Railway_Digest__February_2018
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Victoria<br />
News<br />
Yarra Trams offers free advertising to community organisations<br />
Not-for-profit community organisations located within the Yarra Trams<br />
network that make a significant contribution to diversity and inclusion<br />
in Melbourne, have been offered the chance to share in $1 million<br />
of free advertising, under the transport operator’s new Community<br />
Partnerships Program.<br />
Applications for <strong>2018</strong> funding round opened on Monday 11 December<br />
2017 and closed on Sunday 4 <strong>February</strong> <strong>2018</strong> with successful partners<br />
will be selected by an independent panel of influential Melburnians in the<br />
coming months.<br />
Yarra Trams CEO, Nicolas Gindt said: “Yarra Trams believes strongly<br />
in contributing to Melbourne’s liveability by extending our support<br />
beyond the rails to the communities we represent. I am proud to launch<br />
the Yarra Trams Community Partnerships Program today and encourage<br />
Melbourne-based community organisations to submit applications<br />
for a share in $1 million worth of advertising across our network”.<br />
“Melbourne’s tram network is at the heart of our community, no matter<br />
where you come from or what you do. We bring people together by<br />
providing a service where everyone is welcome”.<br />
Applications for the Yarra Trams Community Partnerships Program<br />
will be assessed annually, allowing organisations the opportunity<br />
to access this unique advertising offer. For more information on the<br />
program visit: yarratrams.com.au/community-partnerships<br />
Sunday 19 November 2017 found most of V/Line’s fleet of P class units stored around the broad-gauge turntable at South Dynon. Absent were<br />
P 11 (location believed to be Newport Workshops), P 12 (on short-term hire to Steamrail Victoria for heritage purposes), and standard-gauge<br />
unit P 13, which was started and driven to Southern Cross for shunting moves soon after this photo was taken. David Campbell<br />
Improved connectivity for Victorian regional passengers<br />
Passengers on Victoria’s five busiest regional rail lines are set to<br />
see major improvements in mobile phone coverage following the<br />
successful testing of mobile signal repeaters, which will be used in<br />
Australia for the first time.<br />
The successful pilot clears the way for the rollout of the $18 million<br />
Regional Rail Connectivity Project, which will boost mobile coverage<br />
for passengers along the Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, Traralgon and<br />
Seymour rail lines.<br />
The Victorian government is partnering with the three major<br />
mobile carriers – Telstra, Vodafone and Optus – to construct up to<br />
35 new mobile towers as part of the project. These towers will be<br />
combined with in-train technology to significantly improve coverage<br />
for passengers. Trains will begin to be fitted with the technology from<br />
early <strong>2018</strong> and the entire VLocity fleet will have a booster on board by<br />
the end of the year.<br />
The first mobile towers have already been built, and once boosters<br />
are installed passengers should notice a significant improvement in<br />
their mobile signal. Mobile coverage will improve as the technology is<br />
rolled out throughout <strong>2018</strong>.<br />
Victorian Minister for Innovation and the Digital Economy Philip<br />
Dalidakis said; “In today’s world, digital connectivity is crucial for<br />
people’s lifestyles and for doing business. This program is making<br />
it fair for regional Victorian passengers by giving them faster, more<br />
reliable mobile coverage”.<br />
FEBRUARY <strong>2018</strong><br />
23