Image 1 — Geographical transit map of Sydney and Melbourne to the same scale and how it could evolve in the next 30-40 years
Image 2 — Geographical transit map of Sydney and Melbourne to the same scale and how it could evolve in the next 30-40 years
Image 3 — Geographical transit map of Sydney and Melbourne to the same scale and how it could evolve in the next 30-40 years
Image 4 — Geographical transit map of Sydney and Melbourne to the same scale and how it could evolve in the next 30-40 years
Image 5 — Geographical transit map of Sydney and Melbourne to the same scale and how it could evolve in the next 30-40 years

Geographical transit map of Sydney and Melbourne to the same scale and how it could evolve in the next 30-40 years

  • Blue is the suburban train network so Sydney Trains or Metro Trains Melbourne.
  • Teal is metro lines so Sydney Metro or the Suburban Rail Loop**.**
  • Red is trams/light rail.

I'm not really that familiar with the political situation in Sydney so I cannot asses how likely each of the projects are to get built, I've just based it off of what I've read online. Now, for Melbourne, I'm confident most of these projects will happen within the next few decades. The only one I'd be hesitant about is the Rowville extension and of course the giant SRL could also be scrapped.

It's a bit weird people describing the SRL as a giant project, because Sydney's metro will be much grander lol.

Some things I noticed are that one, seeing both the cities to the same scale realises just how large Melbourne's tram network is and also how better off Sydney would be if they had kept their tram network, and two just how much Melbourne suburban network sprawls compared to Sydney. Sydney seems to have a huge transit desert in the West, which is being addressed with the WSI Airport.

u/MoreTODplz — 1 month ago

How would you do cross-suburban travel without the SRL or an extremely long orbital line? Could we approach it like Sydney's design? Should we have more connections like Upfield/Craigieburn lines splitting up and then meeting back up again.

I am talking in terms of heavy rail. The easiest solution for orbital demand would be more orbital bus routes, but in this imaginary scenario there's a lot of orbital demand even in places outside the catchment zone of the SRL. Also I do think the SRL is too long (60km+ for SRL North and SRL East and 90km in total) which will mean it struggles with delays, which is what we're seeing with the Metro Tunnel right now, and we'll also probably see with the lines after the City Loop Reconfiguration and also after Metro 2.

If the Upfield line extension happens, would it be the first instance in modern history (other than the outer loop/inner loop line) where two metropolitan train line start from the CBD, branch out and than meet up back again? Is this a good or bad design? I know we have the Altona Loop, but that really exists for express trains. The only connections, I can think of, that could follow this design would be:

- Glen Waverley to Ferntree Gulley: It would be expensive, a better option might be to extend the 75 tram to Ferntree Gulley but the 75 is already long enough as it is. Also don't think it has the densify for light rail.

- Alamein to East Malvern (potentially Caulfield). Would make Caulfield an ever busier interchange, but also unlikely to happen as it mostly require a lot of tunnelling and it's significance also decreases when the SRL East finishes. Could reopen the entire outer circle/inner circle loop but don't see this ever happening given that the alignment is currently used for parks. It could maybe work as Skyrail. Not entirely sure.

- Upfield / Craigieburn (only one that's actually happening)

- Wyndham Vale and Werribee. The electrification of the Wyndham Vale line and extension to Werribee seems to be what the SRL West plans (or lack thereof) indicate, so I guess this would happen either way.

I'm not saying that these projects are feasible in terms of cost or time length but would these make the most sense if we wanted our city lines to become more interconnected without strictly using incredibly long (90km+) orbitals?

Sydney isn't focusing on an orbital route as much, because it simply doesn't need to. It's designs like this which allow suburb to suburb travel much easier than Melbourne. However, they also have the downside of shutting down large areas of the network due to the interconnectedness of the different lines.

Not sure whether it's better for the just rings of orbital lines, or a more interconnected rails. Both have their downsides and positives I guess. Real answer is that we probably need a mix of both.

u/MoreTODplz — 1 month ago

Has there been a proper long term network development plan that's been released since 2012/2018?

The last proper network development plan that was formally released was in 2012, and now that's been greatly changed now as well. Then there was the 2018 leaked plan. Right now I'm not sure what the long term development plan actually is other than the Suburban Rail Loop and Airport Rail.

