The Brief History of M-Train (and Bayside)

M-Train was a pretty cool little operator that didn't last too long, 1999-2004, called Bayside Trains for a bit. Refurbished some Comeng and bought some new trains then stopped existing.
Discord server: / discord
Credit to the various owners of footage:
- Chris J: • MTrain Comeng Middle F... "MTrain Comeng Middle Footscary 25th April 2004" and • Rabid Hitachi action S... "Rabid Hitachi action South Yarra-Hawksburn 7th August 2003"
- Taitset: • Melbourne Suburban Tra... "Melbourne Suburban Trains 2004-05"
- VRFan: • Historic Electric Trai... "Historic Electric Trains in Melbourne - Taits and Doggies"
- Bill James: • 2001 02 07 No 43 4 Aus... "2001 02 07 No 43 4 Australia, Melbourne Flinders St Stn"
And many more people who's photos and short clips I have used.
Music from David Cutter Music
Music by Mona Wonderlick
Free Download: bit.ly/new-day-download
KZbin: bit.ly/youtube-monawonderlick
Soundcloud: bit.ly/soundcloud-mona-wonderlick
Spotify: bit.ly/spotify-mona-wonderlick

[@moo80]

This may not go down as a popular comment amongst train enthusiasts, but as a passenger the Siemens trains are my favourite trains on the network; they feel more spacious, the seats are ergonomic, and passing between cars is easier. I wish they ran on my line (Belgrave/Lilydale/Alamein)

[@mineyon-ms]

honestly, the siemens are my least favourite train type

[@NicholassTrainChannel]

Nice video mate. Very interesting to hear about the history of M>Train and what happend to them. Good thing the siemens nexus train had there problems sorted out otherwise we wouldnt see them today.

[@colemando-qc4io]

Loving these videos, I moved to Melbourne in 2019 so it's been very cool learning about all the history around the train lines

[@lauriewhite8153]

loved the old footage!! takes me back to times when the info screens at Flinders St were all CRT monitors as opposed to the flatscreen monitors used today

[@stopsallmelb]

I love those displays and how they stayed around way too long at box Hill

[@MetroManMelbourne]

@@stopsallmelb in the city loop til the 2010s I think too

[@RyanMoran1992]

Great video. The reason Sydenham was renamed Watergardens is that the owners of the shopping centre paid the government for the privilege of using their shopping centre name as the station name (and what government doesn’t love money). Would love to see a map of the present day network showing what lines the present rolling stock can and do operate on (Comeng, Siemens, xtrapolis etc.)

[@michaelmcdonald3275]

That's a very comprehensive and accurate analysis, well done!

[@123Metroman]

Nice video mate - very well spoken and documented! The photo of the Siemens at Glen Waverley is actually mine and I'm glad it's in your video ☺️ Also, fun fact - the EDI Comeng headboards are not LED's, they're actually a Flip Dot type!

[@MetroManMelbourne]

Thank you! You’re very lucky to have shot that, not every day it happens of course. I’d be quite shocked if a Siemens rocked up to my local station of Glenferrie (obviously the Belgrave line but similar sort of thing). Thanks for correcting me about the destination boards, I’m not very familiar with their various types so that’s helpful.

[@griffinrails]

@@MetroManMelbourne The destos, PIDs, cameras and i believe some other things were supplied by Innovonics.

[@staterailvlogs4167]

well some edi's have led boards

[@86_beans]

Not related to M-Train or Bayside Trains but the displays ... I remember the old Locomotion advertising boards in the old Comeng carriages in the 1990s. They were so boring. I was amazed one day when there was an actual advertisement on the one in my carriage. They were one of the most utterly useless creations.

[@Comeng_]

Some edis have led headboards for replacement after the flip dots are damaged

[@iannosworthy1529]

A very informative video. Well done and keep up the good work!!

[@jhxu]

yoo 2k subs! congrats dude!

[@trainspotting_by_nico8447]

Great video!! Subscribed 👍 Greetings from Italy

[@griffinrails]

Found something interesting when looking through old Connex news releases, in 2003 there was a proposal to merge the M-Train Network and Connex network under a state-owned coorporation called Trainco, which just shows that only 4 years after the split got privatised they were desperately trying to reverse it. Great vid.

[@MetroManMelbourne]

annoying thing is that labor had the chance to reverse the privatisation... and went against their entire ideology and didn't. Very stupid. Hoping things are nationalised soon again.

[@anakinskywalker4113]

@@MetroManMelbourne I think we are stuck with metro for the long term. I don’t see either side changing the current system.

[@MetroManMelbourne]

@@anakinskywalker4113 unfortunately that seems to be the case at the moment. But I’d love for that to change (even though I doubt it will for a while).

[@johnlang4198]

Unfortunately, I can't see them being re-nationalizing, as politicians of both sides are in love with the lack of direct accountability that privatization affords.

[@stopsallmelb]

I don't mind the line name being different from the actual stop, seems it will happen more and more with the new white signs saying "towards" if extensions say to Pakenham to goes to Pakenham east or Frankston to Baxter, I don't see the need to change the name as you get the idea of where it's heading anyway

[@MetroManMelbourne]

That’s true, though I do think it’s still a little inconsistent when the train / line terminates at “Sydenham” and yet that station of Sydenham has the less well known “watergardens” as a name. But obviously there are far worse problems on the network

[@themelbournerailfan]

@@MetroManMelbourne Can you do one on Hillside too please?

