Misplaced Pages

#759240

111-460: The City Loop (originally called the Melbourne Underground Rail Loop or MURL ) is a piece of underground commuter rail infrastructure in the central business district (CBD) of Melbourne , Victoria , Australia. The loop includes three underground stations: Flagstaff , Melbourne Central (formerly Museum) and Parliament . The loop connects to Melbourne's two busiest stations, Flinders Street and Southern Cross , and together with

222-425: A body of water), which are potential congestion sites but also offer an opportunity for transfers between lines. Ring lines provide good coverage, connect between the radial lines and serve tangential trips that would otherwise need to cross the typically congested core of the network. A rough grid pattern can offer a wide variety of routes while still maintaining reasonable speed and frequency of service. A study of

333-454: A code for its stations. Unlike that of Singapore's MRT, it is mostly numbers. Based on the line number, for example Sinyongsan station, is coded as station 429. Being on Line 4, the first number of the station code is 4. The last two numbers are the station number on that line. Interchange stations can have multiple codes. Like City Hall station in Seoul which is served by Line 1 and Line 2. It has

444-651: A code of 132 and 201 respectively. The Line 2 is a circle line and the first stop is City Hall, therefore, City Hall has the station code of 201. For lines without a number like Bundang line it will have an alphanumeric code. Lines without a number that are operated by KORAIL will start with the letter 'K'. With widespread use of the Internet and cell phones globally, transit operators now use these technologies to present information to their users. In addition to online maps and timetables, some transit operators now offer real-time information which allows passengers to know when

555-583: A conventional track is often provided in case of flat tires and for switching . There are also some rubber-tired systems that use a central guide rail , such as the Sapporo Municipal Subway and the NeoVal system in Rennes , France. Advocates of this system note that it is much quieter than conventional steel-wheeled trains, and allows for greater inclines given the increased traction of

666-405: A dedicated right-of-way are typically used only outside dense areas, since they create a physical barrier in the urban fabric that hinders the flow of people and vehicles across their path and have a larger physical footprint. This method of construction is the cheapest as long as land values are low. It is often used for new systems in areas that are planned to fill up with buildings after the line

777-722: A different approach, with additional platforms at the Flinders Street / Princes Bridge station complex to be built over two levels, along with a connection to an underground City Railway. The Victorian Railways promoted another route in 1950 as part of the Operation Phoenix rehabilitation plan, the line running from Richmond towards Jolimont station , under the Fitzroy Gardens and Lonsdale Street then turning north to North Melbourne station . A branch line turned north from William Street , and went through

888-526: A ladies' waiting room. The main booking office, waiting room and station master's office were near the ramp to Platform 1, and the men's toilets and porters' offices were located under the ramps themselves. In December 1973, the suburban train stabling yard to the north of the station opened, as part of the City Loop project. The footbridge that links the sidings with the Macaulay maintenance centre

999-418: A large number of factors, including geographical barriers, existing or expected travel patterns, construction costs, politics, and historical constraints. A transit system is expected to serve an area of land with a set of lines , which consist of shapes summarized as "I", "L", "U", "S", and "O" shapes or loops. Geographical barriers may cause chokepoints where transit lines must converge (for example, to cross

1110-652: A large part of the network, for example, in outer suburbs, runs at ground level. In most of Britain , a subway is a pedestrian underpass . The terms Underground and Tube are used for the London Underground . The North East England Tyne and Wear Metro , mostly overground, is known as the Metro . In Scotland , the Glasgow Subway underground rapid transit system is known as the Subway . In Ireland ,

1221-452: A line is obtained by multiplying the car capacity, the train length, and the service frequency . Heavy rapid transit trains might have six to twelve cars, while lighter systems may use four or fewer. Cars have a capacity of 100 to 150 passengers, varying with the seated to standing ratio  – more standing gives higher capacity. The minimum time interval between trains is shorter for rapid transit than for mainline railways owing to

SECTION 10

#1732772140760

1332-615: A metro. In Spain, such systems are present in Madrid , Barcelona , Bilbao and Valencia . In Portugal, Lisbon has a metro. The Italian cities of Catania , Genoa , Milan , Naples , Rome and Turin also have metro lines. In Germany and Austria they rapid transit is known as U-Bahn , which are often supported by S-Bahn systems. In Germany, U-Bahn systems exist in Berlin , Hamburg , Munich and Nuremberg , while in Austria such

1443-763: A new cross-city rail corridor, upgrading and connecting the Pakenham and Cranbourne lines in Melbourne's south-east to the Sunbury line in Melbourne's north-west. Once complete the Cranbourne, Pakenham and Sunbury lines will be taken out of the City Loop, allowing for an increase in services on the Craigieburn and Upfield lines. The Frankston line will be returned to the City Loop and have dedicated use in

1554-466: A rapid transit setting. North Melbourne railway station North Melbourne railway station is a commuter and regional railway station on the suburban Craigieburn , Flemington Racecourse , Sunbury , Upfield , Werribee and Williamstown lines; and the regional Seymour line, part of the Melbourne and Victorian railway networks. It serves the inner north-western suburb of West Melbourne , in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. North Melbourne

1665-565: A specialized transit police may be established. These security measures are normally integrated with measures to protect revenue by checking that passengers are not travelling without paying. Some subway systems, such as the Beijing Subway , which is ranked by Worldwide Rapid Transit Data as the "World's Safest Rapid Transit Network" in 2015, incorporates airport-style security checkpoints at every station. Rapid transit systems have been subject to terrorism with many casualties, such as