There's no long term plan in terms covering the City Loop Reconfiguration, Metro 2 or any of the extensions in the leaked 2018 plan. I understand most of the budget is going to the SRL and LXRPs right now but like... should it not at least be planned or a timeline set out?

If the government can commit 10s of billions of dollars for the SRL, I see no reason to why they can't at least think about projects they want to commit to other than just the SRL. For example, there was no concrete plans for the Doncaster extensions but that was still included in the 2012 development plan.

I just want them to commit to something that isn't just pouring money into huge large scale projects. I haven't seen a concrete timeline for the Melton electrifications either. How can you set timelines for large scale projects such as the SRL but not for smaller works like Melton electrification?

reddit.com
u/MoreTODplz — 2 months ago
▲ 141 r/MelbourneTrains+1 crossposts

We're so beyond compared to Sydney it's not even funny. It's just depressing. If the SRL gets cancelled we're even more behind. Someone explain why they've been able to build so fast.

By the year 2035. Assuming that the SRL, Melton electrification & Upfield extension to Wallan, the Airport Link and the Sydney Metro all go ahead we'll see

Sydney:

  • 112km of metro
  • 335km of suburban train network.
  • 447km total transit network.
  • 25% of their total network will be a metro.
  • 2 Airports, 2 Airport lines.
  • 2 proper CBDs (Parramatta - This one is more of a geographical advantage that Sydney has, really can't compete here).

Melbourne:

  • 26km of an automated metro line.
  • 1 Airport line.
  • 0 proper secondary CBDs. (Just look at the station precinct impression plans, and tell me if you think they can rival Parramatta, they can't.)
  • Total suburban network of 492 km (+62km in extensions and Airport Link)
  • Total train network of 518km. (+26km from with SRL)
  • 5% of our total network would be a metro.

Someone explain to me, how Sydney can build 112km of metro in 22 years (2013-2035), or about 5.0km every year and we'll be stuck building the SRL North and East (~35km + 26km) which is 61 km in 28 years or about 2.1km every year. They're building twice as fast as we are and they're building it cheaper. I find it difficult to believe that this is purely because of geological difference in the stones that both our cities sit on.

People here like to claim that it's because Sydney is just sandstone while Melbourne is more difficult to dig through. Sure, but TBMs can dig the tunnels anywhere between a few months to a year, right? That doesn't explain why it takes so long to actually install the rails and the wirings within the tunnels themselves. I swear saying it's geology and just geology is just copout answer at this point.

A part of me think's its in part of the CFMEU corruption which is certainly true to an extent but I don't think it can account for Sydney building more than twice as fast.

reddit.com
u/MoreTODplz — 2 months ago
▲ 514 r/unimelb+2 crossposts

Macdonald Witch Hunt. Melbourne Uni cancels surgeon – Israel lobby pressure

The University of Melbourne has cancelled a prestigious lecture by eminent Australian cardiologist Professor Peter McDonald after Zionist pressure. Wendy Bacon reports.

Eminent Australian cardiologist Professor Peter McDonald who was scheduled to give a prestigious lecture at University of Melbourne in July has been ‘cancelled’ due to behind-the-scenes pressure from Zionists.

Second time cancelled

This is the second occasion on which Macdonald, who supports Palestinian rights and has attended rallies, has been cancelled due to pressure from Zionists.

Last year he was on forced leave from St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney for seven weeks before the complaint against him by doctors associated with the Australian Zionist Healthcare Alliance ( AZHA) was dismissed following an independent investigation.

Macdonald was contacted but declined to comment for this story.

“Unnamed accusers” – invite withdrawn

On June 12, more than a month after the lecture was first promoted, University of Melbourne Acting Head of Surgery Professor Justin Yeung and St Vincent’s surgeon and Adjunct Professor Matthew Read who chairs the Surgical Forum sent a letter withdrawing the invitation.

They informed Macdonald that “concerns” were raised regarding remarks attributed to you that have been “widely interpreted as antisemitic”.

After “careful” consideration, the organisers had come to the conclusion that the remarks could distract from the forum event. This suggests that those who made the decision understood that if they did not withdraw their invitation, Macdonald’s unnamed accusers would conduct a public campaign against him.

