Trainlink

Ok, probably have been neglecting this blog too much recently but... oh well.
Going to start with Trainlink style services in Melbourne.

Areas we already have Trainlink style services:
South Morang - Epping Stn
Cranbourne East - Cranbourne Stn
Blackburn Stn - Knoxfield area - Upper Ferntree Gully Stn (connects at Upper Ferntree Gully)

As you can see, a woeful three bus services actually make their way out to suburbs that the DoI (I refuse to call them the DoT as instead of using the namechange money to fund public transport, they spent it to better focus on transport or something like that) have neglected in supplying heavy rail services.

The reason why Trainlink style services can be more useful than just building heavy rail include:
less cost
easier to reach more suburbs
doesn't need a r-o-w
doesn't impact on capacity if only single track non-shuttle rail is built (I hope the DoI have learnt this from predecessors)

Some new areas where Trainlink services could work:
Oakleigh - Chadstone
Huntingdale - Monash Uni
Macleod - Latrobe Uni
Cheltenham - Southland

These are just some areas I can think of off the top of my head. The reason why 3/4 are south-eastern suburbs is because I happen to live there and so am more familiar with that area.

Doncaster is an interesting exception, being that it has about 15 buses all expressing down the freeway to the inner city, providing a decent service from the city to Shoppingtown so long as all the Freeway Exp go to one bay at Shoppingtown.

My opinion is that Trainlink style services ( either estate-catchers or shuttles) should be shown on maps provided that they:
have easy transfer between train and bus
bus drivers are instructed to wait for trains
the bus service can easily be condensed down to a small number of "stops"

Calembeena