Waking up in Geelong

A trope that keeps coming up when discussing escalators serving railway stations is “LONDOn DiD a sTUDY ANd ThEy foUnD iT Is mORe efFIcienT tO sTANd ThAn wALk up ThEM”. But the truth – while London Underground did do such a study that found that, the escalators you are debating probably don’t look like those the findings relate to.

Photo by Adrian Boliston, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-2.0)

The backstory

The London Underground study hit the news back in 2016 – here is a piece by BBC News when it was first released.

Holborn Tube’s standing-only escalators ‘quicker’
20 January 2016

A trial in which Holborn’s escalators became standing-only improved the speed customers got through the station, Transport for London (TfL) has found.

During the three-week experiment people were asked to stand and not walk while travelling on escalators to the ticket hall between 08:30 and 09:30.

Queuing was reduced and 30% more people used the Tube’s escalators during the trial, analysis showed.

The station also shut only once because of overcrowding, compared to the more usual several times a week.

As well as an important qualifier to the study everyone seems to miss – how long the escalators involved on the trial were.

Research by London Underground (LU) found people tend to stand when escalators have a height of over 18.5m, leaving empty space on the left side.

By making them standing-only, the test showed 16,220 people could travel on Holborn’s 23.4m high escalators during rush hour, compared to 12,745 in normal circumstances.

A Transport for London press release going further into the findings of the trial.

Results of three-week trial:

• Before the previous trial, calculations showed the Holborn escalators would normally each carry around 80 people per minute, with more standing than walking. Theoretically LU expected to see this rise to more than 110 people, with the escalators filled with standing passengers on both sides
• The results exceeded expectations, with a recorded increase of 30%. An escalator that carried an average of 2,500 customers between 8.30 and 9.30am on a normal day, carried around 3,250 when it was designated standing only for the same five-day period
• ‘Station control’ – temporarily preventing customers from entering the station because of crowding – was only implemented on one day during the first week of tests and not at all in the other two weeks. Prior to the tests implementing station control was something which happened several times a week. This is a good indicator that flows had improved.

With the raw data found in TfL’s Report on Holborn Pilot for Standing on Both Sides of Escalators published in January 2016.

A pilot was carried out at Holborn Station on London Underground for standing on both sides of escalators exiting the station.

The aims were: to look at safety by reducing slips, trips and falls; to reduce congestion by using the escalators more effectively; and, to change customer behaviour. The data collected was both qualitative and quantitative.

Which went into the maths of passenger capacity – walking is faster than standing.

LU escalators have a speed of 0.75m/s and a step height of 0.4 m which gives the number of steps/minute as 112.5. With customers standing on both sides of the escalator and occupying every step this gives a theoretical maximum of 225 customers/minute. However, looking at the right hand, stand only, side; and taking into account the empty step previously discussed, this gives a capacity of 56.25 customers/minute.

On the left hand, walking side, with an assumed walking speed of 0.5m/s, an escalator speed of 0.75m/s gives a walking speed of 75m/minute. Given a step rise height of 0.4m this gives a walking speed of 187.5 steps/minute. Taking into account the two step vacancy described by Fruin for stair walking, the speed for walkers on the left hand side of the escalator is calculated to be 62.5 customers/minute.

And the important part – how the height of the escalators reduces the number of passengers who attempt to walk up them, resulting in an empty ‘walk’ lane that could be better used by standing passengers, which then makes standing the more efficient option.

These calculations do not take into account the vertical height of escalators. It is assumed for the purpose of this calculation that there is a decreasing percentage of passengers willing to walk up a high machine.

The percentages given below are partly based on observations at Canary Wharf with a 10m vertical rise, together with observations of customer walking behaviour on escalators with a greater vertical rise than 10 metres. The graph below shows vertical height vs % of passengers willing to walk. At Holborn the escalator rise is 24 m which gives an estimated amount of 40% of customers willing to walk.

% of Passengers Vertical height (m) 100 5 100 10 90 12.5 80 15 70 18 60 20 50 22 40 24 30 26 20 27 10 28 0 30

Which leads to their conclusions.

The tests at Holborn were successful in easing congestion and improving customer flows. However, the tests required a large number of staff to implement, which is not viable on a daily basis. This is a consideration in how to take this forward.

Customer behaviour was only changed for the duration of the tests, with “normal” escalator usage resuming immediately that the tests were over. Some strong emotions were displayed by customers who wished to continue in their habitual routines, although most customers were compliant. A significant number of comments related to the wish to have at least one “walking” escalator for the purpose of speed, exercise and in case of lateness.

The most important one being.

It is clear that implementing “standing only” escalators would not be suitable for all locations given that shorter escalators achieve greater efficiency when walking is permitted.

Yes – providing everyone is doing it, walking is more efficient than standing on an escalator!

Some Melbourne examples

The escalators at Flinders Street Stations have a vertical rise of only 5 metres or so – so almost everyone chooses to walk up them.

The ones at Southern Cross Station are a little longer at around 8 metres high – but lots of people still choose to walk up them (when they are working!)

But the deep level Parliament station is where people decide against walking – the longest escalator there is 30 metres long, which at the standard 30° inclination is a 15 metre rise.

And the new longest escalators in Melbourne are at the Franklin Street exit from State Library station – at 42 metres long they rise 21 metre from the intermediate mezzanine to street level.

Luckily this end of the station is quieter than the shorter escalators serving the main Swanston Street exit and interchange with Melbourne Central station.

Further reading

Deepest stations on the London Underground

Post retrieved by 192.0.89.215 using wp.com feedbot/1.0 (+https://wp.com)

The post That standing is faster than walking study from London isn’t really relevant to your escalators appeared first on Waking up in Geelong.

Wattle Park in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs has a long tramway history, but it is also a place where retired W class trams get fed to vandals – so let us take take stock of our fallen friends.

Some history

Wattle Park was established in 1917 after the Hawthorn Tramway Trust (HTT) purchased 137 acres of land from Eliza Welch, proprietress of the Ball and Welch department store, under the condition it was to be used as a public park. However development of the park did not start until 1926, with success or Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board planting trees, and building the Wattle Park Chalet, using second hand materials from demolished cable tram depots.

The ornamental fencing along the driveway.

Worn out cable tram cables.

And the picnic shelters – scrapped cable tram bodies.

Surrey Hills Historical Society photo

Feeding trams to the monster

The cable tram bodies at Wattle Park were made of flimsy timber, so eventually fell victim to the elements, and so were replaced by withdrawn electric trams W2.318 and W2.339 in 1963 – those trams only being 30 years old at that point.

Victorian Heritage Register photo

Those two trams were eventually burnt out by vandals, so in 1979 were replaced by W2.229 and W2.383 – the same class of trams as before, but now almost 50 years old, were well and truly life expired compared to the shiny new Z class trams just entering service.

You might sense a pattern here, but it happened again in 1994 – another W2 tram was burnt out, so retired tram W2.597 was retrieved from Waverley Meadows Primary School, and transported to Wattle Park, where it remained until destroyed in April 2005 by yet another fire.

