PSA: Pakenham/Cranbourne Line Disruptions - Round 3 (SWOTVAC + S1 Exams)

[VanillaRice]

[Last Updated 29/5/18]
Hope exam preparation is going well 

Please note that there will be more disruptions to Cranbourne/Pakenham train services throughout SWOTVAC and the semester 1 exam period (buses replace trains). These disruptions will run from 8pm Tuesday 29 May to Sunday 17 June. For specifics, please see the PTV information | PTV brochure.

Important: no trains (Pakenham, Cranbourne, and Frankston lines) will be running between Flinders Street and Caulfield stations on Monday 11th June (Queen's Birthday public holiday). Buses will replace trains. Additionally, public transport will be running to a weekend timetable, so please allow for extra extra time to get to your exams.

Similarly to last time, the 601 bus will run direct between Caulfield (outside building H along Dandenong Rd) and Clayton campuses (see Springboy's comment below). The intercampus bus will also run as normal (free for students).

Shuttle buses will also be running between Westall Station (Autumn Tce) and Clayton campus (same as last time). Every 15 minutes, 7:30am to 7:30pm. More info here.

If you need to travel from Westall to Caulfield, you can use the Metro direct express replacement buses.

Okay @VanillaRice I think this post needs to be reminded again

Huntingdale is closed from Monday for 3 weeks with buses running from Monash Caulfield to Monash Clayton again

https://twitter.com/CDCVictoria/status/999804997742161925

Be sure to allow for extra travel time, especially if you normally use the Pakenham/Cranbourne lines to get to Clayton campus. Either way, it's always a good idea to arrive early to your exam venue. Good luck on your exams everyone 

S1 2018 Week 6 Disruptions

[Last Edited 7/4/18]

https://www.monash.edu/students/news-notices/notices?notice=australia-2150#australia-2150

"Public Transport Victoria have advised there will be no trains running between Caulfield station and Westall station between Monday 9 April and Friday 13 April.
To help students and staff get to the Clayton campus we've organised for the 601 bus service to run express from Caulfield campus to the Clayton campus from 7am to 9pm during this week. At Caulfield, the buses will leave from the intercampus bus stop, outside Building H on Princess Highway.
In addition, for students and staff travelling from Pakenham you can disembark at Westall station where we’ve organised campus shuttle buses to bring you directly to the Clayton campus. These additional buses will run from 7.30am to 7.30pm. The campus buses will be available south of the station on Autumn Terrace."

Please read the updated info above (quote Springyboy). Express buses will now be running direct to Clayton campus from Caulfield and Westall stations (during certain times only). This means that you will not have to use the replacement buses. (Link to official Monash notice - PTV information)

Information for express buses (Monday 9 April to Friday 13 April):
Caulfield: 601 bus has been rerouted to Caulfield, and will be using the normal intercampus shuttle bus stop - outside Building H, on Princess Hwy (Dandenong Rd). 7am - 9pm.
The quickest way to get to the bus stop (from my experience) is to walk into the Caulfield campus. Walking into campus from Caulfield station - after you pass the multi-level carpark, the next building on your left is building H (it's tall one with volleyball(?) courts outside it). Walk through this building to get to the Princes Hwy (AKA Dandenong Rd)

Westall: Campus shuttle buses, stopping south of the station on Autumn Terrace. 7:30am - 7:30pm.

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[Edited 30/3/2018]
Get ready for another (even longer) round of disruptions - buses will replace all trains on the Pakenham and Cranbourne lines between Caulfield to Westall stations from Tuesday 3 April to Sunday 15 April. These dates encompass both the mid semester break and week 6 of semester (the whole week).

Click here for PTV information.

Click here for the brochure. It seems there'll be a mixture of stopping all stations and limited express buses, so hopefully it won't be too bad!

Information for changing to replacement buses at Caulfield station:
The replacement buses to Huntingdale will stop outside the station on Normanby Rd. When you get off the train, head down to the underpass, and walk over to Normanby Rd - this is the Caulfield Racecourse side i.e. the opposite side from the Monash Caulfield campus. Walk up onto the street, and you'll either have to turn left or right (follow the signs). The replacement buses should take about 20-30 minutes to get to Huntingdale station, and will stop inside the bus loop there.
To get back to Caulfield from Huntingdale, wait at the replacement bus stop (light blue sign) outside of Huntingdale Station (this is the one that is directly next to the road).

{OLD POST} PSA: Pakenham/Cranbourne Lines (Mon 12th March, Labour Day Public Holiday)

To rub salt in the wounds of having to go to uni on a public holiday (as well as having to deal with a public holiday PT timetable), buses will be replacing trains between Caulfield and Dandenong Stations on the Pakenham and Cranbourne lines on Monday the 12th of March, 2018 (Labour Day public holiday). Click here for PTV information.

This is the first time this has happened to me, so I have no idea how much extra time will be added. I would suggest leaving at least 30-40 mins early (if not more). According to the replacement bus timetable, replacement buses will be departing every 10-20 mins depending on the time of day (although everyone who catches the 601 knows that one bus is definitely not enough). PTV advises that your journey may take up to 55 minutes extra.

Apart from the replacement buses between Caulfield and Huntingdale, you can also try:

• - The Frankston line to Ormond station (2 stops from Caulfield), and catching the 630 to Monash
• - Catching the 900 from Caulfield Station to Stud Park SC

Check out the PTV Journey Planner to see if there's other options for you. Either way, I recommend leaving early since others will most likely be using these alternative routes as well (let alone the fact that its a public holiday timetable).

