Business Trip to Australia - November 1998
(via Hong Kong)
A map of the Melbourne transport system will be useful for understanding the following.
Business requirements often meant travelling around by car. My local colleague's home is near Blackburn and Nunawading stations, and ALSTOM offices are located at Clayton near Westall station and in Melbourne city centre. Visits were made to the depot at Epping and the workshops at Newport, including time spent on commissioning runs on vehicles such as 322M which has a new prototype traction system fitted. "New track today" is always "none" unless stated.
On this, the author's first visit to Melbourne, spare time was spent travelling on the suburban network and also some of the "main line" network. A full day was spent in Hong Kong on the outward journey.
Special Notes:
Unless otherwise stated, all EMUs are operated by Hillside or Bayside Trains, subsidiaries of Melbourne Passenger Transport Corporation (PTC) and to be privatised in August 1999. Other services are operated as marked.
Platform numbers or tram stop numbers are added to times in [brackets].
Melbourne Area routing codes are listed separately .
Operating Company Abbreviations:
HKTL - Hong Kong Tramways Limited
KCRC - Kowloon Canton Railway Corporation (Hong Kong)
MTRC - Mass Transit Railway Corporation (Hong Kong)
PBR - Puffing Billy Railway
WCR - West Coast Railway
Place
Arrive
Depart
Train
Traction details & notes
Created: 20 December 2023
Monday 9th November 1998
Timperley
07:48
Taxi
Manchester Airport T2
08:05
Manchester (MAN)
10:00
CX270
Cathay Pacific 747-400 B-HOP
time change: +1 hour
Amsterdam (AMS)
12:20
13:30
time change: +7 hours
Hong Kong (HKG) (Chep Lap Kok)
08:00
Tuesday 10th November 1998
Satellite
07:43
People-mover
rubber-tyred
Main Terminal
07:44
Airport
08:41
EMU MTRC Airport Express Line train
Kowloon
08:59
09:26
EMU MTRC Tung Chung Line train
Hong Kong
09:31
09:47
EMU MTRC Tung Chung Line train
Kowloon
09:50
10:00
Transit bus tour (free)
via Wong Tai Sin temple, Kowloon Walled City Park
New World Centre
11:00
walk to site of former terminus of Kowloon Canton Railway near ferry terminal - clock tower is all that remains
Hung Hom
11:54
EMU KCRC Lo Wu Line train
Fo Tan
12:08
12:18
EMU KCRC Lo Wu Line train
Kowloon Tong
12:28
12:37
EMU MTRC Kwun Tong Line train (photo )
Kowloon Bay
12:47
12:50
EMU MTRC Kwun Tong Line train
Quarry Bay
13:00
13:26
HKTL tram 32
Shau Kei Wan
13:41
14:20
HKTL tram 37
Happy Valley
15:12
15:14
HKTL tram 37
City Hall
15:41
Garden Road
16:02
Peak Tram funicular (altitude 25m)
Peak Tower
16:07
16:30
Peak Tram funicular (altitude 398m)
Garden Road
16:37
City Hall
16:52
HKTL tram 104
Kennedy Town
17:24
17:30
HKTL tram 104
Western Market
17:49
Sheung Wan
17:56
EMU MTRC Island Line train
Chai Wan
18:20
18:25
EMU MTRC Island Line train
Quarry Bay
18:34
19:02
EMU MTRC Kwun Tong Line train
Yau Ma Tei
19:04
19:13
EMU MTRC Tsuen Wan Line train
Central
19:04
Hong Kong
19:30
EMU MTRC Tung Chung Line train
Tsing Yi
19:40
19:53
EMU MTRC Airport Express Line train
Airport
20:05
Hong Kong (HKG)
22:50
CX105
Cathay Pacific B-HUA 747-400
Adelaide
09:20
through working HKG - MEL
New track today: Airport - Kowloon - Hong Kong/Central, Hung Hom - Fo Tan, Yau Ma Tei - Quarry Bay, Yau Ma Tei - Central, Sheung Wan - Chai Wan
Wednesday 11th November 1998
Adelaide
10:40
CX104
time: +2.5 hours
Melbourne (MEL)
12:25
time: +0.5 hour
Flinders St
18:10[9]
TS
EMU 311M+?T+400M
Williamstown
18:37
18:46
TS
EMU 400M+?T+311M
Flinders St
19:12[7]
New track today: Flinders St - Williamstown
Thursday 12th November 1998
Flinders St
07:19[1]
direct
EMU 611M+?T+662M+310M+?T+302M
Epping
08:02
work at Epping depot on 322M
17:13
PU - PV
EMU ?M+?T+150M+58M+?T+?M
Flinders St
18:03 [1]
Flinders St/Elizabeth St
20:40
'00'
City Circle tram 1020 (anti-clockwise)
Spencer St/Collins St
21:13[121]
Spencer St
21:31[11]
NV - NU
EMU 540M+?T+?M
Melbourne Central
21:41[3]
Elizabeth St/La Trobe St
21:49
'19'
tram 2118
Elizabeth St/Flinders St
21:54
New track today: Flinders St - Epping, Jolimont - Melbourne Central - Spencer St
Friday 13th November 1998
Flinders St
07:19[1]
direct EMU 653M+?T+654M+413M+?T+414M
Epping
08:02
work at Epping depot on 322M
Epping Depot sidings
12:55 [9] special EMU 425M+?T+322M
Epping Depot sidings
12:57 [12]
322M etc. was supposed to go to Newport workshops today but there was no driver, so it went Saturday.
