Location: Melbourne, Australia
We appear to have another incident at Rushall this morning.
Metro Trains contends with second derailment within a week
Metro Trains contends with second derailment within a week
Metro Trains contends with second derailment within a week
bevans
Site Admin
Location: Melbourne, Australia
freightgate
Minister for Railways
Location: Albury, New South Wales
Why are metro not stating a derailment to the press are they concerned about image now ?
freightgate
Minister for Railways
Location: Albury, New South Wales
The metro website states the reason trains are not running is track work why is the derailment being kept from the public ?
What do Metro Trains and the government know about the issues they are not telling us ?
What do Metro Trains and the government know about the issues they are not telling us ?
bramt
Deputy Commissioner
Line was closed last night for track maintenance at Rushall, apparently a track machine derailed at 12.30am.
This caused the works to run way over time. Metro did a reasonably good job organising replacement buses, the morning peak had buses running from Bell to Coburg and Heidelberg stations. There were also apparently extra trains between Clifton Hill and Heidelberg, tho I didn't see any. Certainly Hurstbridge line trains were very overcrowded this morning.
Metro also managed to arrange 6 South Morang trains between 5 and 6pm tonight, which ran through the work zone. The up track was still missing segments of rail at that time, so presumably 6 trains is all they could send before running out of stabling if none could return. They kept the Coburg/Heidelberg buses for the whole evening peak as well.
The line is still suspended (both directions) right now, with plenty of people working on the curve. Looked like new rail and new wooden sleepers going in.
This caused the works to run way over time. Metro did a reasonably good job organising replacement buses, the morning peak had buses running from Bell to Coburg and Heidelberg stations. There were also apparently extra trains between Clifton Hill and Heidelberg, tho I didn't see any. Certainly Hurstbridge line trains were very overcrowded this morning.
Metro also managed to arrange 6 South Morang trains between 5 and 6pm tonight, which ran through the work zone. The up track was still missing segments of rail at that time, so presumably 6 trains is all they could send before running out of stabling if none could return. They kept the Coburg/Heidelberg buses for the whole evening peak as well.
The line is still suspended (both directions) right now, with plenty of people working on the curve. Looked like new rail and new wooden sleepers going in.
onyx
Locomotive Fireman
The metro website states the reason trains are not running is track work why is the derailment being kept from the public ?
What do Metro Trains and the government know about the issues they are not telling us ?
Both the Metro website and the MetroNotify app this morning mentioned the derailment of the track machine, however since then they've changed the information to coincide with the changes in replacement bus operations for the afternoon peak. That being said, an article in The Age explicitly stated the derailment being the starting point for these urgent track works. So no, it isn't Metro or anyone else for that matter trying to hide the fact that a track machine derailed.
Heihachi_73
Chief Commissioner
Location: Terminating at Ringwood
Why on earth would Metro still be installing wooden sleepers? So they can spend another $3 million converting the Rushall/Merri curves to concrete sleepers next year or so? Why not go the whole hog and install 47kg/m jointed track as well, I heard it's cheaper to buy than 60kg continuously welded rail...
bevans
Site Admin
Location: Melbourne, Australia
I saw several track machines in the siding at Victoria Park as I passed around 4.30pm.
bramt
Deputy Commissioner
Why on earth would Metro still be installing wooden sleepers? So they can spend another $3 million converting the Rushall/Merri curves to concrete sleepers next year or so? Why not go the whole hog and install 47kg/m jointed track as well, I heard it's cheaper to buy than 60kg continuously welded rail...There's some concern about concrete sleepers and tight gauge problems in this state at the moment. Wooden sleepers allow the track gang to dial in whatever gauge they want.
Before these works, there were concrete sleepers through the platform to the beginning of the curve, but the curve itself was wooden. Today's works also include replacing the jointed track with continuous weld.
freightgate
Minister for Railways
Location: Albury, New South Wales
i looked around the internet yesterday and found Railpage was the only site with news and discussion on this incident.
Well done to those who reported it so maybe e the age read it here ?
Well done to those who reported it so maybe e the age read it here ?
freightgate
Minister for Railways
Location: Albury, New South Wales
Metro reporting problems again on the south mordant line via the website which says training disabled on the line.
Madjikthise
Deputy Commissioner
Training for what?
freightgate
Minister for Railways
Location: Albury, New South Wales
Trains on the south Morang line suspended due to a train either detailed or defective on the track.
Trains only running to bell is what it said.
Trains only running to bell is what it said.
Heihachi_73
Chief Commissioner
Location: Terminating at Ringwood
Will the same Rushall-Merri curves still be here by 2050? Forget skyrail to Dandenong or a Melbourne monorail, this line needs a new bridge more than ever.
Rip up the tracks at Rushall, convert the old station into an Inner Circle tourist attraction, acquire the properties west of Rucker St if necessary and build a new bridge on that side of the Merri Creek. The only thing which would be in the way of a bridge is a large factory(?) at the end of Cunningham St, which if the building could be moved to the other side of the property, the bridge could go straight over the top, if this sort of arrangement is allowed these days. I don't think a new Rushall station is even needed, given the short distances between Rushall station and Merri, Westgarth and the 11 and 86 trams. Of course, the local NIMBYs in their Edwardian houses won't like it because it doesn't reflect the days gone, but since when do people listen to NIMBYs?
