As is the Premier's wont, he announced it via a tweet. Melbourne, meet your new train station, with glass panels to help queuing. Credit:Daniel Andrews / Twitter But can you spot the really strange thing, though? The new platforms come with screen doors, which separate commuters from trains. "That's great for safety, climate control, noise," Mr Andrews said at an early morning press conference.

He said the screen doors were a critical and defining feature of the new stations, and confirmed each of the five new stations to be built as part of the Metro project would incorporate the feature. The concept is quite simple. A wall of plastic separates commuters from the train, with the screen only opening when the train arrives. The system is designed to both protect commuters and stop people jumping on the tracks, a common problem that has delayed many a City Loop service. They will also protect against accidental falls and suicides. Perhaps one of the most-appreciated features for people waiting for a train will be the doors' function as climate control, blocking the wind that trains tend to push around the City Loop. Platform screen doors are quite common the world over, with systems existing in London, Tokyo, Korea and Dubai among other places.

Some systems use half-height doors, but the ones for Parkville appear to be full-height, creating an effective barrier. Mr Andrews also told reporters the state government is now calling for expressions of interest for high-capacity signalling on the Melbourne Metro Rail project, allowing for 30 trains an hour. "We can use the best technology to run them closer together safely, as well as making sure we've got the best communications," he said. Mr Andrews said high-capacity signalling was unlocking the potential of the public transport system. "You can throw away the timetable. Trains will be there every two or three minutes."

The high-capacity signalling will be installed on the Sunbury-Cranbourne Pakenham line and the new tunnel, with the technology being trialled on a section of the South Morang line. Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allan said putting high-capacity signalling into part of the South Morang line would provide testing information about how it can be deployed across the network.



Asked if there had been further discussions with the federal government about funding the Melbourne Metro project, Mr Andrews said the Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull "doesn't do much except take photos and talk a lot". "That doesn't create jobs and that doesn't create growth."