Connex Melbourne
Encyclopedia
Connex Melbourne was a wholly owned subsidiary of French company Veolia Environnement, which had a franchise
from the State Government of Victoria
to operate all suburban passenger rail services
in Melbourne
, Victoria, Australia. In August 2007, Connex's contract was extended to 30 November 2009. However, Connex lost the bid to renew its contract with Victorian Government on 25 June 2009. Hong-Kong-backed and -owned MTR Corporation
, operating locally as Metro Trains Melbourne
(MTM), took over the network on 30 November 2009.
The company operated 15 train lines, a fleet of 331 trains, provided over 12,000 weekly services, and carried about 680,000 passengers each weekday. In 2008, over 200 million passenger trips were made.
to operate the then government-owned Hillside Trains rail services in Melbourne's eastern and north-east suburb
s in August 1999. The franchise for the southern parts of Melbourne's suburban train network was awarded to National Express Group
, under the now-defunct Bayside Trains name (later renamed M>Train).
On 22 December 2002, National Express withdrew from its operations in Victoria, and the State Government took control temporarily. Early in 2003 the Government began negotiations with Connex to assume responsibility for all Melbourne's metro train network. A new partnership agreement was reached in February 2004 that awarded Connex the exclusive right to operate Melbourne's entire metro train network from 18 April 2004.
Connex's contract was extended on 21 August 2007 and expired on 29 November 2009, with the State Government of Victoria
having chosen to not exercise its option for an 18-month extension.
Following Veolia's rebranding
of its transport operations from Connex to Veolia Transport
on all other transport systems worldwide in late 2005 and early 2006, Connex Melbourne was the only Veolia company to retain the Connex name. It was not until May 2008 that Connex Melbourne began to publicly acknowledge its connection with the parent company, using the "Connex: A Veolia Transport Company" phrase in publicity material and using the Veolia Transport and Connex brands together. Branding on staff uniforms, train livery and station signage was not altered.
. Prior to this, the ambient temperature was between 38 and 40 °C (100.4 and 104 F). Connex was unable to guarantee services across the network. This was highly controversial as, in previous years, 'heatwaves' did not cause train cancellations. The heat-distortion of tracks has been attributed to the lack of expansion joints within newly replaced rail. Figures based on Connex media releases for the same period show the numbers of cancelled services exceeded one third of total services.
On 29 January 2009, over 500 services were cancelled. Next day services on eight lines were cancelled and the City Loop closed in the afternoon owing to the extreme weather (at the height of the heatwave) and knock-on effects, and the loss of power at the South Morang transmission station. By Connex's own estimates in the Melbourne media, over 750 services were cancelled out of 2,400. In response to the loss of services, the Victorian State Government made 30 January a day of free travel on trains, trams and buses.
345 million per annum by the State Government of Victoria to operate the metro network. At the end of the 2004-2009 franchise agreement, Connex was paid well over A$2 billion by the state government. In addition to the base contract payments, other payments from the state government to Connex included farebox, concession top-ups, maintenance, rollingstock adjustments, incentives and capital projects.
Fines for failure to meet service obligations were deducted from contract fees paid by the government to Connex. As of July 2006, the most recent fine imposed on Connex by the government is A$5.1 million. Connex has paid almost A$70 million in penalty payments for poor performance in the period of the franchise. Connex released performance data on a monthly basis, usually put on view at railway stations. Fines and customer satisfaction levels are detailed in the quarterly 'Track Record' report released by the Department of Transport.
For every month that Connex failed to meet the performance benchmarks, a free daily Metcard was offered to holders of monthly or yearly tickets valid during that month. No compensation was offered to passengers using weekly, daily or other tickets.
The majority of rolling stock was owned by the Victorian Government business enterprise VicTrack
.
Connex was responsible for maintaining its train fleet. This responsibility was outsourced to two companies: United Melbourne Transport Ltd, a subsidiary of the United Group
, maintained the Alstom X'Trapolis and the older Hitachi and Comeng trains; and Siemens
maintained the remainder of the Siemens fleet. Innovonics Limited has carried out a contract to re-enable Comeng
sets from both sides of the system to run on the entire system again, along with a CCTV upgrade.
Connex was also responsible for the maintenance of the electrified metro network, which was contracted out to Mainco, a subsidiary of the United Group
. The Department of Transport
(DoT) also has input into infrastructure-related issues and major rail projects.