1776-608: A system exists in Vienna . In addition, the small, car-free town of Serfaus in the Austrian state of Tyrol also features a short U-Bahn line. There are no U-Bahn systems in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, but the city of Lausanne has its own, small metro system. In Zurich, Switzerland's largest city, a project for a U-Bahn network was stopped by a referendum in the 1970s and instead its S-Bahn system

1887-487: Is a ground level premium station and major junction, featuring six platforms: two side platforms , and two island platforms with two faces each. It opened on 6 October 1859, with the current station provided in 2009. The station is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register . The first railway through the site of North Melbourne station was today's Williamstown line , and the first section of

1998-801: Is a shortened reference to a metropolitan area . Rapid transit systems such as the Washington Metrorail , Los Angeles Metro Rail , the Miami Metrorail , and the Montreal Metro are generally called the Metro . In Philadelphia , the term "El" is used for the Market–Frankford Line which runs mostly on an elevated track, while the term "subway" applies to the Broad Street Line which is almost entirely underground. Chicago 's commuter rail system that serves

2109-608: Is a single corporate image for the entire transit authority, but the rapid transit uses its own logo that fits into the profile. A transit map is a topological map or schematic diagram used to show the routes and stations in a public transport system. The main components are color-coded lines to indicate each line or service, with named icons to indicate stations. Maps may show only rapid transit or also include other modes of public transport. Transit maps can be found in transit vehicles, on platforms , elsewhere in stations, and in printed timetables . Maps help users understand

2220-506: Is built. Most rapid transit trains are electric multiple units with lengths from three to over ten cars. Crew sizes have decreased throughout history, with some modern systems now running completely unstaffed trains. Other trains continue to have drivers, even if their only role in normal operation is to open and close the doors of the trains at stations. Power is commonly delivered by a third rail or by overhead wires . The whole London Underground network uses fourth rail and others use

2331-416: Is necessary, rolling stock with a smaller loading gauge from one sub network may be transported along other lines that use larger trains. On some networks such operations are part of normal services. Most rapid transit systems use conventional standard gauge railway track . Since tracks in subway tunnels are not exposed to rain , snow , or other forms of precipitation , they are often fixed directly to

SECTION 20

#1732772140760

2442-555: Is referred to simply as "the subway", despite 40% of the system running above ground. The term "L" or "El" is not used for elevated lines in general as the lines in the system are already designated with letters and numbers. The "L" train or L (New York City Subway service) refers specifically to the 14th Street–Canarsie Local line, and not other elevated trains. Similarly, the Toronto Subway is referred to as "the subway", with some of its system also running above ground. These are

2553-420: Is served by Craigieburn , Sunbury , Upfield , Werribee and Williamstown line trains, as well as V/Line Seymour and Shepparton line services. The main station entrance is at the southern end of the platforms, at the intersection of Adderley and Dryburgh Streets. The station building contains the main booking office, public toilets and a kiosk , with platform access via escalators and lifts. At

2664-412: Is serviced by at least one specific route with trains stopping at all or some of the line's stations. Most systems operate several routes, and distinguish them by colors, names, numbering, or a combination thereof. Some lines may share track with each other for a portion of their route or operate solely on their own right-of-way. Often a line running through the city center forks into two or more branches in

2775-580: Is still used partially as an alternative form of transport in cases where some lines are temporarily shut down. The Northern group consists of the Craigieburn, Sunbury, and Upfield lines. Services operate clockwise on weekday mornings and weekends and operate anti-clockwise during weekday afternoons and evenings. On 31 January 2021, there were major changes to the Northern and Caulfield group tunnels. Prior to this, Werribee services also operated through

2886-748: Is the most commonly used term for underground rapid transit systems used by non-native English speakers. Rapid transit systems may be named after the medium by which passengers travel in busy central business districts ; the use of tunnels inspires names such as subway , underground , Untergrundbahn ( U-Bahn ) in German, or the Tunnelbana (T-bana) in Swedish. The use of viaducts inspires names such as elevated ( L or el ), skytrain , overhead , overground or Hochbahn in German. One of these terms may apply to an entire system, even if

2997-627: The Dublin Area Rapid Transit is despite the name considered a commuter rail due to usage of mainline railways. In France, large cities, such as Paris , Marseille and Lyon , feature a Métro . Also the smaller cities of Lille Rennes have a light metro. Furthermore, Brussels in Belgium, and Amsterdam and Rotterdam in the Netherlands have metro systems in place. Several Southern European contries also have

3108-543: The Eddington Transport Report in 2008 as a way to increase the central city's rail capacity. The tunnel involves the construction of five new underground stations at Arden , Parkville , State Library , Town Hall and Anzac . There will be direct underground pedestrian interchanges with City Loop and other metropolitan services at State Library with Melbourne Central station, and at Town Hall with Flinders Street station. This Metro Tunnel will create

3219-654: The Flagstaff Gardens . In 1954 the Melbourne & Metropolitan Board of Works released their Planning Scheme for Melbourne report, which included the Richmond – North Melbourne Lonsdale Street route. A Parliamentary Committee on Public Works reported favourably on a city loop in 1954, and in 1958 a City Underground Railway Committee was appointed by the Transport Minister . It stated bluntly that