Rip up the tracks at Rushall, convert the old station into an Inner Circle tourist attraction, acquire the properties west of Rucker St if necessary and build a new bridge on that side of the Merri Creek. The only thing which would be in the way of a bridge is a large factory(?) at the end of Cunningham St, which if the building could be moved to the other side of the property, the bridge could go straight over the top, if this sort of arrangement is allowed these days. I don't think a new Rushall station is even needed, given the short distances between Rushall station and Merri, Westgarth and the 11 and 86 trams. Of course, the local NIMBYs in their Edwardian houses won't like it because it doesn't reflect the days gone, but since when do people listen to NIMBYs?
bramt
Deputy Commissioner
Why?
bevans
Site Admin
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Trains on the south Morang line suspended due to a train either detailed or defective on the track.
Trains only running to bell is what it said.
Here is your reason
https://www.railpage.com.au/f-p2004270.htm#2004270
Bogong
Chief Commissioner
Location: Essendon Aerodrome circa 1980
Will the same Rushall-Merri curves still be here by 2050? Forget skyrail to Dandenong or a Melbourne monorail, this line needs a new bridge more than ever.Nope. Keep the bridge and run the line on it's original formation via the Inner Circle Railway. There is still wide a clear strip of parkland along it's whole route except for one small section where they have built half a dozen small Housing Commission houses on half its width.
Rip up the tracks at Rushall, convert the old station into an Inner Circle tourist attraction, acquire the properties west of Rucker St if necessary and build a new bridge on that side of the Merri Creek. The only thing which would be in the way of a bridge is a large factory(?) at the end of Cunningham St, which if the building could be moved to the other side of the property, the bridge could go straight over the top, if this sort of arrangement is allowed these days. I don't think a new Rushall station is even needed, given the short distances between Rushall station and Merri, Westgarth and the 11 and 86 trams. Of course, the local NIMBYs in their Edwardian houses won't like it because it doesn't reflect the days gone, but since when do people listen to NIMBYs?
Avoid level crossings and howls of protest from the trendy NIMBYs with a sense of entitlement in North Fitzroy, North Carlton and Brunswick by putting the track in a quick and cheap cut and cover tunnel.
That would still be cheaper than replacing the huge Merri Creek bridge and demolishing a lot of very expensive houses in Northcote. It would also relieve pressure on the Clifton Hill - Jolimont route, thus giving "The Powers That Be" one less reason not to build the Doncaster line.
Oh and you can turn Rushall station into some sort of activity centre for the large geriatric home next door to it.
LancedDendrite
Chief Commissioner
Location: Gheringhap Loop Autonomous Zone
Oh and you can turn Rushall station into some sort of activity centre for the large geriatric home next door to it.Having a disused train station next to an aged care facility seems like a riff on a familiar concept.
bramt
Deputy Commissioner
Re-opening the inner circle is still less mad than closing Rushall and demolishing a bridge just because it's curved.
Lad_Porter
Chief Commissioner
Location: Yarra Glen
Of course, it's a tight curve which needs care, speed restriction etc., but it has been there for a long time and I don't recall a similar intensity of problems in earlier times - think VR, Taits, Harris, even Hitachis. Seems to me that the problem is not with the curve itself (replacement of which would be way down the list of things to do), but rather with the way it is being used, and more to the point, with the condition of rolling stock which is using it.
Trainplanner
Chief Commissioner
Location: Along the Line
Prior to these incidents had the curves been resleepered in concrete. Would like to know.
Heihachi_73
Chief Commissioner
Location: Terminating at Ringwood
Is Rushall really that well used? I thought the patronage was somewhere down the list around Laburnum levels. It's something like 300-800m to one of many stations or tram stops, not to mention buses servicing the area (no matter how infrequent/close-to-nonexistent they may be). Sorry people, what was deemed acceptable 120 years ago - prior to the car movement, and presumably the tram network as we know it - is no longer the case today.
Let's turn the Lilydale line into the South Morang line! Open new stations at Cave Hill Rd, Mooroolbark Rd, Dorset Rd, Mt. Dandenong Rd, Eastfield Rd, New St, Cochrane St, Oliver Ave, Elgar Rd, and why not reopen Pic-Nic for the perfect ten! That way it can take an hour and a half to reach the city but it's still better than walking an extra five minutes to your old station.
Let's turn the Lilydale line into the South Morang line! Open new stations at Cave Hill Rd, Mooroolbark Rd, Dorset Rd, Mt. Dandenong Rd, Eastfield Rd, New St, Cochrane St, Oliver Ave, Elgar Rd, and why not reopen Pic-Nic for the perfect ten! That way it can take an hour and a half to reach the city but it's still better than walking an extra five minutes to your old station.
Heihachi_73
Chief Commissioner
Location: Terminating at Ringwood
Prior to these incidents had the curves been resleepered in concrete. Would like to know.
Nope, wooden sleepers, dogspikes and apparently steam-era jointed track too.
ShaneB
Locomotive Driver
Wooden sleepers on both tracks from what I could seePrior to these incidents had the curves been resleepered in concrete. Would like to know.
Nope, wooden sleepers, dogspikes and apparently steam-era jointed track too.
YM-Mundrabilla
Minister for Railways
Location: Mundrabilla but I'd rather be in Narvik
Given the curve it may well be better in steam era jointed track. Less likely to buckle if well maintained?Prior to these incidents had the curves been resleepered in concrete. Would like to know.
Nope, wooden sleepers, dogspikes and apparently steam-era jointed track too.
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