Authorised Officers were accredited by the Victorian Department of Transport to exercise power
s similar to those of police (including the power of arrest) when aboard vehicles operating under Metlink
or when on Department-of-Transport-owned premises, such as railway stations or tracks. Officers were required to abide by the State Government-established 'Authorised Officer Code of Conduct' and violations of this code were prosecuted. The Code of Conduct states that an Authorised Ticket Officer uses discretion when reporting an alleged offender, and must supply their name and work address when asked.
If an Authorised Officer believes that a passenger has committed an offence (for example, by failing to produce a ticket), he or she has the right to the passenger's full legal name and address after having explained the nature of the alleged offence. The inspector also has the right to request some proof of the given information, any proof being acceptable as long as it constitutes a "verification" of the information which satisfies the inspector as to the alleged offender's identity. Refusal to identify oneself or providing a false name to the ticket inspector will ordinarily cause the ticket inspector to contact Victoria Police
and detain the passenger until the police arrive.
The Authorised Officer then forwards a report (formally known as a Report of Non Compliance) with these details, as well as the specific nature and circumstances of the violation to the Department of Transport, who then process the report and decide upon any penalties. Any fines levied are payable to the Department, not to Connex. However, once the Department successfully retrieves the fined amount from the violator, Connex receives a small administration fee.
Authorised Officers have come under fire from lobby groups and sections of the community for being overly aggressive in enforcing ticketing requirements. This has been accentuated by several press articles of mixed opinions regarding the system or reporting passengers detected travelling without tickets. Specifically, two main charges are frequently heard: officers have been requiring young school-children to produce Concession I.D. cards, even though the law only requires it for children 17 years of age and over unless the person is travelling on a Student Pass; and they have been reporting people for not possessing a ticket, even when there was no opportunity for the person to buy one. The Victorian Transport Act of 1983 states that travel without a ticket is legal in circumstances where the passenger took all reasonable steps to buy a ticket immediately before and after travel, but one was not available for purchase (usually because ticket machines were out of order).
to deliver co-ordinated marketing initiatives across the entire Melbourne public transport network, Connex has also undertaken its own marketing campaigns.
In July 2000 an advertising campaign featuring Harry Connick, Jr.
publicised the name change from Hillside Trains to Connex. The campaign produced by Melbourne advertising agency Cummins & Partners played on the similar sound of Connex and Connick's name. A television commercial aired with Harry explaining; "I heard Hillside Trains was going to change its name and I was honoured to hear they were going to name it after me. Connicks. Well they could have consulted me on the spelling." Billboards on station platforms had Harry stating in a voice bubble; "Welcome to my train company - Connick's. That's OK, they'll fix the spelling..."
TV advertisements featuring Sheena Easton
and a trainload of passengers singing her 1980 hit Morning Train (9 to 5)
screened during April and May 2004.
Its most recent campaigns generally focused on commuter behaviour and etiquette. In mid-2005 Connex launched a print and TV advertising campaign featuring Humpty Dumpty
and focusing on safety initiatives; the "Don't Hold Others Back
" campaign of 2006 featured imagery of commuters struggling to board a train; and a 'train etiquette' campaign featuring fictitious character Martin Merton
PhD, "the worlds #1 expert on train etiquette" offered advice to passengers on such topics as mobile phone use, flatulence and other low-level behavioural annoyances of train travel.
system that allowed passengers to receive updates about train delays of more than 15 minutes on their phone for free.
A Connex spokesman said this was a hoax and that the hackers were able only to send the message and could not get access to the customer database.
Melbourne artist Van Thanh Rudd
made an artwork attacking Connex's parent company Veolia Environnement's building of a light rail system linking up Israeli settlements.
On 29 April 2009, The Age
reported that complaints against Connex and Yarra Trams
ticket inspectors had risen by 60 per cent in 12 months. Officers were accused of excessive force, intimidating and heavy-handed behaviour towards commuters.
Franchising
Franchising is the practice of using another firm's successful business model. The word 'franchise' is of anglo-French derivation - from franc- meaning free, and is used both as a noun and as a verb....
from the State Government of Victoria
Government of Victoria
The Government of Victoria, under the Constitution of Australia, ceded certain legislative and judicial powers to the Commonwealth, but retained complete independence in all other areas...
to operate all suburban passenger rail services
Railways in Melbourne
The Melbourne rail network is operated by Metro Trains Melbourne under franchise from the Government of Victoria. The network is based on a commuter rail model centred on the Melbourne Central Business District and Flinders Street Station, rather than a rapid transit model, with a focus on...
