@ptua

Campaigning for better public transport in Victoria, Australia. We're no longer posting here, but click the link to find our other social media feeds.

 Melbourne, Australia
ptua.org.au/social/
Joined November 2008
  • Tweets4.4K
  • Following68
  • Followers8.5K
1.1KMedia
It's time for us to exit this platform. You can still follow us on Bluesky, Threads, Mastodon, Instagram or Facebook. ptua.org.au/social/
Platform at Town Hall station, showing exits out of the station

ALT Platform at Town Hall station, showing exits out of the station

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⚠️Widespread disruptions on V/Line on Friday due to catastrophic fire danger. No services or coaches on several lines. Many coach routes also affected. Check latest details from V/Line here: vline.com.au/Service-Changes… For other modes: transport.vic.gov.au/disrupt…
CATASTROPHIC FIRE DANGER. Due to catastrophic fire danger ratings forecast for the North Central, Northern Country, South West and Wimmera districts on Friday, 9 January, all V/Line train and coach services scheduled to operate through those fire districts will be cancelled.

ALT CATASTROPHIC FIRE DANGER. Due to catastrophic fire danger ratings forecast for the North Central, Northern Country, South West and Wimmera districts on Friday, 9 January, all V/Line train and coach services scheduled to operate through those fire districts will be cancelled.

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Unexpected cancellations have a much greater impact when services are infrequent. We hope The Big Switch delivers better than 20 minute frequency through the munnel and across the network.
Screen in a Metro Tunnel station showing the next train in 50 minutes

ALT Screen in a Metro Tunnel station showing the next train in 50 minutes

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Many trams don't yet have air con, but are slowly being upgraded/replaced. Buses and trains do, but extreme heat can still cause disruptions. How's the temperature on your public transport service today? Any delays due to heat?🥵
Passenger with a portable fan on a bus

ALT Passenger with a portable fan on a bus

V/Line: Full extreme heat timetable operating across the V/Line network on Wednesday 7 January 2026

ALT V/Line: Full extreme heat timetable operating across the V/Line network on Wednesday 7 January 2026

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More frequent services all day every day would get a lot more people onto public transport and out of the traffic. Big improvements are possible without a huge investment in bigger fleets and more track. #Melbourne #PublicTransport
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Even on the non-free weekends, many V/Line services are increasingly overcrowded. Short 3 car trains don't cut it anymore on the busy lines. It's great to see more people catching trains, but more services and capacity are needed to keep up with demand.
Passengers crowd around a V/Line train

ALT Passengers crowd around a V/Line train

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Our fares are cheap for long distance journeys, but for short distances, the most expensive in Australia. The State Government should bring back a cheaper short distance fare to ensure public transport is affordable, and cheaper than driving. Ch9 story: youtu.be/uCQCaO26Em8?si=R42H…
Chart showing Melbourne short distance fares up to $5.70, Sydney $4.33, Brisbane $0.50, Adelaide $4.55, Perth $3.50, Hobart $1.36, Canberra $3.32

ALT Chart showing Melbourne short distance fares up to $5.70, Sydney $4.33, Brisbane $0.50, Adelaide $4.55, Perth $3.50, Hobart $1.36, Canberra $3.32

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🎇🎉🚌More than 50 bus routes are running extra services for New Years Eve... but they've had almost no official promotion. Special thanks to the Bus and Coach Society of Victoria for finding out which routes. (Extra trains and trams are also running.)
New Years Eve Extra Bus Services - Not promoted by Transport Victoria

ALT New Years Eve Extra Bus Services - Not promoted by Transport Victoria

West: Extra services on routes 150, 170, 180, 182, 190, 402, 404, 406, 410, 420, 428, 444, 454, 457, 458, 459, 460, 471, 472 North: Extra services on routes 246, 250, 251, 357, 386, 388, 390, 472, 570 South East: Extra services on routes 246, 604, 605, 630, 703, 733, 781, 782, 788, 833 East: Extra services on routes 207, 670, 693, 703, 733, 737, 900, 905, 907, 908

ALT West: Extra services on routes 150, 170, 180, 182, 190, 402, 404, 406, 410, 420, 428, 444, 454, 457, 458, 459, 460, 471, 472 North: Extra services on routes 246, 250, 251, 357, 386, 388, 390, 472, 570 South East: Extra services on routes 246, 604, 605, 630, 703, 733, 781, 782, 788, 833 East: Extra services on routes 207, 670, 693, 703, 733, 737, 900, 905, 907, 908

Geelong: Extra services on routes 1, 10, 12, 30, 31, 42, 53, 55, 60

ALT Geelong: Extra services on routes 1, 10, 12, 30, 31, 42, 53, 55, 60

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Full info from BCSV including more bus route details: facebook.com/buscoachvic/pos… Official NYE PT info (including trams and trains): transport.vic.gov.au/news-an… The extra services are in the PTV Journey Planner, Google Maps, and others.