August 2007 saw two new trams offered up to vandals – SW6.936 and SW6.885 being sent to the Bendigo Tramways workshops for a repaint in graffiti-resistant M&MTB colours and waterproofing works to the roof.

SW6.885 was then burnt out in December 2011, and so in March 2013 it was replaced by SW6.861, after the Bendigo Tramways removed the fittings and bogies, installed a steel interior, and gave it a fresh coat of paint – along with some wishful thinking.

Fifteen months after a senseless act of violence saw vandals burn down a Wattle Park icon, a new heritage W-Class tram has been installed in the Burwood park.

Members of the Friends of Wattle Park and the Wattle Park Historical Society joined State Government Environment Minister Ryan Smith and Burwood state Liberal MP Graham Watt for the tram’s installation this morning.

The W-Class heritage tram was donated by VicTrack, and replaces the one that was burnt down in December 2011.

Mr Smith said it was hoped the steel interiors would deter any future acts of vandalism.

But a decade later these replacement trams had still be well and truly trashed.

Photo by Marcnut1996, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-4.0)

Fenced off from public access, pending a decision on their future.

And now it ends?

In 2022 it was announced that a new tram themed playground and picnic area would be built at Wattle Park.

And in 2025 two new trams arrived to serve as picnic shelters – W5.777 and W5.746.

Ramps added to one side, so that everyone can access them.

And securely bolted down to concrete blocks so they’ll never move.

And CCTV cameras watching over them.

The old tram controller and handbrake wheel were still left in place for kids to play with.

But the most important feature this time around – the replacement of virtually every single piece of original timberwork with fire resistant steel.

Parks Victoria photo

The work again being completed by the Bendigo Tramways workshops.

The only original pieces of timber I could find was a small curved section of roof above the cab.

So will these new “tram shaped objects” solve the vandalism problem at Wattle Park? Only time will tell.

Footnote: the body count

• 1920s: two cable trams
• 1963: W2.318 and W2.339
• 1979: W2.229 and W2.383
• 1994: W2.597
• 2007: SW6.936 and SW6.885
• 2013: SW6.861
• 2025: W5.777 and W5.746

Twelve trams that I’ve been able to find a reference too – but I am unsure if this is an exhaustive list.

Footnote: if you didn’t get the reference

A few years back there was a viral tweet about cats and coyotes that I immediately thought of when the latest round of W class trams were sent to Wattle Park.

My neighbor told me coyotes keep eating his outdoor cats so I asked how many cats he has and he said he just goes to the shelter and gets a new cat afterwards so I said it sounds like he’s just feeding shelter cats to coyotes and then his daughter started crying.

Further reading

• Wattle Park: a tramway tradition – Melbourne Tram Museum
• Wattle Park – Victorian Heritage Register
• Heritage trams targeted by vandals desperately waiting on revamp – Whitehorse Leader
• Wattle Park upgrades – Parks Victoria
• Construction commencing at wonderful Wattle Park – Parks Victoria
• All aboard! Work well underway on Wattle Park iconic trams – Parks Victoria
• All Aboard For Wattle Park Trams Heritage Site – Premier of Victoria

Post retrieved by 192.0.85.132 using wp.com feedbot/1.0 (+https://wp.com)

The post Feeding W class trams to vandals at Wattle Park appeared first on Waking up in Geelong.

On Sunday morning something exciting happened – the first of Melbourne’s new X’Trapolis 2.0 trains entered passenger service, running a single trip from Flinders Street Station to Upfield and return.

Some background

The X’Trapolis 2.0 is a new type of train for Melbourne, intended to replace the last of the 40 year old Comeng trains that currently serve the network. The 2021-22 state budget allocated $986 million in funding for an initial order of 25 trains to be built at Ballarat. Design work was completed by 2023 along with a full scale mockup, manufacturing commenced in March 2024, and the first train left the factory for Melbourne in December 2024.

Mainline testing on the Werribee line commenced in March 2025, followed by hill climb and brake testing in August 2025, followed by more testing across the network in late 2025.

The big day

On the morning of Sunday May 6 the Department of Transport and Planning setup their stall loaded with free swag on the concourse at Flinders Street Station.

Along with VIPs such as Minister for Public and Active Transport Gabrielle Williams.

X’Trapolis 2.0 set 5 was the start of the show, arriving into platform 4 at 8:42am.

Platform completely filled with excited train fans.

We departed on time at 9:06am, with standing room only.

The majority of the crowd staying onboard to the end of the line at Upfield.

It was a quick turnaround before departing back to the city at 9:53am.

Still standing room only for the return trip via the City Loop.

Until our arrival back at Flinders Street Station, where everyone had to leave the train.

As the train departed empty for the yards.

Taking a closer look

Luckily back in April 2026 I and a few other well known gunzel bloggers and YouTubers got to take a sneak peek at a completed set – so I didn’t need to brave the crowds to inspect the finer details.

First one is the obvious one – the airbag suspension on the new X’Trapolis 2.0 provides a ride quality on par with the rest of the fleet when passing over the goat tracks that pass for our suburban network (unlike the original X’Trapolis that throw you all over the place with their cheap coil suspension).

The train is a single six carriage set, so you can walk down the entire length.

With no doors to open between carriages.

But with automatic operated fire doors that will keep smoke out of unaffected carriages in the event of an emergency.

The high back seats are comfortable enough for a suburban journey up to an hour.

And they’re not bolted to the floor, making it easier to keep clean.

At each end of the train there is plenty of space for prams and wheelchairs.

And the wheelchair boarding ramps are deployed from a cabinet beside the leading saloon door, rather than needing to be manoeuvred into position.

Crashworthiness is less on a concern in Melbourne these days given so many level crossings have been removed, but it is important none the less – incorporating a crumple zone in front of the driving controls in the cab.

There are also fancy passenger counters in each doorway – hopefully to collect carriage occupancy data like that shown on the screens at the Metro Tunnel stations.

The onboard next stop destination boards are also on par with those found on the contemporary High Capacity Metro Train fleet, while fixing the piss poor audio announcement quality those trains are infected with.

And the door open buttons actually click when you press them.

But somehow X’Trapolis 2.0 inherited the stupid looking upper case ‘p’ the HCMTs were infected with for years, and was only just fixed.

But the main feature I like on the is the wide open spaces around each door into the saloon.

With none of the stupid windbreaker rubbish that the HCMT fleet reintroduced to Melbourne trains (which just turns into a place for people to lean up onto and block the doorway).

And some really technical details

On my tour at Newport I found a curiously switch labelled ‘3 car split mode’ – but with no cabs located in the middle of the X’Trapolis 2.0, and workshops being set up to service a complete six car set, I can’t see the purpose of it beyond combining two accident damaged trains into one good one.

And I finally found out why no X’Trapolis 2.0 bodyshells had been spotted in transit between Alstom’s factories at Dandenong and Ballarat – turns out the floor, wall and roof panels are welded together as flat panels at Dandenong, then moved by road to Ballarat to be bolted together to form a complete body shell.

