![[EARLY VIDEO] Metro Tunnel Hot Takes](https://img5.xaiju.com/storage/6/sm/fi/d38796-019e8a7f-6ab9-770a-9ee2-d18af526146f.jpg)
[EARLY VIDEO] Metro Tunnel Hot Takes
Added 2026-01-04 23:23:05 +0000 UTCHello everyone, remember how I predicted this video would be about 40 minutes? (I guessed that just based on word count)
As promised, this is my extended thoughts on the metro tunnel, taking a more critical eye than in previous videos, but also pointing out a bunch of things I really like. This was filmed in one day (except for a handful of additional shots, you can tell because it's cloudy in those), written over two days and edited over 5 days. Definitely a record for a video of this length, but also not a pace I can normally maintain. Here's to a rare patch of hyper-focus.
There's also a solid 2 minutes talking about pigeons.
Hope you enjoy it!
Comments
Oh interesting! That confirms what I suspected, that the building it was on in 2017 was not the same location as 1927. Marcus has a close up of it at the later location: https://railgallery.wongm.com/melbourne-freight-terminals/arden-street-sidings/F118_3753.jpg.html
Taitset
2026-01-07 22:00:01 +0000 UTCRe G&MR tablet, just found this while looking for something else - https://prov.vic.gov.au/archive/565429FE-F7DD-11E9-AE98-3DFA0051865B?image=1
David Stosser
2026-01-07 16:23:44 +0000 UTCYes that would definitely be worth looking into!
Taitset
2026-01-07 04:13:42 +0000 UTCA few people have said this, but I'm a bit skeptical about how common that is beyond HCMTs. Just looking at any of my telephoto pictures, I can clearly see it on HCMTs just about every time, but no other Victorian steel car looks like that in the same conditions. Only possible exception is some Siemens cars, but it's extremely subtle, so hard to be sure. Most Comengs show a few battle scars, but I can't find any showing a consistent banana. Even H cars all look pretty much dead level after all these years. I've also never seen an example of a visible sag under load. I checked pictures of some other CRRC built EMUs, and can't find any others where it's so visible either.
Taitset
2026-01-07 04:13:28 +0000 UTCAlso, suggestion for a followup - go back to the original business case for MM1 and list the other projects associated with it, noting which ones actually happened? For example, the high capacity signalling is West Footscray to Clayton, but was supposed to be Watergardens to Dandenong (IIRC), and there were a range of other network improvements listed e.g. Upfield duplication.
David Stosser
2026-01-06 22:18:46 +0000 UTCRe door heights and banana-shaped carriages, that's an engineering thing. The carriages will be designed to flex with weight, so a loaded train will have the centre doors lower than an unloaded train. This is why the old timber carriages, particularly the PLs but also other classes, have that characteristic banana shape except when fully loaded.
David Stosser
2026-01-06 21:54:39 +0000 UTCDon't remind them that there aren't any glaring advertising screens at the main Parkville entrance. Before you know it they'll close the entrance for 2 months only to hang one from one from those concrete support beams.
helix28
2026-01-06 12:13:30 +0000 UTCReally insightful video as always, Martin. My main concern with Town Hall (and the other Metro Tunnel stations) is wayfinding consistency. After trains themselves, the core job of a station is moving large crowds efficiently. The best metro systems achieve this with strict, system-wide uniform signage and design, so commuters don’t hesitate or get confused. This feels like something Victoria should lock in now, with the intent to scale it network-wide (similar to NSW). A specific issue: Town Hall’s exit signage. Some signs reference Degraves Street as Exit 7, but much of the station only highlights three exits. That mismatch is the most confusing part of the Metro Tunnel wayfinding—especially for tourists and non-English speakers. P.S. Now that I think about it, I definitely waited for a Footscray bound train at the screen doors that were not in use at Town Hall Station.
Anthony A
2026-01-05 13:22:00 +0000 UTCThat is an extremely fun fact!
Taitset
2026-01-05 04:58:00 +0000 UTCInteresting!
Taitset
2026-01-05 04:57:47 +0000 UTCI guess any steeper and it would have had to have escalators. But yeah, it is quite long and steep.
Taitset
2026-01-05 04:57:37 +0000 UTCAbsolutely. :)
Taitset
2026-01-05 04:56:41 +0000 UTCIt was similar for me, I didn't realise they looked the same until I first went into State Library.. and suddenly found myself in 'another' Town Hall.
Taitset
2026-01-05 04:56:23 +0000 UTCFun fact, the slideshow used in the elevators shown at 10:50 are used at other stations, just not in the regular elevators. The goods lifts and evacuation lifts have the exact same slideshow of Arden (even though 4/5 of those stations are not, in fact, Arden)
Ashley Abud
2026-01-05 04:49:34 +0000 UTCInteresting about the via town hall. At Footscray, the announcement said "via town hall". Then five minutes later said "via the metro tunnel" for the same train. This has happened multiple times
Dylan Shadowstar
2026-01-05 02:19:38 +0000 UTCQuestion from me, anyone know why the pedestrian tunnel between Town Hall and Flinders St (to Campbell Arcade) is so steep? Being underground (no ventilation) I think I even broke a bit of a sweat walking up the hill. Wondering how accessible it is if you're in a wheelchair...
Lucas Azzola
2026-01-05 01:59:48 +0000 UTCas someone who rides frequent old underground trains subways and light rails those stations dont have character. Every video on this tunnel needs to end with an escaltor shot
Lynx
2026-01-05 01:59:07 +0000 UTCThanks Martin. Great video. And as much as I am in awe of these new stations and what they will mean to PT in Melbourne, colours and signage are terrible. Did they take nothing from the loop? Beige - Flagstaff. Orange - Museum (Melbourne Central) and Blue - Parliament. It's not rocket science. My first encounter with State Library Station was amazing and I was so impressed with its striking design elements. But that evaporated immediately once I got to Town Hall to see a virtually identical station at platform level with the same colour combo.
Bill Mathews
2026-01-05 01:49:36 +0000 UTC
