Da Tains and Trams

Our rail operator Metro Trains' contract has been extended for seven years, as has the contract of our tram operator Yarra Trams. The best news about this that I can see is that wrap around advertising will be banned. I hoped it is phrased as not placing commercial advertising on train, tram and bus windows, but I have the awful feeling it won't go that far.

The State Government is building a new underground train line, a rather long and expensive one. While it is a great thing, I may be dead before it opens in 2025. We put up with the construction but never get the benefit. I expect the construction might be sped up at some point.

There is a public competition to name the five new railway stations. Governments love to bring the public on board with their grand projects.

It's a bit silly really. Three of the temporary station names are very obvious and should stand, but two are much more complicated. Arden, Parkville and Domain will have most Melbournians know the approximate locations of these stations.

The problematic ones are the city stations, temporarily known as CBD North and CBD South. In the north is Melbourne Central Station, once called Museum Station but the museum moved and the station was renamed Melbourne Central after the shopping centre where it is contained within. The museum became the State Library

Because the new station, CBD North, will be linked to Melbourne Central, some think it should be called Melbourne Central too. I would go for Library, just as Bank is known in London.

It is the same for the new station near Flinders Street Station, some think it should too be called Flinders Street Station because it will be linked to the existing station.

A mistake in my opinion. I don't think the old Flinders Street Station at all resembles what the new underground station will look like, and it will be a line specific station, servicing one train line, not multiple lines like Flinders Street Station.

Melbourne's existing Flinders Street Station, under wrap at the moment while it is repainted.

Marie in London gave me great clarity of thought about this matter when she wrote a post about Paddington with us in mind. The simple version is that there is essentially two different stations within London's Paddington Station. To the south of Paddington Station is the area we know. To the north is Paddington Basin, with its canals. I thought we should just catch any train to Paddington from Kings Cross. No, not if you want to come out at the south into Praed Street. While it was not helped by R needing to find a toilet (what was wrong with the toilet on Eurostar we had just left?) we ended up hopelessly confused and lost. Well not actually lost, but trying to work out how to walk to Lancaster Gate with suit cases. It is not a great distance but R was stressed and becoming tetchy. We had already travelled from Amsterdam to Brussels where we changed trains to London. I made an executive decision and we grabbed a cab. Had we have come out into Praed Street, it would have been a short downhill walk to our hotel.

It was not a great start to our second London visit. It improved greatly when we arrived at our hotel in Lancaster Gate and it was rather good, and the next day when we met Marie.