3330-636: The Flinders Street Viaduct forms a ring of four individual tracks around the CBD. Eleven metropolitan lines of the Melbourne rail network run through the City Loop, organised into four separate groups, the Burnley/City Circle, Caulfield, Clifton Hill, and Northern groups. Each group has its own dedicated single-track tunnel, with trains running on balloon loops around the CBD. The Loop follows La Trobe and Spring Streets along

3441-752: The Hudson and Manhattan Railroad K-series cars from 1958, the New York City Subway R38 and R42 cars from the late-1960s, and the Nagoya Municipal Subway 3000 series , Osaka Municipal Subway 10 series and MTR M-Train EMUs from the 1970s, were generally only made possible largely due to the relatively generous loading gauges of these systems and also adequate open-air sections to dissipate hot air from these air conditioning units. Especially in some rapid transit systems such as

City Loop - Misplaced Pages Continue

3552-554: The Jolimont Yard rationalisation. On 19 July 1996, North Melbourne was upgraded to a premium station . In May 2006, it was announced that the station was to be redeveloped as part of a $ 36 million project. Work included a new main entrance at the up (southern) end of the station, with escalators , stairs and lifts installed for quicker access to other platforms and to cater for disabled passengers. Work started in May 2007, and

3663-429: The London Underground . In 1868, New York opened the elevated West Side and Yonkers Patent Railway , initially a cable-hauled line using stationary steam engines . As of 2021 , China has the largest number of rapid transit systems in the world  – 40 in number, running on over 4,500 km (2,800 mi) of track – and was responsible for most of the world's rapid-transit expansion in

3774-527: The Melbourne, Mount Alexander and Murray River Railway Company line (to Sunbury ), which both opened on 13 January 1859. On 6 October 1859, the first passenger station, with two platforms, was opened, and on 9 June 1886, the present six-platform station opened. The new station was of free classical architecture. Red brick was used, with cream brick banding, along with verandas and cast iron lace work. As built in 1886, North Melbourne had six platforms, with four platform buildings containing ladies' toilets and

3885-740: The Metropolitan Railway opened publicly in London in 1863. High capacity monorails with larger and longer trains can be classified as rapid transit systems. Such monorail systems recently started operating in Chongqing and São Paulo . Light metro is a subclass of rapid transit that has the speed and grade separation of a "full metro" but is designed for smaller passenger numbers. It often has smaller loading gauges, lighter train cars and smaller consists of typically two to four cars. Light metros are typically used as feeder lines into

3996-578: The Montreal Metro (opened 1966) and Sapporo Municipal Subway (opened 1971), their entirely enclosed nature due to their use of rubber-tyred technology to cope with heavy snowfall experienced by both cities in winter precludes any air-conditioning retrofits of rolling stock due to the risk of heating the tunnels to temperatures that would be too hot for passengers and for train operations. In many cities, metro networks consist of lines operating different sizes and types of vehicles. Although these sub-networks may not often be connected by track, in cases when it

4107-604: The Parliament of Victoria . The station has interchanges with three tram routes on Nicholson Street and two tram routes on Macarthur Street. Melbourne Central opened in 1981 as Museum Station. The station received its original name from the Melbourne Museum , which was located within the State Library of Victoria . The station's name was changed in 1997 to Melbourne Central following the 1991 redevelopment of

4218-589: The Prague Metro . The London Underground and Paris Métro are densely built systems with a matrix of crisscrossing lines throughout the cities. The Chicago 'L' has most of its lines converging on The Loop , the main business, financial, and cultural area. Some systems have a circular line around the city center connecting to radially arranged outward lines, such as the Moscow Metro 's Koltsevaya Line and Beijing Subway 's Line 10 . The capacity of

4329-685: The Singapore MRT , Changi Airport MRT station has the alphanumeric code CG2, indicating its position as the 2nd station on the Changi Airport branch of the East West Line. Interchange stations have at least two codes, for example, Raffles Place MRT station has two codes, NS26 and EW14, the 26th station on the North South Line and the 14th station on the East West Line. The Seoul Metro is another example that utilizes

4440-673: The Upfield line . Reconfiguration would allow both lines to run more services, and allow more frequent services on the Glen Waverley and Frankston lines. Infrastructure Victoria envisioned Glen Waverley and Alamein services running through to the Upfield line via the Flinders Street Viaduct and Frankston services running through to the Craigieburn line via the reconfigured City Loop track pair, which differs from

4551-450: The deep tube lines . Historically, rapid transit trains used ceiling fans and openable windows to provide fresh air and piston-effect wind cooling to riders. From the 1950s to the 1990s (and in most of Europe until the 2000s), many rapid transit trains from that era were also fitted with forced-air ventilation systems in carriage ceiling units for passenger comfort. Early rapid transit rolling stock fitted with air conditioning , such as

City Loop - Misplaced Pages Continue

4662-409: The linear motor for propulsion. Some urban rail lines are built to a loading gauge as large as that of main-line railways ; others are built to a smaller one and have tunnels that restrict the size and sometimes the shape of the train compartments. One example is most of the London Underground , which has acquired the informal term "tube train" due to the cylindrical shape of the trains used on

4773-432: The 15 world largest subway systems suggested a universal shape composed of a dense core with branches radiating from it. Rapid transit operators have often built up strong brands , often focused on easy recognition – to allow quick identification even in the vast array of signage found in large cities – combined with the desire to communicate speed, safety, and authority. In many cities, there