Apparently it is a first for Alstom, and required a barrage of stress testing by engineers in Europe to prove the construction method would withstand the rigors of the rail environment.

Footnote: render vs reality

Here’s a comparison of how the X’Trapolis 2.0 mock-up looked compared to the real thing.

Along with a comparison of the tote bags handed out at the mock-up event with that handed out on the first day of service.

Post retrieved by 192.0.85.132 using wp.com feedbot/1.0 (+https://wp.com)

The post Melbourne’s first X’Trapolis 2.0 train enters service appeared first on Waking up in Geelong.

Another instalment in my photos from ten years ago series – this time it is April 2016.

Building things new

We start off the month at the almost finished Caroline Springs station – work having started way back in 2010 as a single platform station, paused due to funding issues, restarted in 2015, and then stopped just before completion after the decision was made to add a second platform, before it eventually opened in 2017.

Work on the Metro Tunnel project was plain sailing by comparison – here we see drilling for soil samples underway beside St Kilda Road in Kings Domain, the finished tunnel opening for passengers in November 2025.

Changes I didn’t expect to see

Here we see a Comeng train leading an up Werribee service via the Altona loop over the single track level crossing at Kororoit Creek Road – it was replaced by a double track rail over road bridge in 2017-2018.

Next, another Comeng train at different level crossing – this time on the Sunbury line at Watergardens, where the six lanes of the Melton Highway run past the original Sydenham station building, disused since 2001. It was replaced by a road over rail bridge in 2017-2018.

And this new metal picket fencing beside the tracks at Burnley station – the brick warehouses in the background have since been replaced by a 12 storey, 32,000 square metre office tower for Australia Post.

Out and about at Flinders Street Station

Every day a few hundred tonnes of containerised paper rolls through Flinders Street Station, so I would get down on my lunch break to get a photo of it – on this particular day Qube Logistics had their scrappy looking ex-SCT liveried locomotive G532 up front, with heritage locomotive S313 on hire from Steamrail Victoria behind.

And I also got a photo of a pair of Sprinter railcars on a down Traralgon service – they’ve since been displaced to the Seymour line thanks to the every growing VLocity fleet.

Luckily on this visit to Flinders Street I wasn’t actually trying to catch a train anywhere – instead of departure information, I was greeted by a ‘listen for announcements’ message.

And something more common back then but thankfully rarer now is water leaking into the underpasses – the drains were fixed in 2018, but they still look filthy today.

On the trams

I paid a visit to Domain Interchange on St Kilda Road – completed in 2013, it was demolished in 2018 to make way for the new Anzac station, where the current tram stop opened in 2022.

It was also a time when platform stops didn’t exist along St Kilda Road – passengers having to climb up onto trams from road level safety zone tram stops.

Buses

Until 2017 the Melbourne Visitor Shuttle used to run around Melbourne – here we still a Driver liveried bus filling in for the usual bright red Melbourne Visitor Shuttle-branded buses on the service.

And here we have a CDC Melbourne bus on a route 605 service at the corner of Flinders and Swanston Street – the CBD end of the route was rerouted via Southbank and Queen Street in 2017 as part of a package of changes made due to Metro Tunnel works at Domain Interchange.

And a loose end

Remember when taxis all had to be yellow? It was a requirement introduced back in the 1990s then eventually dropped in 2013.

Footnote

Here you can find the rest of my ‘photos from ten years ago‘ series, including a ten year old post from April 2006.

Post retrieved by 192.0.85.132 using wp.com feedbot/1.0 (+https://wp.com)

The post Photos from ten years ago: April 2016 appeared first on Waking up in Geelong.

Here’s a fun fact – when travelling by diesel powered V/Line train through Melbourne’s western suburbs, you pass more prisons than railway stations!

We start counting at Deer Park station – opened in 1884 as a single platform on a single track, the line was duplicated in 1976, and the current elevated station provided in 2023 as part of the removal of the level crossing.

We then head west along the Regional Rail Link tracks to the growth areas of Wyndham, and find three prisons in a row.

From north to south:

• Dame Phyllis Frost Centre – a women’s prison opened in 1996 and expanded in 2021, with 700-odd beds.
• Ravenhall Correctional Centre – men’s prison opened in 2017, and privately run by American multinational prison operator GEO Group, with 1000 beds.
• Metropolitan Remand Centre – opened in 2006 and expanded in 2014, with 954 beds to hold inmates awaiting the outcome of their court case.

But let us leave those thousands of inmates behind.

And roll by an empty paddock earmarked for a future Trugininia station.

And eventually arrive at Tarneit station – opened in 2015 as part of Regional Rail Link.

Home of 1500 spaces for cars to park for the day.

Time to get the train moving again, as we pass the site of the future West Tarneit station.

Another future station at Sayers Road.

And eventually arrive at our next stop of Wyndham Vale – also opened in 2015 as part of the Regional Rail Link.

Back on the move – speeding through the site of the proposed Black Forest Road station.

Then fly over the old route between Melbourne and Geelong.

Hold our nose for the rubbish tip.

And there it is across the paddocks – Cherry Creek Youth Justice Centre, opened in August 2023 with 140 beds, and room for a hundred more.

Just in time for our final stop – the bluestone station buildings at Little River, opened way back in 1857.

So there we are – from Deer Park to Little River one passes four prisons, two railway stations, a railway station under construction, and three more railway stations that might get built someday, hopefully in conjunction with electrification of the line as far as Wyndham Vale, if not Geelong.

It’s just a pity update to date statistics for prison capacity and railway station car parking spaces isn’t published by the state government – as it’s a pretty close race between the total number of beds for inmates versus asphalt rectangles for parked cars.

Footnote: the Cherry Creek Youth Justice Centre

You might have noticed that the Cherry Creek Youth Justice Centre is located right in the middle of absolutely bloody nowhere.

And hidden at the end of a long private access road.

Well, the original plans were to build it at Werribee South.

In February 2017, the Victorian Government announced plans to build a new youth justice facility on a government-owned site on Hoppers Lane South, Werribee South. The announcement indicated that this was the preferred location and that close consultation would be undertaken with the local community about the project.

But the locals kicked up a stink, so the government scrambled to pick a new location.

The Victorian Government has dumped a proposal to build a new youth detention centre in Werribee South after fierce voter backlash.

The $288-million high security youth justice centre will instead be built on land owned by Melbourne Water in Cherry Creek near the Werribee tip in Wyndham.

Children’s Minister Jenny Mikakos said the centre would be built within the current budget with a two-kilometre buffer between the jail and about six homes.

Ms Mikakos said she was not embarrassed by the backdown, following a mass rally against Labor’s plans in Werribee’s main street and warnings Treasurer and Werribee MP Tim Pallas would be punished at next year’s state election.

Setting on a chunk of Melbourne Water land that would be orphaned from the rest of the Western Treatment Plant when the Outer Metropolitan Ring Road is eventually built.

Post retrieved by 192.0.85.132 using wp.com feedbot/1.0 (+https://wp.com)

The post Melbourne’s west – where prisons outnumber railway stations appeared first on Waking up in Geelong.

