Daniel Bowen
@danielbowen.au
Transport blogger / public transport advocate / campaigner and spokesperson for @ptua.org.au / professional geek. Opinions are all mine.
Bunurong land, Melbourne, Australia
Bunurong land, Melbourne, Australia
Coming to the @ptua.org.au Annual General Meeting? We had a great guest lined up who unfortunately couldn't make it - so it's me instead, talking about good and bad PT from my trip, and what we can learn from it. Slides including this from Lyon!
See you Wednesday night!
ptua.wildapricot.org...
See you Wednesday night!
ptua.wildapricot.org...
November 11, 2025 at 11:03 AM
Coming to the @ptua.org.au Annual General Meeting? We had a great guest lined up who unfortunately couldn't make it - so it's me instead, talking about good and bad PT from my trip, and what we can learn from it. Slides including this from Lyon!
See you Wednesday night!
ptua.wildapricot.org...
See you Wednesday night!
ptua.wildapricot.org...
In my travelogue I’m up to London. I tried to get a picture of a Slow Horses ad on a bus. Was blocked by lots of other buses. A good problem to have!
danielbowen.com/2025...
danielbowen.com/2025...
November 9, 2025 at 4:40 AM
In my travelogue I’m up to London. I tried to get a picture of a Slow Horses ad on a bus. Was blocked by lots of other buses. A good problem to have!
danielbowen.com/2025...
danielbowen.com/2025...
Champ Train Supernova #OasisLive25 #Melbourne
November 4, 2025 at 12:35 PM
Champ Train Supernova #OasisLive25 #Melbourne
Good service on the green lines - except Frankston is not running through to Southern Cross and the west, Williamstown is running as Newport shuttles, and the frequency from Newport to the City is halved. And the passenger info is confusing.
So not really good service. #Melbourne #MetroTrains
So not really good service. #Melbourne #MetroTrains
November 4, 2025 at 12:33 AM
Good service on the green lines - except Frankston is not running through to Southern Cross and the west, Williamstown is running as Newport shuttles, and the frequency from Newport to the City is halved. And the passenger info is confusing.
So not really good service. #Melbourne #MetroTrains
So not really good service. #Melbourne #MetroTrains
Sorry my friend. We know how this plays out. Years of roadworks disruptions, and then the new lanes will up with traffic within a year or two, and you're back to square one.
Ultimately to keep cities moving efficiently, we need to get more people out of cars.
Full story: www.theage.com.au/na... ($)
Ultimately to keep cities moving efficiently, we need to get more people out of cars.
Full story: www.theage.com.au/na... ($)
October 24, 2025 at 7:53 AM
Sorry my friend. We know how this plays out. Years of roadworks disruptions, and then the new lanes will up with traffic within a year or two, and you're back to square one.
Ultimately to keep cities moving efficiently, we need to get more people out of cars.
Full story: www.theage.com.au/na... ($)
Ultimately to keep cities moving efficiently, we need to get more people out of cars.
Full story: www.theage.com.au/na... ($)
Perhaps not the best day for the BOM to go and change everything, but hey at least they support HTTPS on their web sites now; that's gotta be good, right? No more scary "Insecure!" warnings from web browsers.
October 22, 2025 at 8:22 AM
Perhaps not the best day for the BOM to go and change everything, but hey at least they support HTTPS on their web sites now; that's gotta be good, right? No more scary "Insecure!" warnings from web browsers.
Interesting data showing support for various #Melbourne transport infrastructure projects (and bus reform, which is proposed but not actually happening on a large scale at present).
The text suggests the lower three may have reduced support due to disruption fatigue.
Source: www.melbourne.org.au...
The text suggests the lower three may have reduced support due to disruption fatigue.
Source: www.melbourne.org.au...
October 21, 2025 at 6:32 AM
Interesting data showing support for various #Melbourne transport infrastructure projects (and bus reform, which is proposed but not actually happening on a large scale at present).
The text suggests the lower three may have reduced support due to disruption fatigue.
Source: www.melbourne.org.au...
The text suggests the lower three may have reduced support due to disruption fatigue.
Source: www.melbourne.org.au...
The quickest way into Flinders Street Station from Degraves Street... but you wouldn't know it from the lack of signage. #Melbourne
October 16, 2025 at 8:15 AM
The quickest way into Flinders Street Station from Degraves Street... but you wouldn't know it from the lack of signage. #Melbourne
#Melbourne Rocks! One of the few named carriages, from a naming contest for school kids years ago.
October 13, 2025 at 7:26 AM
#Melbourne Rocks! One of the few named carriages, from a naming contest for school kids years ago.
Blog: I came up with a long list of things to improve around the #PublicTransport network - some big, some not so big.
Read the list here: danielbowen.com/2025...
Read the list here: danielbowen.com/2025...
October 9, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Blog: I came up with a long list of things to improve around the #PublicTransport network - some big, some not so big.
Read the list here: danielbowen.com/2025...
Read the list here: danielbowen.com/2025...
The bloke who was on the radio tonight just before me would hate this... but what if we just left it like this? #Melbourne #traffic
Listen here: www.abc.net.au/liste... - starting at about 2h:50m
Listen here: www.abc.net.au/liste... - starting at about 2h:50m
October 7, 2025 at 11:57 AM
The bloke who was on the radio tonight just before me would hate this... but what if we just left it like this? #Melbourne #traffic
Listen here: www.abc.net.au/liste... - starting at about 2h:50m
Listen here: www.abc.net.au/liste... - starting at about 2h:50m
For those who didn’t spot it on the more mainstream social media networks, the #Melbourne Metro Tunnel will open in early December.