4884-401: The 1980s, with Melbourne Central being the oldest, opening in 1981, and Flagstaff the last to open in 1985. Each railway station features four tracks with two island platforms stacked on top of each other. Parliament station opened in 1983 and serves the eastern end of the CBD. The station has entrances on Lonsdale Street and on Macarthur Street. The station gets its name from its proximity to

4995-488: The 1995 Tokyo subway sarin gas attack and the 2005 " 7/7 " terrorist bombings on the London Underground. Some rapid transport trains have extra features such as wall sockets, cellular reception, typically using a leaky feeder in tunnels and DAS antennas in stations, as well as Wi-Fi connectivity. The first metro system in the world to enable full mobile phone reception in underground stations and tunnels

5106-621: The 2010s. The world's longest single-operator rapid transit system by route length is the Shanghai Metro . The world's largest single rapid transit service provider by number of stations (472 stations in total) is the New York City Subway . The busiest rapid transit systems in the world by annual ridership are the Shanghai Metro, Tokyo subway system , Seoul Metro and the Moscow Metro . The term Metro

5217-532: The 21st century, most new expansions and systems are located in Asia, with China becoming the world's leader in metro expansion, operating some of the largest and busiest systems while possessing almost 60 cities that are operating, constructing or planning a rapid transit system . Rapid transit is used for local transport in cities , agglomerations , and metropolitan areas to transport large numbers of people often short distances at high frequency . The extent of

5328-507: The Caulfield tunnel, while Sandringham line trains will run through to Williamstown and Werribee via the Flinders Street Viaduct . The Network Development Plan – Metropolitan Rail in 2012 proposed reconfiguring the City Loop. Once complete, the reconfiguration would help the network to run seven independent lines with dedicated access in the CBD. The proposal was again included in the 30-year Infrastructure Strategy for 2021–2051 from

5439-455: The City Loop and are organised into four separate groups: Burnley, Caulfield, Clifton Hill, and Northern. Each group has its own dedicated single track tunnel, and carries several lines. The Alamein, Belgrave, Craigieburn, Cranbourne, Glen Waverley, Hurstbridge, Lilydale, Mernda, Pakenham, Sunbury, and Upfield lines all run through the loop, although some services run direct to Flinders Street station. Stopping patterns alternate during weekdays on

5550-479: The City Loop on weekday mornings and will instead travel direct to Flinders Street. During the afternoon peak Alamein and Blackburn services run direct to and from Flinders Street, while on weekends all Alamein services terminate at Camberwell and thus do not travel via the City Loop. Prior to 2011, Glen Waverley trains operated via the City Loop during morning peak, while Alamein and Blackburn services operated direct to Flinders Street. The Caulfield group consists of

5661-535: The City Loop. After December 2013, V/Line Geelong and Warrnambool services no longer stopped at the station, due to the opening of the first section of the Regional Rail Link (RRL) between Southern Cross and South Kensington . The line runs to the west of North Melbourne, but no platforms were provided. On 11 July 2014, Ballarat , Ararat , Bendigo , Swan Hill and Echuca line services also ceased stopping at North Melbourne, having moved to

SECTION 50

#1732772140760

5772-662: The Melbourne Underground Rail Loop Act 1970 was introduced into parliament by Transport Minister Vernon Wilcox , and the Melbourne Underground Rail Loop Authority (MURLA) was created on 1 January 1971 to oversee the construction and operation of the loop. The City of Melbourne , the Melbourne & Metropolitan Board of Works and the Victorian Railways all made annual contributions to support

5883-544: The Metro Tunnel opens in 2025, Pakenham and Cranbourne services will be pulled out of the loop and instead will operate to Sunbury. Frankston services will return to the loop in the Caulfield group tunnel. The Clifton Hill group consists of the Hurstbridge and Mernda lines. The line was the first to operate in a consistent direction all day. All services on the group operate in a clockwise direction all day, entering

5994-633: The Mines Department in 1961, but no funding was provided. Throughout the next few years many proposals were made for providing more car parking in the city, so in 1963 the Government set up the Metropolitan Transportation Committee to look at both road and rail transport . It released a report in 1965 that included the same rail plan as the 1960 Act. Following the 1969 Melbourne Transportation Plan ,

6105-643: The Northern and Burnley Groups, with trains switching directions during the day, whereas on the Clifton Hill and Caulfield groups stopping patterns remain consistent all day. The Burnley group consists of the Belgrave, Lilydale, Alamein, and Glen Waverley railway lines. The line is one of two that change operations in the middle of the day. Trains operate anti-clockwise through the loop during weekday mornings and clockwise during weekday afternoons and weekends. Citybound trains from Glen Waverley will not travel via

6216-626: The Pakenham and Cranbourne lines. The line operates anti-clockwise through the City Loop all day, entering the Loop at Parliament and leaving at Flinders Street. Major changes were made to the Northern and Caulfield group tunnels in 2021. Previously, the Frankston and Sandringham lines also operated via the Caulfield tunnel. Services also operated clockwise during weekday afternoons while running anti-clockwise during weekday mornings and weekends. When