With free public transport all across Victoria during April 2026, what better time to explore our state – and what better place to visit than one of our many correctional facilities!

By tram

The easiest prison to visit is on the edge of the Melbourne CBD – the Melbourne Assessment Prison has a tram stop right out the front at Spencer and La Trobe Street – though the stop hasn’t been used by passengers since 2014.

And by bus

Next up you can visit four prisons with a single bus – by taking a ride on route 400 which runs from Sunshine to Laverton, via Deer Park, Derrimut, Ravenhall and Truganina.

It swings past the woman-only Dame Phyllis Frost Centre on Riding Boundary Road in Ravenhall.

And detours into the Ravenhall Correctional Centre next door – which happens to be privately run by American multinational prison operator GEO Group.

Then heads down the road a bit to the Metropolitan Remand Centre to the south.

And then into the Port Phillip Prison in Truganina – privately operated by British multinational G4S, but closed early by the government at the end of 2025.

A little more difficult

Barwon Prison, the Western Plains Correctional Centre and the Marngoneet Correctional Centre outside of Lara are harder to visit – you need to catch a V/Line train to Lara station first, then wait for a shuttle bus that only runs a handful of times each Saturday and Sunday.

Something similar applies to Hopkins Correctional Centre outside of Ararat – catch a V/Line train to Ararat station, where you can change to a shuttle bus that only operates on Saturdays and Sundays.

And the ones I have never visited

I had to look at the list of Corrections Victoria website for these ones:

• Langi Kal Kal Prison outside of Trawalla has a weekend-only shuttle bus from Beaufort railway station.
• Tarrengower Prison near Maldon has a weekend-only shuttle bus from Castlemaine railway station.
• Beechworth Correctional Centre will pick you up from the V/Line coach stop.
• and finally – Fulham Correctional Centre has no public transport options at all!

Post retrieved by 192.0.85.132 using wp.com feedbot/1.0 (+https://wp.com)

The post Public transport to Victorian prisons appeared first on Waking up in Geelong.

With the transition from diesel to hybrid and now electric buses, exhaust emissions from public transport vehicles have been on a downward trajectory. However there is one side effect of this I missed – buses boasting that they are “clean and green” but are no longer so when compared to modern vehicles.

This resulted in a November 2025 complaint by not-for-profit organisation Comms Declare to the independent advertising complaint body, Ad Standards, about claims found on natural gas fuelled buses in Adelaide.

We believe the claim that natural gas is “Clean and Green” is false, misleading and not substantiated.

The Claims are Environmental Claims to which the Code applies because they represent that “clean” and “green” gas has a positive influence on the environment and is less harmful than other bus fuels.

The ad refers to the buses being powered by compressed natural gas (CNG) – a highly compressed form of natural gas – composed mostly of methane. In comparison to the technology CNG has been replacing (diesel buses), the emissions profile is very similar.

This is an overall claim that falsely presents gas as having no negative environmental impacts. We believe the use of words “clean” and “green” in the ad is falsely asserting that gas is a) free of dirt or environmental pollution, and b) not harmful.

With the South Australia Department for Infrastructure and Transport providing the following response.

The Department considers the message that is attached to the Bus relating to Natural Gas is a label for the product and not advertising. The message is not seeking to convince any third party to decide whether to use the service.

The labels attached to the bus were included with the bus (installed by the manufacturer) when they were purchased by the Department in the early 2000’s. The statutory operational life of a bus is 25 years.

The Department advises that it has been removing the CNG buses from service and there are currently only 84 CNG buses remaining in the operational fleet. The Department is targeting their removal (nearing end of statutory life) from service as soon as replacement buses can be delivered.

At the time the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses were introduced into service, they represented a reduction of approximately 13% of carbon dioxide, however most significantly, they represented a considerable reduction in other harmful emissions including carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides and particulates (PM10).

In terms of the validity of the statement on the buses, CNG is a green fuel that is sulphur-free, making it a cleaner choice for our air quality and public health. Unlike other fossil fuels, CNG combustion does not produce sulphur dioxide, a major contributor to acid rain and respiratory issues. CNG is a cleaner burning alternative to diesel that, when burned, produces fewer pollutants.

With the Ad Standards panel siding with the complainant.

The Panel noted that the advertiser procured these vehicles decades ago, and that the claim had been placed on the vehicle at the time of purchase. However, the Panel considered that, since then, the advertiser has had full control over the vehicle and any signage on it.

The Panel considered that CNG buses were originally introduced to provided more environmentally responsible transport than diesel buses. The Panel noted, however, that during the past two decades, modern transport solutions have evolved dramatically, and now include electric, hydrogen and hybrid alternatives. The Panel considered that there was nothing provided to show that, compared to all alternative options available in 2025, CNG buses would be considered clean or green.

The Panel found that the claim constituted an ad, and that it was in breach of sections 1, 3 and 4 of the AANA Environmental Claims Code as it communicated a claim that was misleading and unsubstantiated, was vague, and did not communicate a genuine environmental benefit

With the department stating they “will take the appropriate action to remedy the issue in the near future.”

A short history of natural gas powered buses in Australia

Back in the 1980s the first trials of compressed natural gas fuelled buses were carried out – Benders Buslines in Geelong being one of the early adopters.

Benders Buses were the pioneers in NGV buses in Australia, beginning their experiments with dual fuel buses in the late 1980s. In the early 1990s they purchased their first dedicated NGV buses from Mercedes Benz – a total of seven standard buses followed by two low floor buses in the late 1990s. The major problems experienced were backfiring and engine shut down during hot weather. The new low floor buses were reasonably trouble free except for premature valve wear. The depot uses compressors with a capacity of 400 m3/h (235 cfm) and with fast fill taking five minutes per bus.

Followed by Bell Street Bus Company in Melbourne.

Bell Street Buses is a private bus fleet operating 28 buses on public transit routes in the north of Melbourne; 14 are NGV buses. It purchased nine Mercedes Benz Series 1 NGV buses in 1992. These buses have performed reliably although they are considered by drivers to be under powered. The limited range of 300 to 350 kilometres (220 miles) compared to 700 kilometres (440 miles) for the diesels is also an issue and requires the NGV buses to filled very day.

In 1995 five Mercedes Benz Series 2 were purchased and while these have more power and excellent driveability, their reliability has not been as good as the Series 1. The buses were purchased purely on economic grounds of fuel savings of natural gas versus diesel. Even including all maintenance and down time, it is considered that the natural gas buses are more economic than their diesel counterparts.

ACTION in Canberra trialled two natural gas buses in 1994, followed by 54 Scania buses in 2003 and 16 MAN buses in 2008.

Brisbane completed a trial in the 1990s, followed by a wider rollout a decade later.

Brisbane Transit operates 12 NGV buses. Ten were converted and two were MAN SL202s delivered about 1990. They operate from the Carina Depot.

Fifty new Scania L94UB low floor NGV buses with the latest Euro 3 engine and roof mounted cylinders are to be delivered during 2000/2001.

As did Transperth – eventually operating 365 natural gas buses.