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Victoria, Australia. In August 2007, Connex's contract was extended to 30 November 2009. However, Connex lost the bid to renew its contract with Victorian Government on 25 June 2009. Hong-Kong-backed and -owned MTR Corporation
MTR Corporation
MTR Corporation Limited is a company listed on the Hong Kong Exchange and included in the Hang Seng Index. MTR owns and runs the Hong Kong MTR metro system, and is also a major property developer and landlord in Hong Kong...
, operating locally as Metro Trains Melbourne
Metro Trains Melbourne
Metro Trains Melbourne is the current franchise operator of the suburban railway network of Melbourne, Australia. Metro Trains Melbourne is a joint venture led by Hong Kong based MTR Corporation together with John Holland Group and United Group Rail .Metro Trains Melbourne operates a fleet of 381...
(MTM), took over the network on 30 November 2009.
The company operated 15 train lines, a fleet of 331 trains, provided over 12,000 weekly services, and carried about 680,000 passengers each weekday. In 2008, over 200 million passenger trips were made.
History
Melbourne Transport Enterprises (now Connex Melbourne) was awarded a franchiseGovernment-granted monopoly
In economics, a government-granted monopoly is a form of coercive monopoly by which a government grants exclusive privilege to a private individual or firm to be the sole provider of a good or service; potential competitors are excluded from the market by law, regulation, or other mechanisms of...
to operate the then government-owned Hillside Trains rail services in Melbourne's eastern and north-east suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
s in August 1999. The franchise for the southern parts of Melbourne's suburban train network was awarded to National Express Group
National Express Group
National Express Group plc is a British transport group headquartered in Birmingham that operates bus, coach, rail and tram services in the UK, the US and Canada, Spain, Portugal and Morocco and long-distance coach routes across Europe...
, under the now-defunct Bayside Trains name (later renamed M>Train).
On 22 December 2002, National Express withdrew from its operations in Victoria, and the State Government took control temporarily. Early in 2003 the Government began negotiations with Connex to assume responsibility for all Melbourne's metro train network. A new partnership agreement was reached in February 2004 that awarded Connex the exclusive right to operate Melbourne's entire metro train network from 18 April 2004.
Connex's contract was extended on 21 August 2007 and expired on 29 November 2009, with the State Government of Victoria
Government of Victoria
The Government of Victoria, under the Constitution of Australia, ceded certain legislative and judicial powers to the Commonwealth, but retained complete independence in all other areas...
having chosen to not exercise its option for an 18-month extension.
Following Veolia's rebranding
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
of its transport operations from Connex to Veolia Transport
Veolia Transport
Veolia Transport is the international transport services division of the French-based multinational company Veolia Environnement...
on all other transport systems worldwide in late 2005 and early 2006, Connex Melbourne was the only Veolia company to retain the Connex name. It was not until May 2008 that Connex Melbourne began to publicly acknowledge its connection with the parent company, using the "Connex: A Veolia Transport Company" phrase in publicity material and using the Veolia Transport and Connex brands together. Branding on staff uniforms, train livery and station signage was not altered.
2009 heatwave issues
During January 2009, Melbourne experienced several days of extreme heat with temperatures in excess of 43°C – the hottest heatwave since records were kept from the mid-1880s – with a maximum temperature reached of 45.1 °C (113.2 °F) in the Melbourne central business districtMelbourne city centre
Melbourne City Centre is an area of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. It is not to be confused with the larger local government area of the City of Melbourne...
. Prior to this, the ambient temperature was between 38 and 40 °C (100.4 and 104 F). Connex was unable to guarantee services across the network. This was highly controversial as, in previous years, 'heatwaves' did not cause train cancellations. The heat-distortion of tracks has been attributed to the lack of expansion joints within newly replaced rail. Figures based on Connex media releases for the same period show the numbers of cancelled services exceeded one third of total services.
