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Melbourne commuting times

Melbourne commuting times

Old Apr 26th 2011, 12:22 pm
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Default Melbourne commuting times

Hi,

I've just arrived in Melbourne and living it up in a holiday rental for a few weeks. We're on the look out for a longer term rental in the north east of the city.

Areas of interest to us at this early stage are:

Templestowe
Lower Plenty
Rosanna
Doncaster
Eltham

I understand that there are train services from Eltham and Rosanna, but I was looking for some estimates on commuting times (by car) from these. Are there any particular bottlenecks on the route?

Thanks
Gavin
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Old Apr 26th 2011, 2:17 pm
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Default Re: Melbourne commuting times

Originally Posted by giz
I understand that there are train services from Eltham and Rosanna, but I was looking for some estimates on commuting times (by car) from these.
Commuting to where?
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Old Apr 26th 2011, 11:08 pm
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Default Re: Melbourne commuting times

I commute in the opposite direction - South Yarra to Preston, Thomastown & Greensborough...

It's about 30 minutes to Preston
45 minutes to Thomastown
55-60 minutes to Greensborough

The days I have to go to Greensborough I want to kill myself, I hate commuting in this city - I can only imagine going towards the city in peak hour would be absolutely miserable.
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Old Apr 27th 2011, 12:00 am
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Default Re: Melbourne commuting times

Originally Posted by giz
Hi,

I've just arrived in Melbourne and living it up in a holiday rental for a few weeks. We're on the look out for a longer term rental in the north east of the city.

Areas of interest to us at this early stage are:

Templestowe
Lower Plenty
Rosanna
Doncaster
Eltham

I understand that there are train services from Eltham and Rosanna, but I was looking for some estimates on commuting times (by car) from these. Are there any particular bottlenecks on the route?

Thanks
Gavin
Welcome to Melbourne Gavin.
I'll give you the Rosanna perspective and leave the rest for others that live in those areas.

Train services @ Rosanna to/from the CBD are very good.
A 30 minute trip (closer to 22 if an express) and they are every 10 minutes during peak hours. Despite all the moaning you may see in the media, I think a lot of people don't realise just how good public transport is here.

Driving to the CBD from Rosanna (either via the Eastern Freeway or Heidelberg road ) is no more than 30 mins outside of peak hours.
During peak hours, you can always add 20 minutes to that to account for the usual bottlenecks, however traffic usually flows and if you are coming from Dublin, by comparison, you will find traffic and public transport in Melbourne a big improvement on what you probably were used to there.
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Old Apr 27th 2011, 12:48 am
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Default Re: Melbourne commuting times

Originally Posted by DownUnderPaddy
Despite all the moaning you may see in the media, I think a lot of people don't realise just how good public transport is here.
Try the Sandringham Line:
  • Regular cancellations
  • Regular train too full to get on (upto 3 in a row sometimes)
  • No information screens at my station, we did get a clock recently though!
  • Instead we have a man who reads out the wrong info!
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Old Apr 27th 2011, 12:59 am
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Melbourne - NE suburbs
 
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Default Re: Melbourne commuting times

Originally Posted by DownUnderPaddy
Despite all the moaning you may see in the media, I think a lot of people don't realise just how good public transport is here.
....this was by comparison to Dublins public transport system, purely for Gavins frame of reference.

I do hear the SE lines can be pretty annoying alright.
Glad we are in the NE suburbs !
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Old Apr 27th 2011, 1:20 am
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Default Re: Melbourne commuting times

Originally Posted by DownUnderPaddy
I do hear the SE lines can be pretty annoying alright.
Glad we are in the NE suburbs !
I'll second you on that. I think the Hurtsbridge line is one of the most reliable ones.
Always hear about delays on Sandringham and Frankston lines

To the OP
Commuting from Eltham and that area will be longer than Rosanna, but you do have a few more choices of routes. They are all heavy at peak times though, and I would certainly recommend taking the train if you don't need your car in the CBD or driving outside of peak hours if your work is flexible.
Montmorency (next to Eltham and Lower Plenty) to the city outside of peak hours takes about 35 to 45 minutes depending where in the CBD you are going and which route you take. You can go via the Western Ring Road or via the Eastern Freeway (through either Doncaster or Rosanna) or through any number of other routes that you will discover in time. I would say that in peak times, you'd have to add at least 20 to 30 minutes to that. This is a great place to live though!

I can't comment much on Templestowe and Doncaster, other than to say that the lack of train line limits your commuting options, although the bus services are good there. I've done the bus route from CBD to Montmorency via Doncaster when the trains were super late, and it only took me about an hour and a half leaving Melb Uni in Carlton at around 4.30 in the afternoon. It would have been less if I'd had the timetable handy and planned the trip according to connection times.
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Old Apr 27th 2011, 2:31 pm
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Default Re: Melbourne commuting times

Originally Posted by DownUnderPaddy
Welcome to Melbourne Gavin.
I'll give you the Rosanna perspective and leave the rest for others that live in those areas.

Train services @ Rosanna to/from the CBD are very good.
A 30 minute trip (closer to 22 if an express) and they are every 10 minutes during peak hours. Despite all the moaning you may see in the media, I think a lot of people don't realise just how good public transport is here.

Driving to the CBD from Rosanna (either via the Eastern Freeway or Heidelberg road ) is no more than 30 mins outside of peak hours.
During peak hours, you can always add 20 minutes to that to account for the usual bottlenecks, however traffic usually flows and if you are coming from Dublin, by comparison, you will find traffic and public transport in Melbourne a big improvement on what you probably were used to there.
I lived and suffered Dublin commuting from 1995 till 2002 but have been living in Derry since then and suffered a 1.5 hour commute to Belfast most of the time, so the Rosanna commute to CBD sounds not too bad.
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Old Apr 27th 2011, 2:34 pm
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Default Re: Melbourne commuting times

Originally Posted by elice_in_oz
I'll second you on that. I think the Hurtsbridge line is one of the most reliable ones.
Always hear about delays on Sandringham and Frankston lines

To the OP
Commuting from Eltham and that area will be longer than Rosanna, but you do have a few more choices of routes. They are all heavy at peak times though, and I would certainly recommend taking the train if you don't need your car in the CBD or driving outside of peak hours if your work is flexible.
Montmorency (next to Eltham and Lower Plenty) to the city outside of peak hours takes about 35 to 45 minutes depending where in the CBD you are going and which route you take. You can go via the Western Ring Road or via the Eastern Freeway (through either Doncaster or Rosanna) or through any number of other routes that you will discover in time. I would say that in peak times, you'd have to add at least 20 to 30 minutes to that. This is a great place to live though!

I can't comment much on Templestowe and Doncaster, other than to say that the lack of train line limits your commuting options, although the bus services are good there. I've done the bus route from CBD to Montmorency via Doncaster when the trains were super late, and it only took me about an hour and a half leaving Melb Uni in Carlton at around 4.30 in the afternoon. It would have been less if I'd had the timetable handy and planned the trip according to connection times.
Great info, thanks!
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