TransPerth operates some 848 diesel and NGV buses and has had varied experience with NGV buses, starting with the conversion of a Mercedes Benz bus in 1990.

By August 2000, the NGV bus fleet had grown to 52, comprising 42 Mercedes-Benz buses fitted with early style CNG carburettor technology and ten Renault buses equipped with the latest computer managed sequential fuel injection systems.

Photo by mailer_diablo, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-3.0)

And TransAdelaide.

TransAdelaide trialed NGV buses by converting ten MAN SL200 diesel buses to natural gas in the late 1980s. The success of this trial led to an order for 100 MAN SL 202 NGV buses which were delivered from 1992 to 1996.

A further 100 NGV buses have been recently ordered and by mid-2001, 210 of the 750 buses of TransAdelaide will be NGV buses.

While Sydney Buses went all in on ordering natural gas buses in the 1990s, with many large follow on orders.

Sydney Buses currently operates 104 Scania NGV buses from its Kingsgrove depot and is currently receiving 150 new Daimler Chrysler (Mercedes Benz) NGV buses. The Scania buses were delivered in 1994. The new NGV buses will operate from its Ryde and Port Botany depots (75 each).

State Transit will have 254 CNG buses operating out of three depots in 2000 and, by 2002, will have a fleet of 404 NGV buses operating out of five or six different depots. State Transit has indicated that further fleet replacement is likely to be focused on CNG for both financial and environmental reasons.

Footnote: another outdated environmental claim

Back in 2008 Sita Bus Lines in Melbourne bought a number of new Volvo B12BLE diesel buses for use on the new route 401 shuttle service between North Melbourne station and Melbourne University.

And on the back – a ‘Tomorrows Emissions Today’ advertisement.

Twenty years ago ‘Volvo SCR engine technology enables this bus to be Clean and Green!’ was considered something to boast about, but these days selective catalytic reduction (SCR) is table stakes for diesel vehicles.

However no advertising standards complaint is needed to remove this example of misleading advertising – the opening of the Metro Tunnel saw route 401 reworked to be route 241, and the special ‘401 Shuttle’ livery on the side of the buses replaced by the fresh Transport Victoria livery.

Is this the first time the government doing yet another rebranding of public transport in Victoria has actually achieved something useful?

Post retrieved by 192.0.85.132 using wp.com feedbot/1.0 (+https://wp.com)

The post False advertising on ‘clean and green’ natural gas buses appeared first on Waking up in Geelong.

Another instalment in my photos from ten years ago series – this time it is March 2016.

Skyrail

A few months earlier plans for the grade separation of nine level crossings between Caulfield and Dandenong had been released, with soil testing having started along the route – this was at Clayton station.

However Liberal Party didn’t like the idea of elevated rail – State MP David Davis using his ‘Parliament Electorate Office and Communication Budget’ to make up these ‘I didn’t vote for Sky Rail’ bumper stickers.

And Skyrail objectors made their prediction of graffiti come true by spray painting ‘Skyfail’ onto a fence facing the railway line.

I also took at look at the existing stations before they got replaced – here we see the since-relocated platform shelter at Clayton platform 2.

And a Comeng train crossing the former Clayton Road level crossing.

The old ground level Noble Park station.

The brick sh!thouse that was the old Hughesdale station.

A train pulling into Oakleigh platform 1 – since decommissioned to make way for an accessible ramp to the station underpass.

The timber station building and footbridge at Murrumbeena.

The Koornang Road level crossing at Carnegie station.

And one of many pedestrian crossings that passengers were forced to wait at to reach the platform.

Other changes on the Melbourne rail network

Works were underway on the Main Road level crossing removal at St Albans – the new low level tracks taking shape while trains continued running above.

And works were about to kick off on the removal of the Blackburn Road level crossing at Blackburn – none of these trees have ever returned, replaced by a rail trench.

The McDonald’s at Box Hill Shopping Centre still had CRT next train displays in the dining room – they were eventually switched off in 2019 when the rest of the station received modern LCD screens in their place.

Two more lanes were about to be added to the Cardinia Road level crossing in Pakenham – only to be ripped up again in December 2020 when the level crossing was removed.

Comeng trains still ruled the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines – since replaced by the new HCMT fleet, and many Comeng trains have been scrapped.

But they were not trouble free – Metro Trains Melbourne had was forced by the rail safety regulator to retrofit a new style of door handle to their Comeng fleet to address issues with doors being forced open – but there weren’t successful, as in 2023 they were forced to redesign the entire door system to address the root cause.

Over at Footscray there was still a view over the railway tracks towards the Melbourne CBD – the Joseph Road Precinct still just abandoned warehouses, not today’s apartment towers.

But traces of the long-closed Spencer Street Station subway still existed – the entrance on Little Collins Street all boarded up.

Over in V/Line land

V/Line was still dealing with the fallout from the mass withdrawal of VLocity trains due to wheel wear issues, having to transfer damaged sets to Bombardier Dandenong for repairs.

And for passenger services they were still using their older P class locomotives on push-pull services to Wyndham Vale and Bacchus Marsh – the locomotives were eventually withdrawn in August 2017, but the carriages lived on until February 2024 when the bulk of them were scrapped.

The Shepparton line was also still being served by locomotive hauled trains – replaced by VLocity trains in October 2022.

A trip to Northern Victoria

A made a trip north to the small Murray River town of Tocumwal to photograph the thrice-weekly freight train that carries export containers to the Port of Melbourne.

Stopping off at the former V/Line railway station at Cobram – it hasn’t seen a train since 1993.

At Mooroopna I was greeted by abandoned timber station building – it was destroyed by a suspicious fire in 2018.

Trams

Back in 2015 the Melbourne Art Trams program was part of the Melbourne Festival and not limited to indigenous artists like the current version – here we see W class tram SW6.925 on the City Circle with a piece titled ‘Cube/Octahedron Extended’ by Tom Vincent.

The new E class trams were also still being built – here we see one sticking out of the testing shed at the Bombardier factory in Dandenong.

Buses

Before double deckers took over the SkyBus fleet, they relied on long articulated buses – here we see one arriving back at Southern Cross Station from Melbourne Airport.

Horses

Who remembers when the Flinders Street end of Swanston Street used to stink of horse piss and be covered in shit? Thankfully that is a thing of the past, but a decade ago hose drawn carriages were still allowed in the CBD, travelling in each day from their stables off Arden Street in North Melbourne.

Their parking permits for Swanston Street were finally withdrawn in June 2017, then banned from the CBD altogether in 2022.

And some things never change

Grand Prix merchandise stalls blocking the main entrance to Southern Cross Station – it happened back in 2016, and it happened again this year.

Footnote

Here you can find the rest of my ‘photos from ten years ago‘ series, including a ten year old post from March 2006.

Post retrieved by 192.0.85.132 using wp.com feedbot/1.0 (+https://wp.com)

The post Photos from ten years ago: March 2016 appeared first on Waking up in Geelong.

The other week I saw a bus advertising Kittens strip club driving down St Kilda Road.

Complete with pictures of scantly clad women on the sides.

But my question was – who used to own the bus?