October 6, 2025 at 9:25 PM
For those who didn’t spot it on the more mainstream social media networks, the #Melbourne Metro Tunnel will open in early December.
Blog: Old photos from ten years ago, including this one snapped during a train stoppage due to industrial action. danielbowen.com/2025...
October 6, 2025 at 9:18 PM
Blog: Old photos from ten years ago, including this one snapped during a train stoppage due to industrial action. danielbowen.com/2025...
Would this be it? 40 limit North Geelong to Corio since 29th Sep. Hopefully to be resolved soon.
October 5, 2025 at 1:58 AM
Would this be it? 40 limit North Geelong to Corio since 29th Sep. Hopefully to be resolved soon.
To me it seems like a design fail that the ad screens are not all also mall directory screens.
The number of times I’ve walked up to one and tapped it waiting for a response…
The number of times I’ve walked up to one and tapped it waiting for a response…
October 4, 2025 at 8:23 AM
To me it seems like a design fail that the ad screens are not all also mall directory screens.
The number of times I’ve walked up to one and tapped it waiting for a response…
The number of times I’ve walked up to one and tapped it waiting for a response…
For those catching a train in #Melbourne this morning: Metro Bingo!
Trains mostly running okay (except on where they're not), but "We are currently experiencing an issue affecting information displays across a number of train lines, as well as our website and apps."
Trains mostly running okay (except on where they're not), but "We are currently experiencing an issue affecting information displays across a number of train lines, as well as our website and apps."
October 2, 2025 at 10:04 PM
For those catching a train in #Melbourne this morning: Metro Bingo!
Trains mostly running okay (except on where they're not), but "We are currently experiencing an issue affecting information displays across a number of train lines, as well as our website and apps."
Trains mostly running okay (except on where they're not), but "We are currently experiencing an issue affecting information displays across a number of train lines, as well as our website and apps."
When you’ve got the second monitor for your home office but you haven’t got it working yet. #NewScreens
October 2, 2025 at 7:31 AM
When you’ve got the second monitor for your home office but you haven’t got it working yet. #NewScreens
Whenever someone claims public transport was perfectly safe before the era of automatic closing/locking doors, just search Trove for "fell out of train" (or tram, or bus) and you'll find all sorts of examples showing how it wasn't.
Here's one that caught my eye.
trove.nla.gov.au/new...
Here's one that caught my eye.
trove.nla.gov.au/new...
September 29, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Whenever someone claims public transport was perfectly safe before the era of automatic closing/locking doors, just search Trove for "fell out of train" (or tram, or bus) and you'll find all sorts of examples showing how it wasn't.
Here's one that caught my eye.
trove.nla.gov.au/new...
Here's one that caught my eye.
trove.nla.gov.au/new...
Enterprising people living near the #Melbourne Royal Show offering driveway parking for $20-25 depending on how close to the Show entrance they are.
The going rate for official parking is $30.
(Personally I prefer the train, but for trips served by trams or buses, those are pretty dire)
The going rate for official parking is $30.
(Personally I prefer the train, but for trips served by trams or buses, those are pretty dire)
September 28, 2025 at 9:51 AM
Enterprising people living near the #Melbourne Royal Show offering driveway parking for $20-25 depending on how close to the Show entrance they are.
The going rate for official parking is $30.
(Personally I prefer the train, but for trips served by trams or buses, those are pretty dire)
The going rate for official parking is $30.
(Personally I prefer the train, but for trips served by trams or buses, those are pretty dire)
No proper/accessible pedestrian access, no marked detour, not even a sorry-not-sorry “Footpath closed” sign. Building works have to happen, but this type of setup always makes me wonder if they got a permit.
Reported to council via Snap Send Solve. #Melbourne #walking
Reported to council via Snap Send Solve. #Melbourne #walking
September 27, 2025 at 12:24 AM
No proper/accessible pedestrian access, no marked detour, not even a sorry-not-sorry “Footpath closed” sign. Building works have to happen, but this type of setup always makes me wonder if they got a permit.
Reported to council via Snap Send Solve. #Melbourne #walking
Reported to council via Snap Send Solve. #Melbourne #walking
Accurate! It was 27 minutes off-peak in the late 90s.
September 26, 2025 at 12:02 PM
Accurate! It was 27 minutes off-peak in the late 90s.
It's not your imagination. #Melbourne suburban trains are getting slower, thanks to excessive dwell times built into the timetables.
Read more: danielbowen.com/2025/09/26/e...
Read more: danielbowen.com/2025/09/26/e...
September 26, 2025 at 8:55 AM
It's not your imagination. #Melbourne suburban trains are getting slower, thanks to excessive dwell times built into the timetables.
Read more: danielbowen.com/2025/09/26/e...
Read more: danielbowen.com/2025/09/26/e...
Okay this is ridiculous. Almost none of the disruptions listed impact this trip. Most are on completely unrelated lines. #Melbourne #PublicTransport
September 24, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Okay this is ridiculous. Almost none of the disruptions listed impact this trip. Most are on completely unrelated lines. #Melbourne #PublicTransport
Sad face.
This knocked out the PTUA Bluesky account too.
This knocked out the PTUA Bluesky account too.
September 23, 2025 at 10:47 PM
Sad face.
This knocked out the PTUA Bluesky account too.
This knocked out the PTUA Bluesky account too.
I know it's not a competition, but the Metro Trains app icon is pretty terrible. These people have a perfectly good, recognisable logo they could use.
September 22, 2025 at 10:12 AM
I know it's not a competition, but the Metro Trains app icon is pretty terrible. These people have a perfectly good, recognisable logo they could use.