EDIT: As per K888's post, there will be more disruptions further into semester. Probably the most relevant one is that replacement buses will run between Caulfield and Westall Stations from Tuesday April 3 to Sunday April 15. This encompasses both the mid-semester break, as well as all of Week 6 (the week after mid-sem break) (specific details here)

[Springyboy]

Thanks for the heads up on that VanillaRice. Plus with my usual bus going to 30min frequencies, it's gonna be really busy on Monday due to this - so even for a 9:30am class I'm thinking of leaving at 8am to be on the safe side.

EDIT: Also it looks like there's no 601 on Monday due it to being a public holiday which would be absurd

[Joseph41]

Great work, VR!

[brenden]

Replacement busses are normally pretty good when it’s a planned distribution. Usually the wait to get on one after you get off the train is small, and it’s just the increased time of bus v train that adds time to your journey. You can definitely get away with an added 30 minutes but if it’s an important day definitely allow an hour.

[K888]

Just to add onto this, several lines will be disrupted between the 16th of March and 29th of April with the "Autumn construction blitz". If anyone commutes from the Gippsland line (VLine), apparently your commute is likely to be affected the most.

Read here for further info:
https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/getting-around/network-changes/autumn-construction-blitz/

If you're also near other Monash campuses (or it's more feasible to get there) and need to get to Clayton, shuttle buses run frequently from Caulfield and do also depart from Peninsula (albeit less frequently).

[VanillaRice]

Just to add onto this, several lines will be disrupted between the 16th of March and 29th of April with the "Autumn construction blitz". If anyone commutes from the Gippsland line (VLine), apparently your commute is likely to be affected the most.

Read here for further info:
https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/getting-around/network-changes/autumn-construction-blitz/

Didn't know about this, thanks Kate! There's another planned shutdown between Caulfield and Westall from April 3 to April 15, which encompasses the mid-sem break, as well as the week after (i.e. Week 6 of semester). Week 6 is gonna be a fun week 

If you're also near other Monash campuses (or it's more feasible to get there) and need to get to Clayton, shuttle buses run frequently from Caulfield and do also depart from Peninsula (albeit less frequently).

This is a good idea - although I'm concerned that this service would get overloaded (assuming they maintain the current shuttle timetable during the disruptions). During peak times, the line for the Caulfield-Clayton shuttle in particular looks pretty long.

[VanillaRice]

Bumping as a reminder. Be sure to allow for extra travel time tomorrow

[Springyboy]

Bumping as a reminder. Be sure to allow for extra travel time tomorrow

Thanks for reminding us! Also don't go to huntingdale station if you can as there's no 601 running today and the 630 is on 30 min frequencies so it's not worth waiting for either of them

[VanillaRice]

Update: I'm currently on the replacement bus from Caulfield. When you get off the train from the city, head down to the underpass and walk towards the Caulfield Racecourse side (i.e. the opposite side to Monash Caulfield). You'll want to turn left on the street just when you leave the underpass to catch a bus stopping all stations. More updates soon

Thanks for reminding us! Also don't go to huntingdale station if you can as there's no 601 running today and the 630 is on 30 min frequencies so it's not worth waiting for either of them

Pretty sure the 601 ran on Labour Day last year. I'll let you know

[VanillaRice]

Update 2: I'm at Huntingdale station and the 601 is running today. The replacement bus from Caulfield took about 20 mins (hardly any traffic).

[Springyboy]

Update 2: I'm at Huntingdale station and the 601 is running today. The replacement bus from Caulfield took about 20 mins (hardly any traffic).

Sweet that means I definitely can take the bus now. But with busses at 30 min frequencies rn it’s debatable as to whether it’s actually worth it for me

[VanillaRice]

Updated main post for another round of replacement buses (Tuesday 3 April to Sunday 15 April).

[Springyboy]

Updated main post for another round of replacement buses (Tuesday 3 April to Sunday 15 April).

@VanillaRice and everyone, new update from Monash student notices about the shutdown this week.

https://www.monash.edu/students/news-notices/notices?notice=australia-2150#australia-2150

"Public Transport Victoria have advised there will be no trains running between Caulfield station and Westall station between Monday 9 April and Friday 13 April.
To help students and staff get to the Clayton campus we've organised for the 601 bus service to run express from Caulfield campus to the Clayton campus from 7am to 9pm during this week. At Caulfield, the buses will leave from the intercampus bus stop, outside Building H on Princess Highway.
In addition, for students and staff travelling from Pakenham you can disembark at Westall station where we’ve organised campus shuttle buses to bring you directly to the Clayton campus. These additional buses will run from 7.30am to 7.30pm. The campus buses will be available south of the station on Autumn Terrace."

[VanillaRice]

@VanillaRice and everyone, new update from Monash student notices about the shutdown this week.

https://www.monash.edu/students/news-notices/notices?notice=australia-2150#australia-2150

"Public Transport Victoria have advised there will be no trains running between Caulfield station and Westall station between Monday 9 April and Friday 13 April.
To help students and staff get to the Clayton campus we've organised for the 601 bus service to run express from Caulfield campus to the Clayton campus from 7am to 9pm during this week. At Caulfield, the buses will leave from the intercampus bus stop, outside Building H on Princess Highway.
In addition, for students and staff travelling from Pakenham you can disembark at Westall station where we’ve organised campus shuttle buses to bring you directly to the Clayton campus. These additional buses will run from 7.30am to 7.30pm. The campus buses will be available south of the station on Autumn Terrace."

That's really good planing on the uni's behalf, thanks for letting us know Springyboy! Added to main post.

Will definitely reduce strain on replacement buses, and makes things easier for everyone

[Springyboy]

Okay @VanillaRice I think this post needs to be reminded again

Huntingdale is closed from Monday for 3 weeks with buses running from Monash Caulfield to Monash Clayton again

https://twitter.com/CDCVictoria/status/999804997742161925