by car to ALSTOM office at Clayton, then colleague's house at Blackburn
Nunawading
21:45
direct EMU 325M+?T+?M
Flinders St
22:17
New track today: Nunawading - Flinders St
Saturday 14th November 1998
by car to photograph 3 x R-class SL on special at Footscray and Westall
Westall
09:56
EMU 512M+?T+511M+502M+?T+501M
Cranbourne
10:22
10:38
EMU same set
Dandenong
10:50
11:00
EMU 532M+?T+531M+545M+?T+546M
Caulfield
11:37
11:49
EMU 73M+?T+14M+206M+?T+120M
Frankston
12:34
13:00
V/Line DL A70+3 coaches
Stony Point
13:40
14:00
V/Line DL A70+3 coaches
Frankston
14:40
14:49
CL - CU - CV
EMU 104M+?T+?M+?M+?T+?M
Flinders St
15:57[7]
16:52[8]
S
EMU 611M+?T+662M
Sandringham
17:21
17:34
EMU same set
Elsternwick
17:46
Elsternwick Station [44]
17:50
'67'
tram 44
Carnegie [68]
18:02
18:02
'67'
tram 44
Glenhuntly [61]
18:06
18:24
'67'
tram 43
Lonsdale St [9]
19:05
Melbourne Central
19:37 [3]
NU - TS
EMU 368M+?T+367M
Footscray
19:48
20:03
TS - NV
EMU 324M+?T+342M
Flinders St
20:13 [5]
New track today: Richmond - Dandenong - Cranbourne, Caulfield - Frankston - Stony Point, Richmond - Parliament, Flinders St - Sandringham, Flagstaff - North Melbourne
Sunday 15th November 1998
Flinders St
07:34
BV - BU - BL
EMU 670M+?T+669M (via loop)
Lilydale
08:40
08:55
EMU same set
Ringwood
09:11
09:27
EMU same set
Belgrave
09:51
10:30
PBR SL 7A+8 coaches (760mm gauge)
Gembrook
12:15
13:15
PBR SL 7A+8 coaches
Belgrave
15:05
15:23
EMU 651M+?T+652M
Camberwell
16:12
16:34
EMU 625M+?T+626M
Alamein
16:45
16:49
EMU same set
Camberwell
17:00
17:12
EMU 658M+?T+657M
Burnley
17:20
17:24
BL
EMU 638M+?T+637M
Richmond
17:29
17:40
EMU 657M+?T+658M
Glen Waverley
18:12
18:28
BL
EMU same set
Flinders St
19:02[3]
19:09[5]
NU - NV - MS
EMU 318M+?T+317M
St Albans
19:38
19:59
MS - NV
EMU same set
Flinders St
20:27[8]
New track today: Nunawading - Ringwood - Lilydale, Ringwood - Belgrave - Gembrook, Camberwell - Alamein, Burnley - Glen Waverley
Monday 16th November 1998
Newport workshops No.1 siding
06:00 special EMU 322M+?T+425M
No.3 siding
06:10
by car to ALSTOM office at Clayton
East Burwood
15:50[70]
'75'
tram 2011
Flinders St/Swanston St
17:00
Flinders St
17:19[5]
NU - TS - direct
EMU 1M+?T+232M+210M+?T+205M
Werribee
18:03
18:07
Altona - TS
same set
Spencer St
18:54[13]
Spencer St/Collins St
19:17[121]
'75'
tram 2061
Flinders St/Swanston St
19:28
Flinders St
19:40[6]
NV
EMU 408M+?T+407M
Spencer St
19:43[12]
19:47[11]
NV
EMU 471M+?T+472M+539M+?T+540M
Flinders St
19:50[9]
New track today: Newport - Werribee direct, Laverton - Newport via Altona
Tuesday 17th November 1998
Flinders St
07:10[5]
NV - TS
EMU 514M+?T+513M+328M+?T+464M
Newport
07:27
Newport workshops No.3 siding
08:46 special EMU 322M+?T+425M test train