[@polygontransit]

Great video!

[@Comeng_]

0:56 was a smooth transition

[@joshrouch]

WOO I LOVE MTRAIN!! WOOO NEW VIDEO

[@MrPaddywacker]

Great Video Any chance on doing one on Melbourne's trial double decker train

[@AdmiringSparks]

I like M>train better because the connex network is littered with xtrapolis 100s and I love the comeng and the edi comengs are so much better. Also congrats on 2k subs

[@MetroManMelbourne]

i completely agree with that. Thanks :)

[@mament_86]

The brief hystory,, nice👍👍🤝

[@Somalianimations]

Nice video

[@Lachtrain]

Ohh interesting, will u do a history of connex (hillside)?

[@MetroManMelbourne]

probably eventually yes but history of metlink first

[@Lachtrain]

@@MetroManMelbourne ok metlink more interesting anyway

[@antoinettenewsfalzon332]

So when did the Sydenham trains start going to Sunbury what year was it

[@jwoshywoshy]

(pretty late but) Fun fact: The first part in the video where the m-train comeng pulls up.. that is the "runaway broadmeadows train". you can kind of see the driver getting out of the train to go to the toilet then the train starts to roll away. but it gets cutoff with the other pictures.

[@MetroManMelbourne]

Not at all lol that was filmed at middle Footscray

[@jwoshywoshy]

@@MetroManMelbourne it is..

[@MetroManMelbourne]

@@jwoshywoshy it's not even the same set lol. It's a regular train at Middle Footscray on the 25th April 2004.

[@jwoshywoshy]

@@MetroManMelbourne oh ok

[@Jordan-288]

In my opinion the M>Train EDI Comeng livery is the greatest train livery in Victorian rail history. Although West Coast Railway livery is a notable second

[@MetroManMelbourne]

It is a very nice livery. The interior is quite nice too, the seat pattern worked quite well with the interior layout.

[@Jordan-288]

I'm a bit of an Alstom fan when it comes to the interior but I will agree the original M>Train interior was very clean and minimalist. And I will never forget waiting at Bentleigh station as a young kid just hoping to see one of those smiling EDI's at Patterson in the distance and being for the first time in my life genuinely excited to catch a train.

[@FiveTangent4882]

M train

[@polygontransit]

bottom text

[@MetroManMelbourne]

N train

[@JustSimplyLunar]

personally i prefer m train livery over metro livery, shame it disappeared so quickly

[@joelpackett7582]

M>train moving Melbourne

[@MetroManMelbourne]

me and the me- I mean M>train definitely no stealing there eh

[@staterailvlogs4167]

can you do connex and hillside next?

[@MetroManMelbourne]

I intend to make a connex video sometime soon but no timeframe as of yet

[@staterailvlogs4167]

also can you do the aughhhh meme

[@tonnyyyyyyyyy]

Hope the comengs return on the hillside network.

[@MetroManMelbourne]

I do as well even though I know they unfortunately won’t. Ahhh the memories…

[@jimpikoulis6726]

I think the Alstom Comeng refurbishment was a much better finish than the EDI refurbishment!!!!

[@nostalgiaof98]

Maybe it's my bias for the 90s but I like the colour scheme and general graphic design of the liveries then. I mean what about Melbourne says blue and yellow?

[@MetroManMelbourne]

Met livery of the 90s was very nice.

[@nostalgiaof98]

@@MetroManMelbourne also a question, do you think this boom gate crossing is necessary for seemingly every station? If I recall correctly they wanted to get rid of dangerous boom gates, now it seems like they're about to get rid of all

[@volgrencr221]

fun fact at box hill the with the old box TV next train dysplays ome of them was just blue and had a faded Sandringham on it every time i was at box hill i would see it but name was faded badly why did it say it

[@bradallen8909]

CRT burn in. Must have been used on the Sandringham line before being installed at Box Hill.

[@Low760]

What about national bus national express being left also.

[@MetroManMelbourne]

Could you rephrase?

[@griffinrails]

@@MetroManMelbourne natexp also operated national bus company the vic/mel part got bought by venture got merged into ventura later on thats all lol apparently there was a proposal to rename it "m>bus" but it never occured

[@randomclass4653]

when the yarra is sus!11111111

[@ethansrailwayvlogs]

Wonder how m-train livery would look on a HCMT 🤔

[@MetroManMelbourne]

That would be interesting to see lol

[@griffinrails]

@@MetroManMelbourne how about connex xtrap livery on one wouldn't look too bad

[@MetroManMelbourne]

@@griffinrails certainly true

[@rohantrainvlogs]

M>Train took your MetroManMedia logo 😡😡😡😡😡

[@MetroManMelbourne]

so sad honestly will be suing them for this

[@Maunico0809]

National Express wasn’t heard after this moment

[@HazptMedia]

Pro

[@MetroManMelbourne]

i agree hazpt media

[@bluckfox]

conex wasetn that good

[@AdmiringSparks]

Oiooooh