The new Metrotrains website shows green lights against every line. Twitter shows differently.

  Line Suspended - Pakenham line: both directions Dandenong - Pakenham (ongoing train fault). Buses replacing trains http://tr.im/metrotm
25 minutes ago from web

The earlier train fault at Hallam may also cause delays of over 15 minutes to citybound services. http://tr.im/metrotm #MetroTrains
about 1 hour ago from web

Major Delays - Pakenham line: outbound (earlier train fault near Hallam). Delays over 20 minutes http://tr.im/metrotm #MetroTrains
about 1 hour ago from web

Minor Delays - Pakenham line: outbound (train fault near Hallam). Delays up to 15 minutes http://tr.im/metrotm #metrotrains

It looks like they were hoping for only 15 minutes delays between Dandenong and Pakenham. Finding buses during peak hour on the first day with MTR operating the system looks like a news story.

Signal , point failure at North Melbourne. Craigieburn train stuck at platform 2 for one hour so far. Friendly MTM service staff m.i.a.

This morning Glen Waverley Line trains have been replaced by buses.

Even though MTM promised more useful and informative messages regarding service disruptions, there has been no sign of them thus far.  An explanation and apology go a long way to minimising commuter frustration.

From the viewpoint of a outsider, wouldn't Metro better reach there customers regarding dealys via the website, rather than Twitter.  

By the time we reach the socialists/anarchists Goodbye Connex party time on Thursday, they may be changing the name to Please Come Back Connex.

http://www.theage.com.au/national/melbournes-new-rail-operator-metro-hit-by-major-delays-20091201-k1oi.html

Ms Harris said train users could expect "major delays" on the Glen Waverley line, which "won't be cleared during the morning peak".

No trains are running between Darling and Burnley stations and services have been replaced by buses.

(By the way, good to see a professional like Lanie back in action.  Yesterday's apologists just did not cut the mustard at all.)

Further to the Dandenong - Pakenham delays last night. At Clayton station it was announced by the recorded announcement that the 5.08 Pakenham would terminate at Dandenong and buses were running to replace trains. As the train approached Dandy, the driver also announced that we would terminate at Dandy with buses beyond. Both announcements indicated that the cause was a train failure near Beaconsfield. At Dandenong people were busily disembarking when it was announced that the line was clear and the train would be proceeding to Pakenham.  After a mad scramble as everyone rejoined the train we left and after an uneventful run arrived at Pakenham virtually on time. The Vline Traralgon flagship raced through Pakenham a few minutes later, also on time.  

Alamein Line - 1st December 2009 at 09:39

Travel Alert - Alamein services will run through to Flinders Street at 15 minute intervals until further advised due to issue on Glen Waverley Line.

Frankston Line - 1st December 2009 at 09:40

Minor Delays - Frankston Line: citybound, Due to an equipment fault in the Frankston area, trains may be delayed by up to 15 minutes.

Glen Waverley Line - 1st December 2009 at 09:42

Passengers travelling to and from Glen Iris, Gardiner, Tooronga, Kooyong & Heyington are advised to use local trams and buses.

Line Suspended - Glen Waverley line: citybound Darling-Burnley, due to damaged powerlines. Buses replacing trains Darling-Ashburton. Major delays.

Line Suspended Glen Waverley line: outbound Burnley-Darling, due to damaged powerlines. Buses running Ashburton-Darling, major delays. Use other modes

A spark did something bad to the overhead between Burnley and Heyington this morning at around 06:20.  As of 10:30, the problem looked like being fixed in "a couple of hours".  Bustitution between Darling-Burnley and Darling-Ashburton (presumably due to the fact that Ashburton is a Premium station) and direct services as mentioned.

As well, a set of points at Frankston failed, along with someone being hit, but uninjured, at the Beach Rd pedestrian gates.

The problem yesterday between Dandenong and Pakenham was due to sticking brakes on a Down train at Berwick, with a slooooow journey to Pakenham.

The problem yesterday between Dandenong and Pakenham was due to sticking brakes on a Down train at Berwick, with a slooooow journey to Pakenham.