The accusers were referring to a 30 second question that Macdonald asked at a Palestinian Justice community forum last year during which he said that before he had been informed by the Australian government that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was responsible, he considered that Mossad could be behind some antisemitic incidents.

(Mossad itself acknowledges that it conducts extensive covert operations including embedding agents in other countries including Iran.)

michaelwest.com.au
u/MoreTODplz — 2 months ago
▲ 170 r/melbournechat+4 crossposts

John Setka'$ CFMEU - that $15bn? It was wage$

Geoffrey Watson, the man who has set off every anti-CFMEU nutcase around the country!

​

His own words, the $15bn wasn't corruption, it was wages.

​

He says heavily accelerated wages, that's were he should do his research, Union wages are higher than the industry Award minimum, but no employer pays the industry Award rate it's $5/hr more than the minimum wage.

​

It might surprise Mr Watson that the hourly rates paid on Victorian Big Build projects is identical to those paid on commercial office buildings, on hospitals, on prisons, on logistics sheds, on data centres, on apartments buildings, on refurbishments, on shopping centres, on sport stadiums.

​

The aren't accelerated they are industry rates.

​

u/Least_Star7327 — 2 months ago

Do you ever see/support Melbourne getting a proper metro/subway network. Would you prefer it was an elevated metro or underground? What routes?

Melbourne's growing pretty fast and some inner city routes services by trams are struggling to meet capacity. Converting them to light rail would be a good start, but I do think it's worthwhile considering a proper metro network, or the start to one.

It's quite expensive to tunnel here, which makes me think whether an elevated Metro would be a good idea. Opposition to it would be fierce especially compared to an underground network. We could embrace cut and cover, but I that wouldn't be free from fierce opposition either, especially since we tried that with the Metro Tunnel on Swanston St and Libs compared it to the Berlin Wall.

When I was a kid I always envisioned a futuristic city to have a lot of elevated rail lines, a lot like Gothams elevated train line in Batman Begins. Now if a metro were to exist, what routes do you think could work right now?

And I’m sorry but elevated trains just look so much cooler 😭

View Poll

reddit.com
u/MoreTODplz — 2 months ago

Exams are almost over. I got bored. Here's most of Infrastructure Australia and Victoria's recommendations and priority lists for Victoria and Melbourne in regards to transit.

Separated by Infrastructure Australia and Infrastructure Victoria, I only listed projects that I think would relate to transit and mainly passenger rail and active transit.

Infrastructure Australia 2026 priority list

10 year national priorities from Infrastructure Australia

  • Immediate priority for future investment
    • Suburban Rail Loop East.
  • 2-4 year pipeline for future investment
    • Melbourne Airport Rail Link
    • High Capacity Signalling
    • Melbourne rail upgrade program – North (extensions and electrifications)
    • Melbourne rail upgrade program – West (extensions and electrifications)
  • 5-10 year pipeline for future investment
    • Melbourne Orbital/E6 transport corridor.
    • Suburban Rail Loop - Future Stages: SRL West and SRL North.

Infrastructure Victoria priority list and recommendations

By 2030

Future Options

In my opinion the most underrated projects are the City Loop Reconfiguration and High Capacity Signalling. Not inexpensive by any stretch, but the most underrated. The most influential is definitely still bus reform and the SRL. Just my opinions, feel free to disagree lol.

reddit.com
u/MoreTODplz — 2 months ago

Is there anyway to legally create a permanent greenbelt that cannot be altered at all. We cannot keep electrifying train services until we reach Albury and treating these new estates as commuter suburbs. There needs to be a PERMANENT END to the sprawl.

The Urban Growth Boundary was extended in 2010 and currently it requires a majority in both houses of Parliament to be altered. Which in my opinion, isn't strict enough. It needs to be HARDER and borderline impossible to sprawl further, maybe have it so that if you want to create new housing estates you have to ensure that all transit connections have a minimum amount of density first. Ensuring that if you want to build sprawl, you build them up before sprawling outwards.