6327-682: The RRL tracks. In November 2017, the Victorian State Government announced that North Melbourne would be renamed West Melbourne, to better reflect its geographical location, and to allow one of the new stations constructed as part of the Metro Tunnel project to be named North Melbourne. The change was abandoned in 2020, with the Metro Tunnel station being named Arden instead. North Melbourne has six platforms: two side platforms and two island platforms with four faces. It

6438-769: The Western end of the CBD. The station owes its name because of its proximity to Flagstaff Gardens , which is just north of the station. The station features two entrances on the William / La Trobe street intersection. The station interchanges with two tram routes on Latrobe Street and two tram routes on William Street Rapid transit Modern services on rapid transit systems are provided on designated lines between stations typically using electric multiple units on railway tracks . Some systems use guided rubber tires , magnetic levitation ( maglev ), or monorail . The stations typically have high platforms, without steps inside

6549-414: The aim of the loop was not just to relieve crowding at Flinders Street, but to win back patronage from private cars , and if it did not then the project was a waste of time and resources. The plan included four stations, being cut to the present three by the elimination of one under Latrobe Street. The 'City of Melbourne Underground Railway Construction Act' was passed in 1960, and test bores were sunk by

6660-478: The beginning of rapid transit. Initial experiences with steam engines, despite ventilation, were unpleasant. Experiments with pneumatic railways failed in their extended adoption by cities. In 1890, the City & South London Railway was the first electric-traction rapid transit railway, which was also fully underground. Prior to opening, the line was to be called the "City and South London Subway", thus introducing

6771-486: The city at Flinders Street and leaving after Parliament. Prior to 2008, services operated anti-clockwise during weekday mornings similar to the Burnley Group. From 2008 to 2013 services ran clockwise on weekdays and anti-clockwise on weekends. The main reason for the current operational direction is because of the flat junction at Jolimont , which prevents inbound trains from running anti-clockwise without crossing

SECTION 60

#1732772140760

6882-441: The city rather than travelling around the City Loop, and would free up a pair of tracks between Flinders Street station and Southern Cross on the Flinders Street Viaduct for a second cross-city route. According to Infrastructure Victoria, the project would deliver two-thirds of the capacity uplift of the Metro Tunnel for a fraction of the cost. The main purpose of reconfiguring the City Loop is to allow more services to operate across

6993-632: The city's tram network already covered the CBD extensively, trams are not as efficient as trains when bringing large numbers of commuters into the city. Plans for an underground city railway in Melbourne are almost as old as electrification of the network itself. In 1929, the Metropolitan Town Planning Commission released a report recommending an underground city bypass from Richmond to North Melbourne stations via Exhibition and Victoria streets. The 1940 Victorian Railways Ashworth Improvement Plan recommended

7104-436: The collapse of the contractor while works were underway. The cost ballooned from an estimated $ 43 million in 2014 to $ 469 million in 2023. Construction began in 2017 on the Metro Tunnel, a new heavy rail tunnel through the Melbourne central business district designed to relieve congestion on the City Loop tunnels. The 9 km (5.6 mi) dual tunnels are set to open by 2025. The north-south tunnels were first recommended by

7215-414: The display of the transit network. Often this has the effect of compressing the distance between stations in the outer area of the system, and expanding distances between those close to the center. Some systems assign unique alphanumeric codes to each of their stations to help commuters identify them, which briefly encodes information about the line it is on, and its position on the line. For example, on

7326-434: The entire metropolitan area is called Metra (short for Met ropolitan Ra il), while its rapid transit system that serves the city is called the "L" . Boston's subway system is known locally as "The T". In Atlanta , the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority goes by the acronym "MARTA." In the San Francisco Bay Area , residents refer to Bay Area Rapid Transit by its acronym "BART". The New York City Subway

7437-402: The floor rather than resting on ballast , such as normal railway tracks. An alternate technology, using rubber tires on narrow concrete or steel roll ways , was pioneered on certain lines of the Paris Métro and Mexico City Metro , and the first completely new system to use it was in Montreal , Canada. On most of these networks, additional horizontal wheels are required for guidance, and

7548-460: The flow was imbalanced and a number of trains were required to reverse their direction. The Epping and Hurstbridge lines stood alone from the rest of the network, having Princes Bridge station for their own exclusive use. Several plans had been proposed over the preceding decades to alleviate the bottleneck . The one that was adopted was the building of a circular railway allowing trains to continue past Flinders Street, loop around and return to

7659-401: The four track Flinders Street Viaduct beside the Yarra River . The suburban terminus of Flinders Street had become seriously congested by the 1970s, with a throughput of only ten trains per platform per hour (roughly 1,700 trains a day) — compared to a maximum of 24 if there was through running. Many trains were through routed from the southern and eastern suburbs to the north and west, but

7770-454: The independent government advisory body Infrastructure Victoria , as recommendation 60. The project would see up to 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) of new tunnel built, creating new entrances to the existing City Loop tunnels. Two of the four City Loop tunnels would be 'split' from the loop, and run as an independent pair of underground cross-city tracks from Richmond station to North Melbourne station . This would allow more trains to pass through

7881-439: The interconnections between different parts of the system; for example, they show the interchange stations where passengers can transfer between lines. Unlike conventional maps, transit maps are usually not geographically accurate, but emphasize the topological connections among the different stations. The graphic presentation may use straight lines and fixed angles, and often a fixed minimum distance between stations, to simplify