via shunt to No.1 siding - Newport (rev) (09:32/09:35) - Werribee (rev) (10:00/10:11) - Newport (rev) (10:36/10:39) - workshops No. 8 siding - shunt to No.1 siding
Newport workshops
10:55
by car to Epping depot
Epping
18:14
PU - PV
EMU 165M+?T+91M+228M+?T+17M
Flinders St
19:00[1]
Elizabeth St/La Trobe St
21:32[5]
'19'
tram 2017
Elizabeth St/Flinders St
21:38[1]
Wednesday 18th November 1998
Newport workshops No.5 siding
06:30 special EMU 322M+?T+425M
via Spencer St (06:55) - Richmond - Westall (07:33) - Pakenham yard (08:15/08:52) - Bunyip (rev) - Pakenham yard (rev) (09:54/10:00) - Bunyip (rev) (10:15/10:20) - Pakenham yard (rev) (10:45/10:50) - Bunyip (rev, pie stop) (11:08/11:44) - Pakenham yard (12:02) - Richmond - Spencer St - Newport workshops No.5 siding - shunt to No.1 siding
Newport workshops
13:30
work at Newport workshops then by car to Melbourne
Spencer St/La Trobe St
16:35
'00'
City circle tram (anti-clockwise)
Flinders St/Queen St
16:45
Flinders St
17:16[5]
NU
EMU 405M+?T+406M
Upfield
17:59
18:00
same set
North Melbourne
18:29[1]
18:42[2]
EMU 545M+?T+546M+309M+?T+310M
Broadmeadows
19:08
19:32
NV
EMU 310M+?T+309M
Flinders St
20:03 [5]
Flinders St/Queen St
20:27
'48'
tram 279
Spencer St/Collins St
20:33
Swanston St/La Trobe St
21:22[8]
'67'
tram 67
Swanston St/Flinders St
21:27
New track today: Dandenong - Pakenham - Bunyip, North Melbourne - Upfield, North Melbourne - Broadmeadows
Thursday 19th November 1998
Flinders St
07:35
CL
EMU 554M+?T+553M+310M+?T+302M
Westall
08:00
by car to and from ALSTOM office at Clayton
Glen Waverley
17:06
BL - BT
EMU 32M+?T+33M+98M+?T+78M
Flinders St
17:41[2]
18:09[1]
direct
EMU 635M+?T+636M+465M+?T+466M
Hurstbridge
19:05
19:11
EMU 466M+?T+465M
Eltham
19:25
20:06
PU - PV
EMU 403M+?T+404M
Flinders St
20:58[1]
New track today: Clifton Hill - Hurstbridge
Friday 20th November 1998
Flinders St
07:19
direct
EMU 611M+?T+?M+?M+?T+?M
Epping
08:02
Epping depot sidings
13:44 [6]special EMU 697M+?T+?M
via No.20 siding (rev) - Epping platform 2 (rev) - Lalor (rev) - Epping depot No.17 siding (wash road)
Epping depot sidings
14:08 [6]
Epping
16:32 [2]
PU - PV
EMU 572M+?T+571M+374M+?T+373M
Flinders St
17:24[1]
17:58[7]
CV
EMU 333M+?T+?M
Spencer St
18:03 [12]
18:18
CU - CT - C
EMU 554M+?T+553M+301M+?T+302M
Glenhuntly
18:40
18:54
CT
EMU 365M+?T+?M
Flinders St
19:20[7]
Flinders St/Elizabeth St
20:05
'75'
tram 2108
Spencer St/Collins St
20:10
20:36
'75'
tram 2026
Flinders St/Swanston St
20:41
Saturday 21st November 1998
Flinders St
08:09[4]
BV
EMU 663M+?T+664M
Spencer St
08:12
08:43[7]
WCR SL R711+ DL B76+9 coaches
Warrnambool
11:53
arr 47 late (first day of steam operation)
13:05
WCR DL S311+5 coaches 21 late
Spencer St
16:10[7]