I was onboard and the problems started around Noble Park. We took off slowly and were traveling at a slower than normal speed. This continued all the way to Dandy where we sat longer than normal. Again the train took of slowly and was traveling much slower than normal. We got as far as the down side of the Sth Gippy Freeway bridge were we came to a stop. The driver said that the train had sticky brakes and that there would be a smell and smoke and told there was no fire. We sat for a few minutes where we moved all of 30m before we stopped again. We sat there for at least 10 minutes before slowly moving off. We limped into Hallam where we did a bit more sitting before taking off slowly. I don't think we wre doing about 50. Outside Narre the driver said the train was still having major problems and that he hoped to get the train to Narre. At Narre where I got off the train was pulled from traffic. The smell from the brakes was very stong when I walked past.
The train involed was a EDI refurb Comeng

By the time we reach the socialists/anarchists Goodbye Connex party time on Thursday, they may be changing the name to Please Come Back Connex.

http://www.theage.com.au/national/melbournes-new-rail-operator-metro-hit-by-major-delays-20091201-k1oi.html

Comments to this article are interesting:

well someone should get there brains working and let the sleepin govt know that just changing the rail company is useless and they need to change the infrastructure like railway tracks, sleepers and signals etc. its hard to understand that why cant they just cut the trees falling over the rail lines. the signals and the lines get cut off by mere small storm of even 20km/h. such is the life and delicate system has been set up for melbourne where money is been poured out like water. is there any way to find out who has selected the govt officials for handling such things. they are growing old and should retire. can a younger chap jump is who is sensible and knows how to use his brain rather then putting in $$$$$. hope MTM survives. summers are not out yet. god bless all.
vishank Melbourne - December 01, 2009, 10:15AM

This one sums up the situation nicely!

NOT HAPPY JAN!!!
Late to work again today.

Changing provider has resulted in a bad start, add to that lower expectations, this is a fiasco, wait until Myki rolls out, that will be the cream on top.

Bring back Kennett.
Commuter Melbourne - December 01, 2009, 10:11AM

On Twitter:

Don't recall Connex ever doing this.Bravo!
RT@metrotrains Alamein Line services are running through to Flinders Street at 15 minute service intervals, Due to issues on Glen Waverley Line

Does anyone else recall it? Has there been a disruption between Holmesglen and Burnley that could be addressed this way?

More often, you hear about the Alamein line being closed.

http://www.theage.com.au/national/melbournes-new-rail-operator-metro-hit-by-major-delays-20091201-k1oi.html

Melbourne’s new train operator says rail services are back to normal after this morning’s cancellations caused chaos  across the network for the second day running.

Metro Trains spokeswoman Lanie Harris said final checks were being run on the Glen Waverley line and peak-hour services would not be disrupted.

Were you affected by this morning's peak-hour chaos? Email us with news and pictures or MMS 0406 THE AGE (+61 406 843 243).

‘‘The faulty train has been taken to Bayswater where it will be repaired,’’ Ms Harris said.

‘‘The fault occurred on a Hitachi train and they are the oldest in our fleet.

‘‘We are taking those trains out of service overnight and in the coming 24 hours our maintenance staff will conduct a full and thorough inspection of the pantographs on each of those trains.’’

Ms Harris said the pantograph - or mechanical linkage between the train and overhead power lines - had been worn down to the metal.

She said the carbon element ‘‘was missing in parts and that’s what’s caused the damage to the train’’.

The incident disrupted services across the network and threw the Glen Waverly line into chaos, with hundreds of angry commuters stranded at Darling station.

One commuter reported his daily journey to work from South Yarra Station to Darling station, which usually takes 30 minutes took 90 minutes.

‘‘Myself and many other passengers got off at Alamein to find a deserted station and no buses. We then had to travel back to Ashburton station to catch a bus. Even the bus driver did not have any instructions about what was happening,’’ he told The Age.

To make matters worse for the new operator, vandals smashed the windows of a newly branded Metro train last night.

‘‘They targeted a number of trains passing through Watsonia station,’’ Ms Harris said.

‘‘But most disappointingly for us, the newly branded Metro train suffered smashed windows as a result of the attack.

‘‘We need every train we can get and this kind of vandalism means it’s the public who suffers. We’ve got one less train run our timetabled services.’’

A VicRoads spokeswoman said all out-bound lanes on the Monash Freeway were re-opened just before 8am, but traffic was stretching back through the Burnley tunnel onto the Westgate Freeway.

Seems Connex will leave a legacy of non maintenance to be sorted through. What do they care! The execs cot their money, they now have a million dollar house. Congrats, way to work the system!

Speaking of the system...
If I drive a car into a lamppost and cause it damage I can expect the bill. If I drive into a cop car I can expect a bill and If I break street furniture with a car I can expect a bill. If my tree breaks and ruins power lines I can expect a bill. Why then are teenagers being slapped with $200 fines for destroying a vehicle or elements of a vehicle rendering it unserviceable, reducing the profits and causing untold damage to the public - late for work = sacked!