On 29 January 2009, over 500 services were cancelled. Next day services on eight lines were cancelled and the City Loop closed in the afternoon owing to the extreme weather (at the height of the heatwave) and knock-on effects, and the loss of power at the South Morang transmission station. By Connex's own estimates in the Melbourne media, over 750 services were cancelled out of 2,400. In response to the loss of services, the Victorian State Government made 30 January a day of free travel on trains, trams and buses.
Responsibilities
Connex was responsible for the operation and maintenance of Melbourne's metro railway system, including manning stations and fare enforcement. It was not responsible for capital works such as expanding the system, but on a number of projects it has managed the project on behalf of the State Government.Government subsidy
Between 2004 and 2009, Connex Melbourne was paid an average of A$Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
345 million per annum by the State Government of Victoria to operate the metro network. At the end of the 2004-2009 franchise agreement, Connex was paid well over A$2 billion by the state government. In addition to the base contract payments, other payments from the state government to Connex included farebox, concession top-ups, maintenance, rollingstock adjustments, incentives and capital projects.
Reliability benchmarks
Under the terms of its contract with the state government, Connex Melbourne was required to deliver on-time (no more than 59 seconds early, and no more than 4:59 minutes late, formerly 5:59 minutes) performance, system-wide, of no less than 92%. It was also required to deliver not less than 98% of scheduled train services, and significantly reduce any time spent by passengers waiting due to a delay, over a 1998 benchmark.Fines for failure to meet service obligations were deducted from contract fees paid by the government to Connex. As of July 2006, the most recent fine imposed on Connex by the government is A$5.1 million. Connex has paid almost A$70 million in penalty payments for poor performance in the period of the franchise. Connex released performance data on a monthly basis, usually put on view at railway stations. Fines and customer satisfaction levels are detailed in the quarterly 'Track Record' report released by the Department of Transport.
For every month that Connex failed to meet the performance benchmarks, a free daily Metcard was offered to holders of monthly or yearly tickets valid during that month. No compensation was offered to passengers using weekly, daily or other tickets.
Operations
- For details of railway operations, see Railways in MelbourneRailways in MelbourneThe Melbourne rail network is operated by Metro Trains Melbourne under franchise from the Government of Victoria. The network is based on a commuter rail model centred on the Melbourne Central Business District and Flinders Street Station, rather than a rapid transit model, with a focus on...
Fleet
The Connex Melbourne fleet consisted of:- 187 3-car Comeng EMUElectric multiple unitAn electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
s (built 1981-1988, refurbished 2000-2003) - 6 remaining 6-car HitachiHitachi (train)Hitachi is the name given for one of a set of electric multiple unit trains that operate on the suburban railway network of Melbourne, Australia. Introduced to service in 1972, the trains are the oldest in the city's suburban fleet still in revenue service...
EMUs (built during the 1970s) - 72 3-car SiemensSiemens (train)The Siemens Nexas comprises 72 triple car electrical multiple unit trains built by Siemens Mobility for the suburban railway network of Melbourne, Australia from 2002-2005. The design of the trains was based on the Siemens Modular Metro concept built in Austria...
EMUs (built 2002-2005, purchased by M>Train) - 58 3-car X'TrapolisX'Trapolis 100The X'Trapolis 100 is a single deck electric passenger train, one of Alstom's X'Trapolis family of trains, used in Melbourne, Australia and Valparaiso, Chile.-First order:...
EMUs (built by 2002-2004, purchased by Connex) - SprinterSprinter (Victorian train)The Sprinter is a high speed diesel railcar train manufactured by Goninan for use on interurban and semi-regional rail services in Victoria, Australia...
diesel multiple unitDiesel multiple unitA diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
s hired from V/LineV/LineV/Line is a not for profit regional passenger train and coach service in Victoria, Australia. It was created after the split-up of VicRail in 1983. V/Line is owned by the V/Line Corporation which is a Victorian State Government statutory authority...
which were used for Connex services on the unelectrified Stony Point Line.
The majority of rolling stock was owned by the Victorian Government business enterprise VicTrack
VicTrack
VicTrack is the Victorian Government agency which owns all railway and tram lines, associated rail lands and other related rail-related infrastructure in the state of Victoria, Australia....
.
Connex was responsible for maintaining its train fleet. This responsibility was outsourced to two companies: United Melbourne Transport Ltd, a subsidiary of the United Group
United Group
UGL Limited is an engineering and property services company. The company provides construction, maintenance and asset management services to the rail, resources and infrastructure sectors and corporate real estate, facilities management and business process outsourcing services to property users...
