Why are there no charging points on Metro trains?

Discussion

Currently on an approximately 4 hour train journey (V-Line then Metro to pick up a family Member, then Metro and V-Line back again). I could be spending the time productively by working on my laptop but it’s run out of battery.

This is out of the ordinary but my train journey to and from work is usually about 1h 20m each way and I can’t always ensure that my work laptop battery is fully charged before getting in the train.

There are a very limited number of charging points underneath the luggage rail/stand on most V-Line trains, but they are too far from the seats and inadequate in number. But that’s a separate issue.

Why don’t they install charging points underneath seats or elsewhere?

Seems like it would be a very easy and logical thing to do in 2024.

in MelbourneTrainsby Paper-Aeroplanes

78%

1mo

wongm

117

1mo

The current interior fitout of the Comeng, Siemens and X'Trapolis trains date back to the early-2000s, and guess what mobile phones people were using back then - Nokia brick phones that could run for days without being recharged.

Johntrampoline-

-63

1mo

Most of those phones also used single use batteries.

switchbladeeatworld

1mo

haha where did you get that idea mate

Johntrampoline-

-25

1mo

The fact that I have a few.

dirtyburgers85

1mo

Do you know what ‘single use’ means? I reckon I got my first phone in 2000. The battery was removable but certainly not single use.

Johntrampoline-

-10

1mo

Yes I do. I’m talking about the non rechargeable batteries, you can buy from the store. Maybe the ones I had were different to most.

virtueavatar

1mo

Which models?

Johntrampoline-

-5

1mo

If I find them I’ll get back to you.

nolo_contre_basso

1mo

All the phones that I had before my first iPhone had removable and replaceable batteries. Laptops did too.

stevtom27

1mo

I think you mean removable

Johntrampoline-

-2

1mo

No, I’m talking about the batteries you buy from the supermarket that aren’t rechargeable.

newguns

-9

1mo

Don't worry about the down votes. There are always apologists on this subreddit.

Dull_Let_5130

1mo

In this instance, it may be more a reflection of phones in the 2000s. By the time mobile phone become quite commonplace among the public, they usually had lithium-ion batteries (though from memory, some did use nickel-metal hydrides). The low requirements of phones meant batteries could easily last for days between charge.

There was also no charger standardisation, so trains would have had to be fitted with standard 240V sockets, so it would have been less ‘mobile phone charging points’ and more ‘plug anything in, maybe even a speaker or a hair dryer if you’re particularly keen’ (though perhaps realistically, it would have been laptops more than anything).

And while there are mains sockets in other countries’ trains (particularly on long distance services), clearly during the cost-cutting days of early privatisation (and without the battery life-driven need), they didn’t get a look-in here. Pure speculation, but there may also have been concerns about vandalism considering what people did to the slots in Metcard machines (the worst of which was probably the Rushall ticket machine explosion).

ActinomycetaceaeGlum

1mo

Some of the Vline trains have charging points: https://www.vline.com.au/Fares-general-info/On-board

Most Metro trips are short.

ttran0861

1mo

Only the standard gauge VLocitys to Albury have them; the rest of the lines don't

Empty-Laugh9971

1mo

All vline trains have power points, not just the Albury ones

ttran0861

1mo

I meant usb points - there are power points where the luggage areas are but they’re not necessarily designed as a charging port

nonseph

1mo

They aren't meant to be used for charging, they are for out of hours servicing (like a vacuum cleaner). I wouldn't trust them while the train is running

melbbear

1mo

Train to Albury has them!

DossieOssie

1mo

Yep second this. I used it every time I took the train to Melbourne.

On another note, have you tried using speedometer app to check speed of the train? I tried and none of them worked inside the train. It seems that the train body blocks gps signals.

iamthegemfinder

1mo

haha, the speedo thing actually happened to me yesterday, vlocity on the ballarat line. and i’ve always had issues with GPS on those trains otherwise

DossieOssie

1mo

Which is very strange because even when I put the phone on the glass window it still doesn’t work.

wongm

1mo

The windows are tinted with a metallic film that also happens to block radio signals.

Leather_Egg_6371

1mo

Well there was (still is one at parliament and Richmond I think) free charging lockers at the major train stations in the CBD, however they have all been either so vandalised that they got taken away, or the ones that are still around have 99% if their doors ripped off or cables yanked out.

wongm

1mo

Like so:

https://railgallery.wongm.com/melbourne-station-phone-chargers/

The ones at Flagstaff and Richmond seem to be still working somehow.

_-tk-421-_

1mo

Honestly, I would prefer they spent money on improving the frequency and reliability of the actual trains and just carry a powerbank if you can't manage your devices to last the day

_hazey__

1mo

I’d be wary of the power points on the V/Locity trains… they’re only meant to be used by the cleaners to plug their vacuums into, and I’ve seen a passenger’s MacBook cop a power surge and turn it into an expensive paperweight.