7992-602: The lines of the Lyon Metro includes a section of rack (cog) railway , while the Carmelit , in Haifa, is an underground funicular . For elevated lines, another alternative is the monorail , which can be built either as straddle-beam monorails or as a suspended monorail . While monorails have never gained wide acceptance outside Japan, there are some such as Chongqing Rail Transit 's monorail lines which are widely used in

8103-496: The loop all-day, every day. In January 2023, the City Loop and its three stations were closed for two weeks to allow for major safety upgrades to the stations and tunnels. The works will upgrade smoke detection systems, extraction systems, fire detection, fire hydrants, CCTV, and intruder-detection systems. The upgrade was originally started under the Napthine Liberal government in 2014 and was significantly delayed after

8214-571: The loop during weekends, but the line was rerouted to operate to Frankston to increase service reliability on both the Cross-City and Northern groups. In 2025, Sunbury services will cease operation in the City Loop and will instead connect with the Pakenham and Cranbourne lines via the new Metro Tunnel, allowing greater service frequency on the Craigieburn and Upfield lines. The City Loop has three underground railway stations at Parliament, Melbourne Central, and Flagstaff. The stations were opened in

8325-445: The loop on 31 October 1982. Parliament station opened on 22 January 1983, the Northern tunnel on 7 January 1985 (14 January 1985 with limited services) and Flagstaff station on 27 May 1985. In 2021, seven-car High Capacity Metro Trains were introduced to the City Loop on the Caulfield tunnel. As part of that, signalling infrastructure was altered and operations of the Caulfield loop were changed to run consistently anti-clockwise around

8436-557: The main rapid transit system. For instance, the Wenhu Line of the Taipei Metro serves many relatively sparse neighbourhoods and feeds into and complements the high capacity metro lines. Some systems have been built from scratch, others are reclaimed from former commuter rail or suburban tramway systems that have been upgraded, and often supplemented with an underground or elevated downtown section. Ground-level alignments with

8547-401: The morning and the other way in the afternoon. The City Loop has four tracks on two levels and all stations have four platforms. The four tunnels have portals on both the eastern and western ends of the city centre. The Burnley and Caulfield tunnels run mostly parallel to each other, beginning at Richmond and ending at Southern Cross. The Clifton Hill tunnel's Western End begins at Southern Cross;

8658-418: The network map "readable" by illiterate people, this system has since become an "icon" of the system. Compared to other modes of transport, rapid transit has a good safety record, with few accidents. Rail transport is subject to strict safety regulations , with requirements for procedure and maintenance to minimize risk. Head-on collisions are rare due to use of double track, and low operating speeds reduce

8769-526: The network using existing infrastructure. Infrastructure Victoria in its 30-year strategy argued the Craigieburn metropolitan line , the Shepparton regional line and the Seymour regional line would reach capacity in the 2030s, and the City Loop would be heavily congested by 2036. After the Metro Tunnel opens, services would still be constrained by the Craigieburn line sharing a single City Loop track with

8880-402: The next vehicle will arrive, and expected travel times. The standardized GTFS data format for transit information allows many third-party software developers to produce web and smartphone app programs which give passengers customized updates regarding specific transit lines and stations of interest. Mexico City Metro uses a unique pictogram for each station. Originally intended to help make

8991-443: The north end, the original asphalt ramps link all six platforms, with Platforms 2 through to 6 having heritage-listed verandas and brick waiting rooms. At the north end of the station are 1970s-era brown brick buildings, built over the former Dynon Road overpass, which include public toilets and the former railway parcels office. Until November 2009, that building was also the main exit to Ireland Street and Railway Place, and contained

9102-405: The northern and eastern edges of the CBD's street grid. Although concepts for an underground railway had been raised since the 1920s, planning was not seriously progressed until the 1960s. The 1970 Melbourne Underground Rail Loop Act finalised the design and established an authority to oversee construction of the project. Tunnelling works began in 1972 and the Loop commenced operation in 1981 with

9213-958: The occurrence and severity of rear-end collisions and derailments . Fire is more of a danger underground, such as the King's Cross fire in London in November 1987, which killed 31 people. Systems are generally built to allow evacuation of trains at many places throughout the system. High platforms , usually over 1 meter / 3 feet, are a safety risk, as people falling onto the tracks have trouble climbing back. Platform screen doors are used on some systems to eliminate this danger. Rapid transit facilities are public spaces and may suffer from security problems: petty crimes , such as pickpocketing and baggage theft, and more serious violent crimes , as well as sexual assaults on tightly packed trains and platforms. Security measures include video surveillance , security guards , and conductors . In some countries

9324-603: The only two North American systems that are primarily called "subways". In most of Southeast Asia and in Taiwan , rapid transit systems are primarily known by the acronym MRT . The meaning varies from one country to another. In Indonesia , the acronym stands for Moda Raya Terpadu or Integrated Mass [Transit] Mode in English. In the Philippines , it stands for Metro Rail Transit . Two underground lines use

9435-500: The opening of Museum station, now Melbourne Central. The loop was fully complete in 1985 with the opening of Flagstaff station. A new CBD rail tunnel, the Metro Tunnel , is currently under construction to relieve pressure on the City Loop, and when it opens in 2025 will see the Pakenham , Cranbourne and Sunbury metropolitan lines removed from the loop. Before the City Loop was constructed, Flinders Street and Spencer Street (now called Southern Cross ) stations were connected only by

