Being the first city in Australia to introduce electric trains, Melbourne now boasts the largest broad gauge network in Australia. Victorian public transport was privatised in 1999, Connex Melbourne becoming the sole suburban operator from April 18 2004. Up to this date Melbourne's trains had been run by two private companies since privatisation, Connex Melbourne and M>Train, until National Express withdrew ther support for M>Train in December 2002. V/Line Passenger, which was returned to the public sector in late 2003, runs all interurban and country services. Great Southern Railway and Countrylink provide interstate links.

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Real time passenger information is provided at all stations on the electrified suburban network (with the exception of Spencer Street and Flinders Street) and is obtained by pressing the green button on the "brick". Both Connex Melbourne and V/Line Passenger departures are given. Up to four departures from the platform it is located on are given, and normally includes departures up to an hour away. The system is known as PRIDE II and is also used to play station announcements on the approach of a train.
Information panel - The Met logo at Fairfield
Photo - Glenn Jackson-Bethell
One of the last "Hillside Trains" panels at Spencer Street (this station never provided "push button" information.
Photo - Glenn Jackson-Bethell
Information panel - Bayside Trains logo at Mentone.
Photo - Glenn Jackson-Bethell
All city loop stations have VDU's providing passengers information, such as this one at Parliament station.
Photo - Glenn Jackson-Bethell
Flinders St and Southern Cross suburban platforms are the only stations on the network not to have push button information. This example from Flinders Street can only be used for emergency services.
Photo - Glenn Jackson-Bethell
Many suburban stations now have scrolling PID's, in addition to automatic announcements and information panels. This example is at Fairfield.
Photo - Glenn Jackson-Bethell
Only a few stations that received the M>Train branding on Information panels. This is one such example at Watergardens.
Photo - Glenn Jackson-Bethell
Similarly, only a small number of stations received "Connex" branding before Metlink branding commenced. This example was at Surrey Hills.
Photo - Glenn Jackson-Bethell
"Metlink" is now the uniform brand for Melbourne suburban public transport, such as this example of an information panel at Ashburton.
Photo - Glenn Jackson-Bethell