- Minister for Public Transport
The more than 1000 extra train services running to and from the Melbourne Cup Carnival will be monitored by drones to help keep racegoers moving in and out of Flemington.
A new mobile CCTV trailer, complete with thermal night-time imaging to target vandals and trespassers, will also be used along the Flemington Racecourse line.
The trailer includes a six-metre mast, which carries a zoomable camera as well as a thermal imaging camera, providing clear vision at night or in areas with little or no light.
Both technologies will help reduce the impact of train and track faults across the network, getting trains and racegoers moving as quickly as possible.
The drones, which can be called upon at a moment’s notice, will give Metro Trains’ Control Centre staff the best view of the train network, complementing the 9,000 CCTV cameras already in place across Melbourne.
This is the first time Metro Trains will use its own drone technology with 10 specially trained pilots working across the four race days.
The vision will be monitored by Victoria Police and Metro Trains security staff who will be able to act quickly if there is an infrastructure issue or security incident on the track.
Racegoers are advised to take public transport to and from Flemington during the Melbourne Cup Carnival with more than 1,000 extra train and tram services providing fast, safe and frequent transport straight to the track.
On Melbourne Cup Day, trains will run to the track every six-to-seven minute, with a four-minute frequency helping racegoers get home after the festivities.
For more information go to www.ptv.vic.gov.au/events.
As noted by Minister for Public Transport Melissa Horne
“Using drone technology, we’ll be able to get the best possible views of the train network, which will carry around half of the 300,000 racegoers expected to flock to the Melbourne Cup Carnival.”
“We’re always working with our public transport operators to use new technologies that allow us to react quickly to anything that may occur anywhere on the train network.”