Why are these teenage shiites not being billed the $40,000 + it can cost to make repairs and profit loss..

And if that bill should land in the lap of the parents why am I supposed to feel sorry for them? LEARN TO BE BETTER PARENTS - or cop the bills you indolent spawn from hell created!

Seems Connex will leave a legacy of non maintenance to be sorted through. What do they care! The execs cot their money, they now have a million dollar house. Congrats, way to work the system!

Hang on a minute.  Think before rabbiting on.

Connex did not do any train maintenance themselves.  The Hitachis and Comengs were maintained for Connex by United.

Now the Hitachis and Comengs are maintained for Metro by United.

Its business as usual.

Which is why its a joke that the head of Metro said yesterday that they would need to investigate thoroughly the causes of yesterday's train faults.  They won't need to look far for their investigation.  Just ask their own consortium member, United.  They have been doing the maintenance all along.

So MTR = United?

well well, the plot thickens..
And he lied to a degree.

Hang on a minute.  Think before rabbiting on.
.

No need to be negative with such connotations, I didn't know clearly so its not my fault or should I go and get the degree just to keep the few who do know happy? How about explaining it clearly so I do know then we can all learn.

So MTR = United?

well well, the plot thickens..
And he lied to a degree.

Not quite.

MTM = MTR+United+John Holland

No need to be negative with such connotations, I didn't know clearly so its not my fault

It is your fault if you make statements like this, without checking your facts:

The execs cot their money, they now have a million dollar house. Congrats, way to work the system!

MTR does not = United.

MTM (now trading under the Metro auspice) is a consortium made up of MTR Hong Kong, United Group and John Holland.

MTR is in charge of operations.
United's area is train maintenance.
John Holland's area is track maintenance, overhead maintenance, signalling maintenance and the provision of drivers uniforms.

No need to be negative with such connotations, I didn't know clearly so its not my fault

It is your fault if you make statements like this, without checking your facts:

The execs cot their money, they now have a million dollar house. Congrats, way to work the system!

MTR does not = United.

MTM (now trading under the Metro auspice) is a consortium made up of MTR Hong Kong, United Group and John Holland.

MTR is in charge of operations.
United's area is train maintenance.
John Holland's area is track maintenance, overhead maintenance, signalling maintenance and the provision of drivers uniforms.

The business is being run on an equity share basis with 60% owned by MTR, 20% by John Holland and 20% by United.

United is involved in both fleet and infrastructure maintenance including track, overhead, signals, communications and stations.  There has been very little change to UMTL and MainCo apart from name changes at this stage.

The train was a Silver, I didn't think to get the numbers. The pan of the pantograph rearmost broke off somewhere between Kooyong and Heyington. The unrestrained panto arm ripped several droppers out.

The struggling silver made it to platform one at Burnley and promptly gave up. Overhead power was lost all the way through that section.

Train sat there for just under six hours, moved just after midday. Empty cars to Bayswater.

The new CEO has just announced through this afternoon's mX all silvers will be given a thorough maintenance inspection, and if I read it correctly this means right now and they may actually be removed from service until all done.

What a ridiculous knee-jerk reaction. Media pandering so that they seem proactive. What they don't mention is that even more peak hour services will be cancelled so that they look like they're doing something.

Given how many hours a day Hitachis spend in sidings it would be very easy to roster them all through the workshops to have their pantographs inspected. But then I guess you couldn't make a sound byte for the media out of it then.

Probably the only reason it made the media was the fact it was a Hitachi (we all know how much The Age and its callers love them!). Had it been one of the other 95% of sparks it wouldn't have even made further than a usual complaint on the Vent Your Spleen page in the mX.

Then again, would they have said "We are going to pull the entire Comeng fleet to inspect every pantograph"?




I didn't think so.

I have to question the maintainers of the trains.

If, as Lanie says in the press, the carbon is all but gone and the metal is wearing, who inspected them last?

Surely each Hitachi was inspected before re-entering service, wasn't it?

And, every x number of hours and/or kilometres the are in for an exam.

Its should not be a case of inspecting every Hitachi.  It should be a case of inspecting every train that was declared fit at its last exam by the company who declared this one fit at its last exam.

However, pulling six trains from the fleet gives you an excuse for cancellations for a few weeks, doesn't it?

It's activity in place of achievement

However, pulling six trains from the fleet gives you an excuse for cancellations for a few weeks, doesn't it?

Wonderful timing, isn't it?