, maintained the Alstom X'Trapolis and the older Hitachi and Comeng trains; and Siemens
Siemens AG
Siemens AG is a German multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Munich, Germany. It is the largest Europe-based electronics and electrical engineering company....
maintained the remainder of the Siemens fleet. Innovonics Limited has carried out a contract to re-enable Comeng
Comeng
The Comeng train is a type of electric train that operates on the suburban railway network of Melbourne, Australia. They first appeared on the network in VicRail "teacup" livery in 1981 to replace the last of the then-60 year old Tait trains. More were ordered after the failed refurbishment and...
sets from both sides of the system to run on the entire system again, along with a CCTV upgrade.
Connex was also responsible for the maintenance of the electrified metro network, which was contracted out to Mainco, a subsidiary of the United Group
United Group
UGL Limited is an engineering and property services company. The company provides construction, maintenance and asset management services to the rail, resources and infrastructure sectors and corporate real estate, facilities management and business process outsourcing services to property users...
. The Department of Transport
Department of Transport
Department of Transport may refer to:* The Irish government department, see Department of Transport * The UK government department formerly known as the Department of Transport, see Department for Transport...
(DoT) also has input into infrastructure-related issues and major rail projects.
Fare enforcement
Public Transport Authorised Officers (commonly known as Ticket Inspectors or Revenue Protection Officers) were employed to work across Melbourne's public transport network. As well as reporting ticketing and behavioural offences, Authorised Officers were also employed to assist at special events and provide customer information. They were employed by Connex, but exercise a legislative power.Authorised Officers were accredited by the Victorian Department of Transport to exercise power
Police power
In United States constitutional law, police power is the capacity of the states to regulate behavior and enforce order within their territory for the betterment of the general welfare, morals, health, and safety of their inhabitants...
s similar to those of police (including the power of arrest) when aboard vehicles operating under Metlink
Metlink
Metlink, formerly The Met, is the marketing body and umbrella brand for public train, tram and bus transport operators in Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.-Responsibilities:Metlink is responsible for the promotion of travel by public transport...
or when on Department-of-Transport-owned premises, such as railway stations or tracks. Officers were required to abide by the State Government-established 'Authorised Officer Code of Conduct' and violations of this code were prosecuted. The Code of Conduct states that an Authorised Ticket Officer uses discretion when reporting an alleged offender, and must supply their name and work address when asked.
If an Authorised Officer believes that a passenger has committed an offence (for example, by failing to produce a ticket), he or she has the right to the passenger's full legal name and address after having explained the nature of the alleged offence. The inspector also has the right to request some proof of the given information, any proof being acceptable as long as it constitutes a "verification" of the information which satisfies the inspector as to the alleged offender's identity. Refusal to identify oneself or providing a false name to the ticket inspector will ordinarily cause the ticket inspector to contact Victoria Police
Victoria Police
Victoria Police is the primary law enforcement agency of Victoria, Australia. , the Victoria Police has over 12,190 sworn members, along with over 400 recruits, reservists and Protective Service Officers, and over 2,900 civilian staff across 393 police stations.-Early history:The Victoria Police...
and detain the passenger until the police arrive.
The Authorised Officer then forwards a report (formally known as a Report of Non Compliance) with these details, as well as the specific nature and circumstances of the violation to the Department of Transport, who then process the report and decide upon any penalties. Any fines levied are payable to the Department, not to Connex. However, once the Department successfully retrieves the fined amount from the violator, Connex receives a small administration fee.
Authorised Officers have come under fire from lobby groups and sections of the community for being overly aggressive in enforcing ticketing requirements. This has been accentuated by several press articles of mixed opinions regarding the system or reporting passengers detected travelling without tickets. Specifically, two main charges are frequently heard: officers have been requiring young school-children to produce Concession I.D. cards, even though the law only requires it for children 17 years of age and over unless the person is travelling on a Student Pass; and they have been reporting people for not possessing a ticket, even when there was no opportunity for the person to buy one. The Victorian Transport Act of 1983 states that travel without a ticket is legal in circumstances where the passenger took all reasonable steps to buy a ticket immediately before and after travel, but one was not available for purchase (usually because ticket machines were out of order).