Well, I plugged the registration plate XW08RS into the VicRoads website – and got back vehicle identification number (VIN) YV31M2F16VA046181.

Registration number
XW08RS

Registration status & expiry date
Current – 02/10/2026

Year
1997

Make
VOLVO

Body type
BUS

VIN/Chassis
YV31M2F16VA046181

Compliance plate / RAV entry date
03/1997

And when I put that into my old friend Australian Bus Fleet Lists it brought up the former identity of the strip club bus – CDC Melbourne fleet number #74, previous registered 4873AO.

Time to search my photo gallery, and what do we find.

Yes, the very same bus.

My photos being from 2019, with the Fleet Lists website listing it’s withdrawal from CDC Melbourne service as May 2022.

And for those who don’t get the reference

The original “we’ve made a few… changes!” line from The Simpsons, episode S10E12 “Sunday, Cruddy Sunday“.

Post retrieved by 192.0.85.132 using wp.com feedbot/1.0 (+https://wp.com)

The post CDC Melbourne; we’ve made a few…changes! appeared first on Waking up in Geelong.

I wrote about heritage listed Kensington Glue Works last week and how the Metro Tunnel project demolished it, so now I’ll cover the rest of history of the site (which I cut out because the previous piece was already too long)

The story starts

The story starts way back in the 1870s, when the Kensington Glue Works was opened on the banks of the Saltwater River, which we now call the Maribyrnong, taking advantage of the river to dispose of their noxious waste. In the 1920s the site was acquired by Davis Gelatine to build a large gelatine and glue factory, which was approved in 1928 after opposition from the local community, with the buildings of red brick and a saw tooth asbestos cement sheet roof completed by 1930.

SLV image H91.160/272

The factory was visited during the 1985 Flemington & Kensington Conservation Study, and eventually added to the City of Melbourne heritage overlay as site HO239, Heritage Inventory number H7822-0623.

Graeme Butler, 1985 Flemington & Kensington Conservation Study

Graeme Butler, 1985 Flemington & Kensington Conservation Study

But in 1992 the factory closed and the site lay empty for a decade.

Google Earth, March 2006

Home to squatters, and a handful of rave events.

Until a fire ripped through the building in January 2007.

Artists living and working in a former glue factory in Kensington — along with a chicken — fled a fire that tore through the building early yesterday.

All that remained after the fire were the walls of the massive complex and the twisted, smoking remains of modern sculpture. Countless works of art and materials were also destroyed.

Up to a dozen people were left homeless and destitute by the fire, which is believed to have been caused by an electrical fault.

The damage to the Hobsons Road property, which once processed remains from a nearby abattoir, has been estimated at $500,000.”

“It’s a 100-year-old building and it just went up really fast and went into all the other warehouses. We just had to get out of there and watch it go.

“There are five of us living there permanently and now we’ve got nothing. There was no insurance on the (contents) or anything, so no one’s got anything. People have even lost their wallets.”

It took 70 firefighters 90 minutes to control the blaze, which caused thick smoke, possibly containing toxins from asbestos cement sheeting on the roof, to blanket the area. They were still hosing down the area 12 hours later.

It was initially feared that a woman living in a bus on the site had perished, but when firefighters broke down the door of the bus she was not inside. It is believed she had gone away for the week.

A neighbour, Christos Konospiris, said the factory was often used for parties and that it was lucky nobody died in the fire.

“The place gets used a lot for raves and dance parties. On New Year’s Eve there was one that went for two nights,” Mr Konospiris said.

“I’ve never been in there, but it looks like a fire trap. If this was to have happened at a different time it could have been terrible. I know the council’s aware, and the police, that there are dance parties going on there.”

The site is part of a larger cluster of ageing factories near the banks of the Maribyrnong River and has been the subject of a lengthy dispute between its owners, who want to develop it as a residential area, and Melbourne City Council.

The burnt out shell of the warehouse remained standing.

Google Earth, July 2007

Until it was demolished by June 2009.

But the remaining buildings remained, with one of them catching fire in June 2022.

Development plans

In 1998 the site was sold to sold to boxing promoter Brian Amatruda and his property development firm Hobsons Pty Ltd (ACN: 081525091), who lobbied the City of Melbourne to have the site rezoned for residential development.

The City of Melbourne was first approached regarding the options for redevelopment of part of the land in July 2000 and discussions commenced in relation to the whole of the land in June 2002.

A formal request to amend the planning scheme was lodged on 28 January 2003. The proposal sought to rezone the land at 1-89 Hobsons Road to the Mixed Use Zone and apply a Development Plan Overlay (DPO) and an Environmental Audit Overlay (EAO). The proposal was for a staged development for predominantly residential and some commercial uses. (800-1,000 dwellings were proposed.) It was proposed that the site be filled to address flooding. Council considered the amendment request on 26 February 2004 and resolved not to proceed.

The local Kensington Association objecting to it on the basis of overdevelopment.

• we have huge issues as a community with a vaguely drawn proposal that may house 800-1,000 dwellings;
• we are in the process of workshopping a Precinct Study which would feed into this process;
• believe the Committee should wait for the outcome of the Study before making a decision;
• from day one the option of 800-1,000 dwellings was unacceptable;
• believe medium density of 450 dwellings is still too much, but more workable;

The developers trying again on a number of occasions.

In November 2005, the proponent requested the re-zoning to Mixed Use Zone and development of the site (1-89 Hobsons Road) be reinitiated. In March 2006, officers were advised by the owner of Marathon Foods that the company did not intend to relocate from their current premises and that they would be objecting to the rezoning. As a result, the rezoning of the land to Mixed Use Zone was not supported.

But the City of Melbourne had made moves towards using the land for something other than industrial purposes.

Until 1999 the subject land was within an Industrial Zone. The new format Melbourne Planning Scheme rezoned this land to Business 3 Zone. The Municipal Strategic Statement at that time (City Plan 99) stated that to reconcile the new residential growth with old industrial uses, industrial uses along the Maribyrnong River were no longer appropriate. It also envisaged a shift of land use of the site to commercial, recreational and which would result in fewer amenity impacts on the neighbouring residential estate.

In February 2003, to assist the Council in its consideration of the future development of the site, the Planning, Development and Services Committee resolved to initiate the Kensington Community Action Plan and the Hobsons Road Built Form Review. The Hobsons Road Built Form Review developed a series of preferred heights for the site. Consultation during the development of the Hobsons Road Built Form Review indicated concerns over building heights – especially in relation to high rise development.

In December 2006, the Planning Committee responded to a Notice of Motion and resolved to commence the statutory process to re-zone the land at 1-89 Hobsons Road to Mixed Use Zone with overlay controls to ensure that public access is provided from Hobsons Road to the riverbank and that appropriate measures re taken to protect the amenity of future residents from industrial activities.

Culminating in the Hobsons Road Precinct Plan released in March 2008; which proposed that the industrial land be rezoned for residential and commercial uses, allowing for access to the Maribyrnong River, and reflecting the built form of the residential buildings in Kensington Banks.