9546-560: The operating costs of the authority. An unsuccessful request for funding was made to the Federal Government. The project was financed using debentures , with the State Government paying 60% of the cost and a special city levy from 1963 funding the remainder. The levy was supposed to be in place for forty years (until 2003), but was ended in 1995. A consortium of four engineering companies was established to construct

9657-399: The outbound tracks. The Clifton Hill tunnel is the only tunnel able to operate as a full loop as the tunnel breaks off towards both Jolimont and Flinders Street after Parliament. Previously this tunnel was used to operate the full time City Circle train line that ran on a permanent loop around the CBD, however in 1993 this service was replaced by the surface-level City Circle tram . The tunnel

9768-587: The outset. Budapest , Chicago , Glasgow , Boston and New York City all converted or purpose-designed and built electric rail services. Advancements in technology have allowed new automated services. Hybrid solutions have also evolved, such as tram-train and premetro , which incorporate some of the features of rapid transit systems. In response to cost, engineering considerations and topological challenges some cities have opted to construct tram systems, particularly those in Australia, where density in cities

9879-711: The plaza on top of the Swanston Street entrance, which was named Queen Elizabeth Plaza. Two short documentary films , Loop and Action Loop , were commissioned by the MURLA to advertise the new railway to Melburnians, as well as abroad. A third film was planned, but never shot. The loop was opened gradually between 1981 and 1985. Museum station and the Burnley and Caulfield tunnels opened first, on 24 January 1981. The City Circle tunnel opened with special services on 6 December 1981, and Clifton Hill services started using

9990-534: The post-reconfiguration network outlined in stage 4 of the 2012 Network Development Plan. The reconfiguration would also allow for suburban extensions of the rail network, including extending the Upfield line to the northern growth suburbs of Donnybrook , Beveridge and Wallan . Infrastructure Victoria recommended the state government complete a business case into the project. The City Loop consists of four independent single-track tunnels, and services operate as four balloon loops , two of which operate one way during

10101-740: The project: one from Australia, one from the United Kingdom, one from Canada and one from the United States of America. On 22 June 1971, the first sod of the project was turned by Wilcox in the middle of the Jolimont rail yards . Tunnelling works under the city streets commenced in June 1972, using a tunnel boring machine built by Richmond engineering firm Jaques Limited . as well as conventional boring methods. At North Melbourne, Spencer Street and Jolimont Yard, cut and cover tunnelling

10212-908: The rapid transit system varies greatly between cities, with several transport strategies. Some systems may extend only to the limits of the inner city, or to its inner ring of suburbs with trains making frequent station stops. The outer suburbs may then be reached by a separate commuter rail network where more widely spaced stations allow higher speeds. In some cases the differences between urban rapid transit and suburban systems are not clear. Rapid transit systems may be supplemented by other systems such as trolleybuses , regular buses , trams , or commuter rail. This combination of transit modes serves to offset certain limitations of rapid transit such as limited stops and long walking distances between outside access points. Bus or tram feeder systems transport people to rapid transit stops. Each rapid transit system consists of one or more lines , or circuits. Each line

10323-542: The rubber tires. However, they have higher maintenance costs and are less energy efficient. They also lose traction when weather conditions are wet or icy, preventing above-ground use of the Montréal Metro and limiting it on the Sapporo Municipal Subway, but not rubber-tired systems in other cities. Some cities with steep hills incorporate mountain railway technologies in their metros. One of

10434-697: The site above the station to Melbourne Central Shopping Centre and the relocation of the Melbourne Museum to a new building in Carlton Gardens . Melbourne Central station is unique as it has only one direct street-facing entrance to the station on Elizabeth Street , with a second entrance located inside of the shopping centre. The station interchanges with 15 bus routes on Lonsdale Street, three tram routes on Elizabeth street, eight tram routes on Swanston Street and two tram routes on La Trobe Street . Flagstaff station opened in 1985 and serves

10545-592: The south onto the site of what is now the Melbourne Central Shopping Centre from December 1973, and were moved back in 1978. The total length of tunnels in the loop is 12 km (7.5 mi) with 10 km (6.2 mi) of circular tunnels, and 2 km (1.2 mi) of box tunnels. The four tunnels have an average length of 3.74 km (2.32 mi), with a further 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) of track connecting with surface tracks. Some 900,000 m (1,177,156 cu yd) of earth

10656-663: The suburbs, allowing a higher service frequency in the center. This arrangement is used by many systems, such as the Copenhagen Metro , the Milan Metro , the Oslo Metro , the Istanbul Metro and the New York City Subway . Alternatively, there may be a single central terminal (often shared with the central railway station), or multiple interchange stations between lines in the city center, for instance in

10767-410: The suburbs. It was expected to boost platform capacity, allowing more trains per platform per hour on the same number of Flinders Street platforms. The loop would also bring train commuters directly into the northern and eastern sections of the CBD, delivering workers closer to their offices, students closer to RMIT University , and government officials directly to the Parliament buildings . Although

10878-714: The term subway . In Thailand , it stands for Metropolitan Rapid Transit , previously using the Mass Rapid Transit name. Outside of Southeast Asia, Kaohsiung and Taoyuan, Taiwan , have their own MRT systems which stands for Mass Rapid Transit , as with Singapore and Malaysia . In general rapid transit is a synonym for "metro" type transit, though sometimes rapid transit is defined to include "metro", commuter trains and grade separated light rail . Also high-capacity bus-based transit systems can have features similar to "metro" systems. The opening of London's steam-hauled Metropolitan Railway in 1863 marked