Marketing
Despite the formation of MetlinkMetlink
Metlink, formerly The Met, is the marketing body and umbrella brand for public train, tram and bus transport operators in Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.-Responsibilities:Metlink is responsible for the promotion of travel by public transport...
to deliver co-ordinated marketing initiatives across the entire Melbourne public transport network, Connex has also undertaken its own marketing campaigns.
In July 2000 an advertising campaign featuring Harry Connick, Jr.
Harry Connick, Jr.
Joseph Harry Fowler Connick, Jr. is an American singer, big-band leader/conductor, pianist, actor, and composer. He has sold over 25 million albums worldwide. Connick is ranked among the top 60 best-selling male artists in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America, with...
publicised the name change from Hillside Trains to Connex. The campaign produced by Melbourne advertising agency Cummins & Partners played on the similar sound of Connex and Connick's name. A television commercial aired with Harry explaining; "I heard Hillside Trains was going to change its name and I was honoured to hear they were going to name it after me. Connicks. Well they could have consulted me on the spelling." Billboards on station platforms had Harry stating in a voice bubble; "Welcome to my train company - Connick's. That's OK, they'll fix the spelling..."
TV advertisements featuring Sheena Easton
Sheena Easton
Sheena Easton is a Scottish recording artist. Easton became famous for being the focus of an episode in the British television programme The Big Time, which recorded her attempts to gain a record contract and her eventual signing with EMI Records.Easton rose to fame in the early 1980s with the pop...
and a trainload of passengers singing her 1980 hit Morning Train (9 to 5)
9 to 5 (Sheena Easton song)
"9 to 5" is the title of a popular song written by British songwriter Florrie Palmer and recorded by Sheena Easton in 1980, becoming her biggest hit...
screened during April and May 2004.
Its most recent campaigns generally focused on commuter behaviour and etiquette. In mid-2005 Connex launched a print and TV advertising campaign featuring Humpty Dumpty
Humpty Dumpty
Humpty Dumpty is a character in an English language nursery rhyme, probably originally a riddle and one of the best known in the English-speaking world. He is typically portrayed as an egg and has appeared or been referred to in a large number of works of literature and popular culture...
and focusing on safety initiatives; the "Don't Hold Others Back
Don't Hold Others Back
Don't Hold Others Back is an advertisement created by Connex Melbourne to encourage courtesy on the Melbourne Rail Network by implying that delays to a train which causes delays on the network are caused by people holding the doors open for other people, standing near the doorway when there are...
" campaign of 2006 featured imagery of commuters struggling to board a train; and a 'train etiquette' campaign featuring fictitious character Martin Merton
Martin Merton
Martin M. Merton PhD is a fictional character that was created by Connex Melbourne in 2007 to increase the politeness and consideration of other passengers on Melbourne's Public Transport System...
PhD, "the worlds #1 expert on train etiquette" offered advice to passengers on such topics as mobile phone use, flatulence and other low-level behavioural annoyances of train travel.
Connex SMS service
Connex had a short message serviceShort message service
Short Message Service is a text messaging service component of phone, web, or mobile communication systems, using standardized communications protocols that allow the exchange of short text messages between fixed line or mobile phone devices...
system that allowed passengers to receive updates about train delays of more than 15 minutes on their phone for free.
Controversies
On 23 February 2007 a computer hacker broke into the gateway used by the SMS system and sent threatening messages to over 10,000 commuters who had subscribed to the service.A Connex spokesman said this was a hoax and that the hackers were able only to send the message and could not get access to the customer database.
Melbourne artist Van Thanh Rudd
Van Thanh Rudd
Van Thanh Rudd is a Vietnamese Australian artist, activist and the nephew of Australian former-Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. His artworks have created controversies due to their left-wing political content...
made an artwork attacking Connex's parent company Veolia Environnement's building of a light rail system linking up Israeli settlements.
On 29 April 2009, The Age
The Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
reported that complaints against Connex and Yarra Trams
Yarra Trams
Yarra Trams is the trading name of the Melbourne tram network, which is fully owned and registered by the Victorian State Government. The current franchise is operated by a consortium named KDR Melbourne which consists of a partnership between French company Keolis and Australian company Downer EDI...
ticket inspectors had risen by 60 per cent in 12 months. Officers were accused of excessive force, intimidating and heavy-handed behaviour towards commuters.
External links
- Connex Melbourne (Now redirects to Metro Trains website)
- Metlink Melbourne