Use at your own risk.

wigteasis

1mo

meanwhile i saw a family get an extension cord and a multi plug to plug all their electronics on a wp -> scs trip😂

Johntrampoline-

1mo

When I went on the XPT, the staff said the same thing.

mr-snrub-

1mo

Why don’t they install charging points underneath seats or elsewhere?

Because Australians take no pride in what they have and they would have shit shoved in them and they'd be broken within a week. We just cant have nice things here.

EvilRobot153

1mo

Even if we got past the vandalism, they'd still be concerned about some dingus starting a fire while trying to recharge the powerbank they got off temu.

universe93

1mo

Truly. I went to Vancouver last year and I was shocked at how people actually treat things with respect. Like the airport even had sanitary pads and tampons in a bowl on the sink in the bathroom, and they were still there! Nobody had stolen the lot or thrown them all on the ground!

cigarettesandmemes

1mo

Adelaide and Perth have them and they seem to be doing fine

universe93

-1

1mo

I will say in their defence some of their regional trains probably run a far greater distance than the ones in Vic.

EvilRobot153

1mo

Adelaide regional trains 💀💀💀

newsneakyz

1mo

Easy to install a few low power ones, difficult (and costly) to maintain, as a USB port is fragile to both accidental and deliberate damage.

I think a solution is integration of wireless chargers as they could be made robust enough to suit the enviroment

gsshnc32

1mo

I would use a powerbank rather than a socket on public transport. The powerbank power would be cleaner and safer for your devices.

DrSendy

1mo

Search for "juice jacking". Airport spend forever going around looking for maliciously altered usb ports in airports....

If I just freaked you out, there are power-only male to female plugs you can use that guarantee only the power port is wired through.

universe93

1mo

I googled it and the FCC says it’s not aware of any confirms incidences of it actually occurring

store-krbr

1mo

A laptop should be able to run 4 hours without charge. If it doesn't, maybe it wasn't fully charged to begin with, otherwise you need a new battery.

Metro trips are hardly longer than one hour. Charging points are an unnecessary luxury.

OGOakTree

1mo

What about connecting? Seeing my friend on the metropolitan network alone is 2 hours 15 minutes with a not long wait time between trains.

store-krbr

1mo

If your office or laptop can't hold charge for 2 hours, you have a problem with your device, not with the train.

OGOakTree

1mo

My point isn't the device its the time you mentioned. Also mf ppl can't just "get a new device" i promise you half of us can't even pay our myki fares.

store-krbr

1mo

I feel for you if you can't afford a myki fare or a cheap new phone, because it probably means you struggle to put food on the table. But that doesn't make a good argument for charging points on Metro trains.

Given that a standard ticket is 2 hours, I think it's fair to assume that the vast majority of trips are under two hours.

If your phone doesn't hold for two hours, I don't think chargers on Metro trains are a sensible solution. What are you going to do, spend the whole day on and off trains to keep your phone charged?

As for laptops, if you must use your laptop on the train, probably you are working. Your employer can fork 50 bucks for a new battery.

CapnBloodbeard

1mo

Other countries do it...but our trains don't even bother putting in adequate handles.

Anyway, get a powerbank...I presume your laptop is usb-c charging?

mariorossi87

1mo

Cause we are a population of drongos and would be vandalised on day 1

redex93

1mo

To be clear your talking about vline not metro but either way it's all about vandalism. the trains used to have carpet, I'm amazed vline even manages to include toilets.

OGOakTree

1mo

They kinda have to. There's no way everyone taking a massively long v/line trip + potential connections is going to last that long without needing a toilet

No-Bison-5397

1mo

It’s 2024, modern laptop’s last all day except under the heaviest loads and we all have external battery packs.

Due-Consequence8772

1mo

Because they'd be broken within days, our general public are why we can't have nice things

Maybbaybee

1mo

They would be vandalised in a day.

nickstransportvlogs

1mo

I don’t even understand why the VLos didn’t even get any, when them and the 4000 Class EMUs (Which have charging ports at the doors, and this class is used in Adelaide, but built in Dandenong) were built under the same roof.

RealPascoeValePerson

-7

1mo

Sounds like you don't practice prior, proper planning.

Have you considered not making the train carriage uncomfortable with your laptop and instead engage in some small talk with your fellow commuters?

Zodiak213

1mo

Ah yes, the gentle art of coming off as the local crack head by speaking to random people you don't know on the trains.

universe93

1mo

Absolutely no one wants to engage in small talk on the train

Tootfuckingtoot

-9

1mo

I was just gonna that metro are cheap fuckers! But even looking at flinders st, what a dump compared to stations I e seen over seas!

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