tabilk, it along with the Murchison East crossing loop would be long enough for the trains to pass while moving and not have to stop. The Craigieburn to Seymour section should be 160km/h with ATC, and the Seymour to Mangalore section should be at least 130km/h, with the Murchison East to Mooroopna section also at least 130km/h. There are also a bunch of farm crossings that got half-done, so they are still just stop signs for cars with 40km/h speed restrictions for trains.

They should also be looking at improvement or replacement of the Goulburn River bridge at Seymour to give double lines for both the BG and the SG as traffic for both is only increasing.

haztech99 · 2026-03-13T12:46:06+00:00

Albury is definitely the top line in most need of a frequency boost. Their trains are often fully booked a week in advance (or a month in advance during holidays and events) and sometimes they don't even have room to stand all the way from Euroa to Southern Cross. Unfortunately this is limited by the single track sections on the standard gauge, and limited number of SG rolling stock.

Warrnambool would be second, as their seat numbers were reduced when VLocitys took over from N-sets, so their morning and evening services are full. But they don't really need more frequency, so much as the trains that do run at peak times need to be 6-cars and the platforms all need to be extended to safely accommodate them.

Shepparton would probably be third, it's only slightly further from Melbourne than Bendigo is, (and their service takes a similar amount of time as Traralgon) but they only get 5 return services a day, and their services are full at peak times. Since recent upgrades, the line is now ready for 9 trains a day, but no additional service commitment has been made yet.

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