Hobsons Road Precinct Plan

But accepting that the heritage buildings would probably be demolished as part of future development of the site.

Buildings and works must meet the following requirements of Melbourne Water to ensure that development is protected from flooding from the Maribyrnong River:

– To ensure compliance with the requirements of Melbourne Water, the owners of the land are required to fill the land at least to the applicable 1% ARI flood level.
– All buildings are to attain a finished floor level of a minimum of 600mm above the applicable 1% ARI flood level.

The retention of the chimney of the former glue factory at 1-39 Hobsons Road, Kensington is encouraged where possible.

A report recording the architectural and historical character of the heritage buildings presently on the land must be submitted to and approved by the Responsible Authority if they are to be demolished or altered.

More proposals

In 2007 a 45 warehouse unit and a five-storey office building development was proposed instead.

City of Melbourne planning committee report TP-2007-1228

Covering the entire site.

City of Melbourne planning committee report TP-2007-1228

But the application was refused outright in July 2008, as it did not comply with the council’s Hobsons Road Precinct Plan.

And later this even larger apartment development, renders for which can be found on the Omni Property Group website.

Omni Property Group render

And the Metro Tunnel

And now we are back at where we were last week – Metro Tunnel project acquiring the site, initially valued at $12 million in 2017, but the award varied to $22 million in 2023 when the compulsory acquisition deal was finalised.

Followed by the demolition of the deteriorating Kensington Glue Works buildings from January 2025.

And a new roof on the building retained on Hobsons Road.

Further reading

• Essendon Historical Society Newsletter August 2025
• City of Melbourne Hobsons Road Precinct Plan
• 2008 City of Melbourne planning scheme amendment report
• 2008 City of Melbourne planning application report
• Photos by 54 Ford Customline on Flickr
• Photos by proper dave on Flickr
• And a few more photos on Flickr

Post retrieved by 192.0.85.132 using wp.com feedbot/1.0 (+https://wp.com)

The post A short history of the Kensington Glue Works appeared first on Waking up in Geelong.

Last week I wrote about how the Metro Tunnel project was demolishing descoped elements near Springvale, but today we have the opposite – added scope leading to the project rebuilding – of all things – an abandoned glue factory!

The story starts

For decades the ‘Kensington Glue Works’ sat beside the Sunbury line tracks at South Kensington, heritage listed, but abandoned to squatters and urban explorers.

Having been burnt out by fire in January 2007.

Artists living and working in a former glue factory in Kensington — along with a chicken — fled a fire that tore through the building early yesterday.

All that remained after the fire were the walls of the massive complex and the twisted, smoking remains of modern sculpture. Countless works of art and materials were also destroyed.

Up to a dozen people were left homeless and destitute by the fire, which is believed to have been caused by an electrical fault.

The damage to the Hobsons Road property, which once processed remains from a nearby abattoir, has been estimated at $500,000.”

“It’s a 100-year-old building and it just went up really fast and went into all the other warehouses. We just had to get out of there and watch it go.

“There are five of us living there permanently and now we’ve got nothing. There was no insurance on the (contents) or anything, so no one’s got anything. People have even lost their wallets.”

It took 70 firefighters 90 minutes to control the blaze, which caused thick smoke, possibly containing toxins from asbestos cement sheeting on the roof, to blanket the area. They were still hosing down the area 12 hours later.

It was initially feared that a woman living in a bus on the site had perished, but when firefighters broke down the door of the bus she was not inside. It is believed she had gone away for the week.

A neighbour, Christos Konospiris, said the factory was often used for parties and that it was lucky nobody died in the fire.

“The place gets used a lot for raves and dance parties. On New Year’s Eve there was one that went for two nights,” Mr Konospiris said.

“I’ve never been in there, but it looks like a fire trap. If this was to have happened at a different time it could have been terrible. I know the council’s aware, and the police, that there are dance parties going on there.”

The site is part of a larger cluster of ageing factories near the banks of the Maribyrnong River and has been the subject of a lengthy dispute between its owners, who want to develop it as a residential area, and Melbourne City Council.

Enter the Metro Tunnel

The idea of building a north-south rail tunnel under the Melbourne CBD was floated back in the 2000s, but it until February 2015 for $40 million in funding to be allocated to establish the Melbourne Metro Rail Authority, and the finalisation of the design, with South Kensington chosen as the western portal.

This required the acquisition of a number of properties in the area to make way for the new tracks.

Melbourne Metro Rail Authority developed a Stakeholder Engagement Plan (Engagement Plan) in 2015 for all landowners and tenants where properties had been identified as likely to be required for acquisition (surface and strata) or temporary occupation for the Melbourne Metro project. The Engagement Plan outlined a range of engagement channels that would be used to ensure that all potentially affected landowners and tenants would be appropriately notified in a timely manner from early 2015 up to the formal announcement and identification of properties in October 2015.

One of the affected properties – 1-39 Hobsons Road, Kensington, better known as the former Kensington Glue Works.

Google Earth June 2009

Owned by a “colourful Melbourne identity” in the words of the Herald Sun.

A colourful Melbourne identity is suing his former business partner for a share of a $22 million Metro tunnel property deal.

Fedele D’Amico, 58, once the alleged target of a mafia kill plot, has lodged a claim in the Victorian County Court against fight promoter Brian Amatruda and his company, Melbourne Cup Pty Ltd.

The court claim alleges he was cut out of the sale of a former glue factory in Kensington.

Mr D’Amico says he is owed 10 per cent of the deal, estimated to be $2.2 million.

Mr Amatruda and another colleague had paid $650,000 in 1998 for land at 1-39 Hobsons Road Kensington in Melbourne’s inner north.

Two different designs were considered for the South Kensington portal:

There are two options for the location of the western tunnel portal, being the Concept Design (Option A) and the Alternative Design (Option B). Option A has the tunnel portal to the east of McClure Road, while Option B has the portal just west of Ormond Street opposite JJ Holland Reserve

The owners of the Hobsons Road site unhappy with how it would affect the future development plans.

Hobsons Pty Ltd and Karaoke Pty Ltd called Mr Clarke who submitted that a reduction in land available for redevelopment of their site at 1-39 Hobsons Road would reduce the number of housing units proposed for the site, and thus represent a loss of housing stock in the Kensington area, which he argued was contrary to planning policy.

On the other hand, Hobsons Pty Ltd and Karaoke Pty Ltd (S261) supported Option A on the basis that it limits the adverse consequences of the development on the land. Under the Design Concept, the subject land will be temporarily occupied as a work site, which the submitter accepted.

However, according to Mr Chiappi and the evidence of Mr Clarke, Option B is opposed because the land would be substantially affected by a loss of development potential. This they submitted, would result from Option B triggering partial acquisition of the land, negative impacts from the changed alignment of the railway line that Option B would bring, and relocation of major electricity infrastructure.

In the end Option B was approved in May 2019, with further design changes made following consultation.

Since the Plan was approved in 2019, RIA has continued to engage with key stakeholders and the local community as part of the design development process. Land at 1-3 Hobsons Road, Kensington and the adjacent railway corridor to the south were included as part of the amendment as a result of ongoing detailed design of the Western Portal precinct.