arr 10 late
16:26[11]
NV
EMU 343M+?T+384M
Flinders St
16:31[4]
16:49[3]
BV - BU - BL
EMU ?M+?T+637M
Nunawading
17:30
to colleague's house at Blackburn
Nunawading
22:45
BL
EMU ?M+?T+?M
Flinders St
23:21[3]
New track today: Werribee - Geelong - Warrnambool
Sunday 22nd November 1998
Flinders St
07:59[3 ]
BV
EMU 625M+?T+626M
Spencer St
08:02[10]
08:30[1]
SG
Countrylink XPT 2005+7 coaches +2017 (standard gauge)
Albury
11:36
14:40
ES
V/Line DL N358+3 coaches (broad gauge)
Spencer St
18:07[8]
should have run via Essendon line flyover (BS), but didn't due to re-platforming due to engineering works
Spencer St/Collins St
18:14
'75'
tram 2065
Flinders St/Queen St
18:19
Flinders St/Swanston St
18:53
'1'
tram 147
South Melbourne Beach
19:08
19:14
'1'
tram 147
South Melbourne
19:18
Albert Park
19:37
'96'
tram 2107
St Kilda Beach Terminus
19:55
20:08
'96'
tram 2107
Bourke St/Queen St
20:34
New track today: Standard gauge Spencer St - Albury; broad gauge Albury - Broadmeadows
Monday 23rd November 1998
Flinders St
07:19[1]
direct
EMU 376M+?T+362M+697M+?T+529M
Epping
08:02
Flinders St/Queen St
17:57
'48'
tram 281
Spencer St/Collins St
18:01
Collins St/Spencer St
18:08
'109'
tram 293
Port Melbourne
18:19
18:30
'109'
tram 274
Collins St/Queen St
18:45
Tuesday 24th November 1998
to ALSTOM office in Melbourne, then to Epping to work on 322M
Epping
15:42
PU - PV
EMU 674M+?T+641M+680M+?T+679M
Flinders St
16:32[1]
17:08[5]
NU - ES
EMU 371M+?T+372M+403M+?T+404M
Kensington
17:21
17:46
BS - NV
EMU 380M+?T+379M+451M+?T+452M
via Essendon line flyover (only 4 passenger workings)
Flinders St
17:54[7]
18:14[4]
BL
EMU 145M+?T+224M+34M+?T+82M
via flyover to Richmond then flyover at Camberwell
Riversdale
18:34
Wardin Road
18:39[45]
'70'
tram 252
Wattle Park
18:51[61]
18:53[61]
'00'
tram 252
Camberwell depot
19:03[40]
tram continued into depot
19:04[40]
'70'
tram 271
Princes Bridge
19:27
Collins St/Swanston St
19:53[6]
'11'
tram 170
Collins St/Spencer St
19:58[1]
20:03[1]
'75'
tram 2093
Flinders St/Queen St
20:08[122]
New track today: Kensington - North Melbourne via flyover
Wednesday 25th November 1998
Flinders St
07:35[6]
CL
EMU 40M+?T+11M+208M+?T+109M
Westall
08:00
to ALSTOM office at Clayton, then colleague's house at Blackburn
Blackburn
18:16
BT
EMU 122M+?T+?M+?M+?T+?M
Flinders St
18:42[2]
Thursday 26th November 1998
Melbourne (MEL)
13:40
CX104
Cathay Pacific A340 B-GXI
Hong Kong (HKG)
19:40
time change: -3 hours
Satellite
19:51
rubber-tyred people-mover
Main Terminal
19:52
Friday 27th November 1998
Hong Kong (HKG)
0040
CX271
Cathay Pacific 747-400 B-HOU
Amsterdam (AMS)
06:30
07:30
time change: -7 hours
Manchester (MAN)
07:30
time change: -1 hour
Manchester Airport T2
08:00
Taxi
Timperley
08:20