10989-467: The term Subway into railway terminology. Both railways, alongside others, were eventually merged into London Underground . The 1893 Liverpool Overhead Railway was designed to use electric traction from the outset. The technology quickly spread to other cities in Europe , the United States, Argentina, and Canada, with some railways being converted from steam and others being designed to be electric from

11100-511: The trains, requiring custom-made trains in order to minimize gaps between train and platform. They are typically integrated with other public transport and often operated by the same public transport authorities . Some rapid transit systems have at-grade intersections between a rapid transit line and a road or between two rapid transit lines. The world's first rapid transit system was the partially underground Metropolitan Railway which opened in 1863 using steam locomotives , and now forms part of

11211-604: The tunnel is the only one that can serve as a full loop, as the tunnel splits into two after Parliament branching off to both Jolimont and Flinders Street. All metropolitan lines on the Melbourne rail network except for the Stony Point line serve Flinders Street station , but not all of these lines serve the City Loop. Trains on the Frankston line operate to Werribee and Williamstown via Flinders Street while Sandringham services operate directly to Flinders Street in both directions. The eleven remaining metropolitan lines serve

11322-601: The use of communications-based train control : the minimum headway can reach 90 seconds, but many systems typically use 120 seconds to allow for recovery from delays. Typical capacity lines allow 1,200 people per train, giving 36,000 passengers per hour per direction . However, much higher capacities are attained in East Asia with ranges of 75,000 to 85,000 people per hour achieved by MTR Corporation 's urban lines in Hong Kong. Rapid transit topologies are determined by

11433-559: Was Singapore's Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system, which launched its first underground mobile phone network using AMPS in 1989. Many metro systems, such as the Hong Kong Mass Transit Railway (MTR) and the Berlin U-Bahn, provide mobile data connections in their tunnels for various network operators. The technology used for public, mass rapid transit has undergone significant changes in the years since

11544-474: Was also provided around that time. In 1974, the station buildings on the northern concourse were provided and, in the 1980s, as part of the construction works for the City Loop, the ramps to Platforms 1 and 2 were altered, and the platform extended at the down end. In May 1995, a washing plant and additional sidings in Melbourne Yard , located to the west of the station, were provided, as part of

11655-587: Was completed on 16 November 2009. To aid construction and avoid disruption to train passengers, a crash deck was erected over the tracks, to allow trains to run normally underneath while building work continued overhead. In March 2008, bus route 401 began operating from North Melbourne to the Royal Melbourne Hospital and University of Melbourne in Carlton and Parkville , removing the need for passengers to those destinations to travel via

11766-899: Was developed further. Other Central European countries also have metro lines, for example in the cities of Budapest (Hungary), Prague (Czech Republic) and Warsaw (Poland). In Eastern Europe , metro systems are in operation in Minsk (Belarus), Kyiv (Ukraine), Riga (Latvia), Vilnius (Lithuania) and Moscow (Russia). In Southeastern European countries, there are metro systems in Athens and Thessaloniki (Greece), Belgrade (Serbia), Sofia (Bulgaria) and Istanbul (Turkey). In Northern Europe , rapid transit systems exist in Copenhagen (Denmark), Oslo (Norway), Stockholm (Sweden) and Helsinki (Finland). Various terms are used for rapid transit systems around North America . The term metro

11877-484: Was erected beside the existing quadruple track Flinders Street Viaduct in order to replace capacity for non-loop trains. Construction began in 1975 and was completed in 1978. Of the three new stations, Museum was built using the cut and cover method in a 26-metre-deep (85 ft 4 in) box, while Flagstaff and Parliament were excavated using mining methods. During the excavation of Museum station, La Trobe Street and its tram tracks were temporarily relocated to

11988-702: Was low and suburbs tended to spread out . Since the 1970s, the viability of underground train systems in Australian cities, particularly Sydney and Melbourne , has been reconsidered and proposed as a solution to over-capacity. Melbourne had tunnels and stations developed in the 1970s and opened in 1980. The first line of the Sydney Metro was opened in 2019. Since the 1960s, many new systems have been introduced in Europe , Asia and Latin America . In

12099-528: Was removed and 300,000 m (392,385 cu yd) of concrete poured to form the stations and line the tunnel walls. A "double sleeper" floating track system was used to solve the problem of ground-transmitted vibration and track noise, and the loop has some of the best-designed and quietest underground stations in the world. At the time of its construction, Parliament station had the Southern Hemisphere's longest escalators. Traction power

12210-515: Was turned on in October 1980, and the first test train ran on 4 December 1980. In 1965, the cost of the project had been estimated at between £30 and £35 million but, by 1975, inflation had resulted in it rising to $ 255,600,000. While the final cost was $ 500 million, the opening of the loop helped reverse a 30-year trend of falling suburban rail patronage. Queen Elizabeth II toured Museum station during her visit to Australia in May 1980, and opened

12321-571: Was used to build the access ramps, with the above ground running lines being slewed from time to time as work proceeded. The first completed tunnel was the Burnley Loop, with the final breakthrough made on 8 June 1977 near the Museum station site. The loop comprises four single-track tunnels on two levels, and includes +four pre-existing elevated tracks between Flinders Street and Spencer Street stations. A new double track concrete viaduct

#759240