I'm no lawyer/politician so I'm not sure how easy something like this can be done but there needs to be. There needs to be a way that we can permanently create an urban greenbelt that cannot be built past at all. We've ruined so much space for suburban housing, which just makes it that much more difficult for densifying and better transit connections.

reddit.com
u/MoreTODplz — 2 months ago

hmm have they patched this strategy yet?

Almost like people are forgetting it's not just debt that grows in the future but the population and state revenue too.

And it's almost like cities tax base will also grow by 3 million residents by the time the SRL is done and a large share of them will live near/on the SRL line or existing transit corridors 🤯

Seeing how Melbourne is the most affordable city out of the main (almost all) capitals, I wouldn't be surprised if we have more people coming to live here lol. Maybe we triple Sydney's current population and become a megalopolis.

u/MoreTODplz — 2 months ago

Is a 50/50 DHHF and BGBL split enough?

Wanted to reduce Australian exposure and I think this is good enough. Not entirely sure. BGBL doesn’t have emerging markets so that’s a problem but other than that it’s fine?

Is there a simpler two ETF basket that has most international markets but also reduced australian exposure?

I’m 20 in terms of risk exposure so no bonds for now.

reddit.com
u/MoreTODplz — 2 months ago

What happens to the SRL densification plans if the SRL itself gets cancelled?

Worried about the polls, but whatever we'll see what happens come November.

My question is what happens to the TOD/densification around the SRL Stations? How much of the $35 billion is actually allocated to the densification rather than building the rail itself?

Could the entire densification be cancelled?

reddit.com
u/MoreTODplz — 2 months ago

Do you think the SRL will go the same way Sydneys Metro did in the court of public opinion once finished?

"Oh no but the cost!!!, It's too expensive!! It'll be useless!!, transit is useless!!"

A few years after it opens and now almost everyone in Sydney's suddenly demanding the metro be extended to their backyards. Fairly sure there's something like $60 billion or more being invested into the Metro right now. It's been a huge success and I think the SRL will largely be the same once finished.

Well, I guess the media love anything the Libs cooked up, so they probably helped with the initial perception of it anyway (Also Sydney just generally has more people who like transit). In all fairness I wouldn't hesitate as much to vote for the NSW libs (not our ones) for transit. At least they actually privatised and built something instead of privatising shit for the fun of it.

And the media has an intense hatred for all things Melbourne, Transit and Labor so they'll try to hate it any way they can but the court of public opinion will 100% change, no matter how hard MSM try to spin it. Even in the polls more than 50% of people supported it. Although not sure how recent they were.

JUST LET THEM FINISH IT. PLEASE. PLEASE

reddit.com
u/MoreTODplz — 3 months ago
▲ 10 r/unimelb

Can I actually get a decent paying job with a horrible WAM in my maths degree? Should I do a masters or honours year to improve it.

WAM is atrocious. Went through a pretty bad mental period and failed a few subjects, nothing too drastic tho. Had to retake them and now my WAM is 60 on the dot and I've still got a year left to go. I'm wondering if I should just quit tbh and whether doing this degree was worth it.

I was considering doing a masters to boost it. The content of that maths wasn't that difficult, so I'm not worried about failing again, I just wasn't in the mental state to actually study properly. Either masters or an honours year. Honours isn't offered at this uni for maths so I guess I'd have to change.

Anyways, I was just wondering if anyone actually got a decent paying job with a maths degree if they got a bad WAM. That's all. Thank you.

reddit.com
u/MoreTODplz — 3 months ago

Is there any decent paying jobs (>100k) I can get in transit/transport with a maths degree? (I also have a horrible WAM, so would a MSc make up for it?)

Just a bit lost on what to actually do. I've almost finished my degree. My last year is next year. Hopefully. Now I'm just wondering if there's actually roles available in the government etc, with a maths degree and if they pay well.

Or if there are actually any private sector roles that also deal with transit that hire maths employees.

My major is Applied Maths, if that helps. Although I can change it pretty much right now to other if I wanted to.

Would it be better if I compliment my degree with something else like a physics double major? (physics is the only option since I did do some physics units earlier in my degree, but it adds some time to my degree).

If I could go back in time I'd just do an Urban Planning Degree but I'm already an aging dinosaur :/

reddit.com
u/MoreTODplz — 3 months ago