BCSV: Bus and Coach Society of Victoria

#BCSVRoutes NEW YEAR’S EVE BUS BONANZA 🥳🎆 🚍 As usual, public transport in Melbourne will be operating throughout the night on New Year’s Eve to help revellers and hospitality workers get home,...

facebook.com
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Most of Melbourne's trams are far slower than in other cities, thanks to a lack of traffic priority. Faster PT = more people using PT = more people out of the traffic. Map by Reddit user AB014A reddit.com/r/MelbourneTrains…
Map showing Melbourne tram speeds, calculated from GTFS data by /u/AB014A

ALT Map showing Melbourne tram speeds, calculated from GTFS data by /u/AB014A

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60 minute delays on your journey are no fun - bus passengers know this! Government investment in more frequent public transport services would get more people on board and out of the traffic.
Image of Westgate bridge works delay sign: "60 minute delay”, and hourly bus timetables

ALT Image of Westgate bridge works delay sign: "60 minute delay”, and hourly bus timetables

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A weekend of packed shops... and packed buses, many running only hourly. Meanwhile scores of buses that could cut waiting times and add capacity sit idle in depots, doing nothing.😠
Boxing Day sale crowds at Chadstone boarding a bus / Buses in a depot

ALT Boxing Day sale crowds at Chadstone boarding a bus / Buses in a depot

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It's great to see more people than ever are catching V/Line. Services and capacity need to be boosted to keep up with demand! abc.net.au/news/2025-12-25/c…

Long public transport trips are now a go-to for holiday homecomings

Budget-conscious travellers are turning to long-haul trips on public transport to get home for Christmas, but overcrowding and delays in the regions can cause headaches.

abc.net.au
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Seasons greetings! May your public transport be frequent, fast, uncrowded, on time, affordable, convenient, and accessible to all! 🚉🚌🚋🎄
Train, tram bus, and Christmas bells

ALT Train, tram bus, and Christmas bells

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As this Age Explainer article details, all cities have traffic congestion. But better public transport (and walking and cycling) helps people avoid it. Read more: archive.md/Brgk4
A train with a capacity of 1000+ people passes cars with a capacity of a few dozen people

ALT A train with a capacity of 1000+ people passes cars with a capacity of a few dozen people

The Age: A 2023 discussion paper from the Public Transport Users Association of Victoria, meanwhile, looked again at the problem of roads always filling to capacity. “If people shift from cars to public transport, the effect is the same as from building a new road: it frees up road capacity, so people respond by driving more. So to a large extent, the traffic shifted to public transport will just be replaced by new traffic.” It is theoretically possible, they say, “for public transport improvements to reduce road congestion, but it requires quite special conditions – in particular, a political willingness to continue investing in more public transport expansion as patronage grows, and not to be tempted to add lots of new road capacity at the same time”. Bottom line, as the PTUA’s Daniel Bowen told us: “High-quality public transport may not completely remove traffic, but it helps most people avoid it while still getting to where they need to be.”

ALT The Age: A 2023 discussion paper from the Public Transport Users Association of Victoria, meanwhile, looked again at the problem of roads always filling to capacity. “If people shift from cars to public transport, the effect is the same as from building a new road: it frees up road capacity, so people respond by driving more. So to a large extent, the traffic shifted to public transport will just be replaced by new traffic.” It is theoretically possible, they say, “for public transport improvements to reduce road congestion, but it requires quite special conditions – in particular, a political willingness to continue investing in more public transport expansion as patronage grows, and not to be tempted to add lots of new road capacity at the same time”. Bottom line, as the PTUA’s Daniel Bowen told us: “High-quality public transport may not completely remove traffic, but it helps most people avoid it while still getting to where they need to be.”

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Fares are rising again. Not unexpected, but a reminder that for short distances, public transport is expensive: $5.70 for a short trip in Zone 1 from 1st Jan. Vic govt should reintroduce a short trip fare to keep PT costs competitive with driving. Watch: youtu.be/PFuPwGYem4E?si=oEvT…
TV news report about public transport fares increasing

ALT TV news report about public transport fares increasing

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Weekends - busiest shopping days - and plenty of people want to travel - but many buses are half as frequent as on weekdays, or not even running at all.😠
Crowded bus stop

ALT Crowded bus stop

Some buses not running on Sundays

ALT Some buses not running on Sundays

Full car park

ALT Full car park

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These proposals from Infrastructure Victoria to extend tram lines make a lot of sense. They'd make Melbourne's trams more useful for more people by better connecting to railway stations and other suburban destinations. How about it, Vic govt?
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Good to see Vic govt find a commonsense position on this important issue. E bikes and scooters, when used safely, have huge potential to help people connect to public transport, for example in areas where bus services feeding into stations are inadequate. 9news.com.au/national/victor…

Converted and modified electric bikes will not be allowed on trains from December 21, in a bid to...

Another state moves to ban modified e-bikes from trains

nine.com.au
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Sunday morning trains in #Melbourne are the least frequent in Australia. Long waiting times mean connections are difficult and make public transport less attractive than driving. More trains = less traffic.
Median frequencies Sundays 7am-10am. Sydney 15 mins, Perth 15 mins, Brisbane 30 mins, Adelaide 30 mins, Melbourne 35 mins. Adelaide image by Billy Evans via Wikipedia. Perth image by xiquinhosilva/Georgfotoart via Wikipedia

ALT Median frequencies Sundays 7am-10am. Sydney 15 mins, Perth 15 mins, Brisbane 30 mins, Adelaide 30 mins, Melbourne 35 mins. Adelaide image by Billy Evans via Wikipedia. Perth image by xiquinhosilva/Georgfotoart via Wikipedia

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No less than six Melbourne lines run every 40 minutes on Sunday mornings: Sunbury, Craigieburn, Upfield, Mernda, Hurstbridge and Sandringham. Service frequencies aren't determined by Metro; they're decided by the State Government.
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