The design changes made as part of this amendment include:

• Inclusion of CER/SER buildings at 1-3 Hobsons Road
• Landscape and public realm design at 1-3 Hobsons Road
• Inclusion of floodplain management and protection works within the rail corridor south of 1-3 Hobsons Road

The land required on Hobsons Road initially valued at $12 million in 2017, but the award varied to $22 million in 2023, when the compulsory acquisition deal was finalised.

Work starts

Despite the compulsorily acquisition deal not being settled, early works commenced on the Hobsons Road site in October 2017, with the relocation of 220 kV high voltage transmission lines away from the future tracks.

A field of new pylons required as the active power lines were moved across from the old to the new towers.

Then in December 2018 the Hobsons Road site was paved over to serve as a temporary car park for South Kensington station, while the parking spaces along Childers Street were closed for works.

But the burnt out and abandoned Kensington Glue Works buildings were left there, hidden behind some brand new timber hoardings.

The next round of changes at the glue works started in May 2019, with a works compound established on the site.

Along with a temporary bridge over Kensington Road.

To service a bentonite facility – bentonite being a special kind of mud used to hold up deep trenches being dug in weak ground, such as those used to construct tunnel portals on constrained sites.

Special excavators digging down deep into the ground to form the future walls of the tunnel approach ramp.

But still the glue works sat in the background.

And ends

With tunnel completed by the end of 2020, the bentonite facility was dismantled and work started on the future signal equipment room beside Hobsons Road – raised above ground level to avoid flooding.

The building completed by May 2021.

And there things appear to have ended for the Kensington Glue Works – the worksite being cleared and demobilised in November 2021.

But after testing of the completed tunnel commenced in July 2023, an issue was found with the deigns of the traction power supply system at the western portal. These issues would be fixed with something called a “tie station”.

The new tie station will assist with the safe operation of the Metro Tunnel through the regulation of overhead power to the train system and allow for the continual running of trains in the case of an outage of one substation, maintenance or emergency purposes.

Work starting on the new building beside the existing signal equipment room at South Kensington in May 2025.

And the web of 1500 V DC power lines between it and the Sunbury line tracks connected by the end of the year.

Ready for the opening of the tunnel to passengers in November 2025.

And now scope creep

In January 2025 I travelled past the demobilised work site on Hobsons Road, and spotted something unexpected – a Metro Tunnel branded works notice stating “to ensure ongoing safety of the site, demolition works will be undertaken”.

The Metro Tunnel Western Portal Development Plan went into further detail on the proposed works – they had been approved a few years earlier.

RNA Western Portal Development Plan Amendment 2023

A minor amendment was undertaken for demolition works at 5-39 Hobsons Road, Kensington, formerly the Kensington Glue Works complex. These works were conducted as part of the Metro Tunnel Project to ensure that Project Land is safely handed back to the state of Victoria at the end of the Project. These works are deemed necessary to ensure the ongoing safety of the site and are undertaken in accordance with recommendations in structural and heritage reports commissioned by the Project.

As shown in Figure 2, the works included:
• Demolition of Buildings B, C and E including the steel and concrete chimney on Building C;
• Demolition of a non-original infill sections of brickwork at the north-eastern site entry walls along Hobsons Road;
• Repairs and replacement of the roof of Building F; and
• Surface works with crushed rock pavement to address level changes to make the site safe and accessible.
• No works proposed to building H

Along with a diagram showing the buildings to be demolished.

The reasoning why the Metro Tunnel project needed to do this work.

5-39 Hobsons Road forms part of the Hobsons Road mixed use precinct and will be returned to the landowner at the conclusion of the Project.

The demolition, roof replacement and surface works at 5-39 Hobsons Road are consistent with outcomes of the Metro Tunnel Urban Design Strategy which leaves the site in a condition with no added constraints to the future development potential of the site, beyond those existing at present.

Demolition of buildings at 5-39 Hobsons Road mitigates safety issues associated with the site and relinquishes opportunities for vandalism and illegal squatting. Perceived safety is enhanced through the absence of these dilapidated and deteriorating buildings, and the additional demolition works of the non-original infill wall located adjacent to Hobsons Road ensures passive surveillance can occur for the site.

Why it was suddenly an issue they needed to address.

These works were not originally anticipated as part of the Melbourne Metro Tunnel Project. However, the demolition, roof replacement and surface works are pertinent for the Metro Tunnel due to unforeseen circumstances and safety hazards inflicted by structural defects of these buildings, which are located in close proximity to Metro Tunnel workspaces as well as neighbouring properties along the carriageway.

And why it was considered an acceptable loss of heritage values.

Whilst the demolition of these buildings results in a loss of heritage values, the structural issues and Melbourne Planning Scheme provisions (which anticipates future development impacting on the heritage values of this site) make the demolition acceptable in this instance.

The retained buildings F and H to the Hobsons Road frontage have been protected from further deterioration with roof repairs and replacement works undertaken and removal of the non-original brick infill sections of the entry walls. These works enable the long-term conservation of the remaining heritage buildings and ensures a continued reference to the former industrial use heritage values to Hobsons Road streetscape.

Prior to demolition, archival photographic recordings of the buildings were undertaken in accordance with Heritage Victoria’s specification to record buildings of heritage significance. The photographic record is accompanied by a written history of the site and its operation as a Glue Works which is included as part of heritage interpretation strategy for the site. Recording the site and the interpretation strategy acknowledges and respect the history and heritage values of the place.

And demolition starts

January 2025 was the last time the Kensington Glue Works was still standing.

Google Earth, January 2025

Including the old steel chimney.

Removal of the asbestos roofing was the first stage of works.

Leaving an empty shell to demolish.

Ready for the excavators to roll in.

Leaving a pile of red brick rubble to remove.

With the site cleared by May 2025.

Remediation works then commenced on the retained Kensington Glue Works building facing Hobsons Road.

The tiles taken off, and rotten timber roof trusses replaced by new.

Ready for new tiles to go on the top.

And finished by February 2026.

In all, a bizarre conclusion to what was supposed to be a $12.8 billion project to build two single-track rail tunnels and five railway stations under the Melbourne CBD.

Sources

• Former Kensington Glue Works, Victorian Heritage Database
• Artists lose battle against early-morning blaze in old factory, The Age, 4 January 2007
• Fedele D’Amico suing Brian Amatruda for a share of a $22m Metro tunnel property deal, Herald Sun, 19 October 2025
• Melbourne Metro Rail Project Inquiry and Advisory Committee Report, 21 November 2016
• Metro Tunnel Western Portal Development Plan, 25 March 2025
• Metro Tunnel Kensington Community Reference Group Meeting 29, 13 March 2025
• https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/961236/MT-WP-building-retention-roof-replacement-Hobsons-Road-August-2025.pdf, August 2025

Post retrieved by 192.0.85.132 using wp.com feedbot/1.0 (+https://wp.com)

The post Metro Tunnel scope creep at the Kensington Glue Works appeared first on Waking up in Geelong.