Buses at Southern Cross Station

peter_j

I was slightly excited the other day to discover that the skybus terminal had moved into it's new home in the Southern Cross Station (previously called Spencer Street). Needing to take the bus, I followed the arrows from the street through a crappy little vestibule and into the station. Contrasting with the futurist pods and bouncing rooves of the railway concourse, the bus station is a cavernous rectangular hall, underlit, decorated with airconditioning units.

Why is it that the regional train station gets all the glamour and money, while the bus station, serving an almost identical function, is butt ugly internally?

The bus station is the city gateway to the airport, due to its busy airport bus fleet. The concrete eyeful presented to incoming tourists and locals is less appealing than the outdoor carpark that preceded it.

http://www.spencerstreetstation.com.au/

franklyarchitectural

Maybe the best thing now would be to build a train line to the airport. Travellers could then enter the city by an efficient as well as aesthetically pleasing route.
But you're right, Peter; the State Government appears unable to coherently plan for the function of the city. Either the bus station is an afterthought, or its prioritisation has been significantly upped as the government realised that people actually use public transport. Architectural icons are fantastic things, but surely their construction must be premised on some hard pragmatic resolution: in this case, a clear understanding of transport planning and a strategy for the future.

mark_melb

Um. I think somewhere, someone forgot public transport was about just that, not stations.

beatriz

Transport planners in Victoria should have a look at the train service connecting Brisbane to its airport: efficient, frequent, affordable and aesthetically pleasant. The current mini-bus service for Melbourne's airport is all but that – expensive on top.

mark_melb

My partner's Aunt and Uncle returned to Melb. from Syd. by plane. Bus to Southern Cross bus terminal. Walked with bags to Station to buy a country rail ticket. Of course the roof is finished but the ticket office is nowhere very fixed. Eventually found the office only to be told that particular route has been replaced with busses for the next 4 months. Back to the Bus terminal to ge a bus ticket.

Nice roof though.

peter_j

From across the street, The Age has noticed the bus station too. They inform us that it will incorporate a DFO (Direct Factory Outlet).

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2006/05/07/1146940404938.html

peter_j

As usual, I took the Skybus to the airport on my way up to Sydney. They must be rakin it in for sure. $13 each way if you buy a return, say 20 per bus on average, buses every 10 minutes. Add it up. That's $520 for a 40 minute round trip.

Where's that train link gone? Do we need one?

From the past: 18 January 2002
Government announces that a heavy rail link is not viable for at least 10 years, but will reserve the Albion East option for a future rail link subject to the agreement of the Commonwealth, and will investigate an upgraded bus option.
http://www.melbournemobile.com.au/melbourne-mobile.php?id=2275

Booz Allen Hamilton wrote the viability report in 2001, taking into account the effect of 9/11 and the Ansett collapse. But it's the future now,and skybus patronage double between 2002 and 2008, so what is the government doing?

The government website on an airport rail link says:
"Error 401 You are not authorized to perform this operation"
http://www.doi.vic.gov.au/airportlink

To be fair they have been buying up land since 2005 for a future rail corridor.

82,000 cars per day visit the terminal precinct, about 17,000 of which are staff for whom skybus is too costly and not handy to where they live. Anyway, that's a lot of cars using over-priced parking. There is one local bus connecting the airport to Airport West.

The skybus terminal looks temporary, with its broom-finished concrete ramps and makeshift seating, but what's the bet we'll still be welcomed by it in 2020?

Or maybe we'll have fast rail to Sydney by then and we'll be able to stop using those fouling planes for short haul flights.

Related:
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/editorial/a-decade-on-its-time-to-put-airport-link-back-on-track-20100228-pb3f.html

hairdresser

skybus sucks.
boganville has it all over marxico with hairport train. (+ adjacent port).

taxpayer funded heyhihey lobbyist Gravitarse has had boo 2 say on hairport train. too busy sweet talking the Windsah up and squeezing out his taste.
- display of self interest on the NSWGAO in public was a disgrace?
time 4 4 corners to come in on this lot.

this tops it off - hahcaught hackountant is a loser.
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/state-paid-to-discredit-transport-criticism-20100426-tnca.html

It all coulda been worse, imagine a S C pimple on DFO/RC/EMPTYHEAD monolith without Grimshaws input.

luke

Air conditioned train from the terminal door to the Gold Coast. Think about it Marxicans, where would your dream train go anyway,.............Southbank?

cabbie

nah st. kilda beach....
 

hairdresser

that y the triangle got stopped?