126 years down the track, let's look back and see whether we can call Octopus a success or a failure. Has it served the state well? Was it the right policy at the time but now out of date? Was it simply wrong? »
Out of this world: quick diversion
Just a quick diversion for our regular readers. What would become of our horizontal transport systems if vertical cities like this one ever took off. A city of a couple of a hundred thousand people concentrated on say a sqkm block would obviously overwhelm any... »
Debt financing and rail: thoughts after reading Eleven Minutes Late
Debt financing and rail Finally having got around to reading Eleven Minutes Late: The Book about British Railways I would have written myself if it was about Australian Railways instead (actually A Train Journey into the Soul of Britain) by Matthew Engel, I’m now... »
The New Australind: Australia’s first new Intercity Train in 50 years?
Image: Cairns tilt train could serve as model for new rollingstock. Thanks to the poster who helped me out with information on this. Before I start, a confession. I’ve never caught a train to Bunbury. So keep that in mind. I have stayed in Bunbury for... »
The Roaring 20s?
I was giving some more thought to how the good old days of Australian rail never were, or at least were so long ago that no-one alive today would remember them. Like most degenerative diseases, the malaises that have affected Australian rail over our lifetimes,... »
Integrated transport planning – what is it really?
I’ve been very frustrated with the chaotic process and results around the multiple attempts of the NSWALP government to develop an integrated transport plan. They must be up to number 16 by now in the 15 years since Bob Carr fluked becoming premier. As an... »
Everything old should be new again?
Wanna get away from Melbourne-focussed posts for a while. One thing that has fascinated me is the proportion of the Perth Rail system that is ‘new’, meaning specifically the sections built in anticipation of, or since, the system was electrified in the early 1990s. Now I’m... »
Hanging from a strap
Melbourne’s strap hanging has been in the news today. The contention is that 45 minutes is too long to hang from a strap. I agree, but I wanted to look deeper at the issue of standing versus sitting on mass transit and commuter trains. The... »
Melbourne Rail Network
As most of you have probably guessed my interests in transport lie primarily within the optimisation and efficiency side rather than the more photography side of transport. This post is mostly a very quick look at optimisation of the Melbourne Rail Network. As we know, the... »