This station was rather charming, though not to the extent that some of the other stations that I…read morehad found are. Still, the trains are reasonably regular, though there doesn't seem to be much in the way of places to sit. However, the thing I do like about this station is that it is rather close to a rather nice street with some delightful cafes on it. Sure, it isn't one of the hippest part of Melbourne, but it certainly still has some charm about it. The station works well as well, though it isn't serviced.

I was attending a conference in Box Hill in Melbourne and a friend said he would pick me up at the…read moreMont Albert Station, as it was easier to negotiate the pick up. The station itself is quite small and isolated...I felt like I stepped back in history until the small box on the wall announced the passing of the next train. Oh..I was thinking if I needed help here...there is no one around. Walking onto the street is through an underground tunnel and up a set of stairs, umm..no wheelchair access and no lift. Well..get onto the street I was pleasantly surprised. Neat stylish shops, the fresh smells of baked bread, little intimate cafes and fresh grocery stores. There was also three secondhand stores with high quality goods on display.

Doncaster Park and Ride is pretty damn awesome and it makes life easier for hundreds of people…read moreevery single day. It is basically a massive 400-car car park located next to a bus bay. It can be accessed via Doncaster Road and is just before (or after) the entrance to Eastlink freeway. The bus services that run here are: Route 207 - City - Donvale via Doncaster Road Route 280 - Manningham Loop via Tunstall Square SC, Shoppingtown Route 282 - Manningham Mover via Templestowe Village SC, Shoppingtown Route 284 - Doncaster Shoppingtown - Box Hill via Union Road Route 285 - Doncaster Shoppingtown - Camberwell via North Balwyn Route 309 - City - Donvale via Reynolds Road (Freeway Exp) Route 313 - City (Russell Street) - Doncaster Park + Ride via Eastern Freeway and Kilby Road Route 907 - City - Mitcham via Doncaster Road (SMARTBUS Service) Route 908 - City - The Pines via King Street (SMARTBUS Service) In the mornings this place is awesome because buses run almost every five minutes during peak hours. Smart buses are in operation here and screens at the bus stop display exactly how many minutes until the bus will arrive and depart. There is NO myki machine here so you will want to top up your card before you turn up. There are ticket machines though. If it is raining there is plenty of shelter to keep you dry. Perhaps the only bad thing about this place is that during the week the car park is often full by 7.30am and leaving at the end of the day can be painful when all the city workers arrive back at their cars at the same time. Otherwise though it is a super awesome idea and I am a big fan!

Although many believe this place should have a second level, Doncaster Park and Ride is so…read moreimportant for the scarce public transport options in the Manningham area. Having lived in Manningham the majority of my life, I hate explaining that there is no train stops near my house and a 15 minute drive to the station is around 30 minutes via bus. If you drive to Park and Ride for your morning commute to the city you can expect a 20 minute ride to Spring Street which is amazing for peak hour!

Yeah, this station is rather nice, and you can sort of tell that it has been around for a while,…read moreand that it is also a rather major station as well. It is quite close to the shops, which is also a pretty good thing, and the trains are also reasonably frequent, and some of them are express as well, which I certainly do appreciate. Sure, it might not be one of my favourite suburbs in Melbourne, but the station does have some charm, and there is also a bus interchange as well, which also helps.

St Kilda station is a former railway station located right in the middle of St Kilda, it used to be…read morethe terminus of the St Kilda railway line of the Melbourne suburban rail system and is the oldest surviving railway station building in Victoria. It is now accessible by the St Kilda Beach light rail, it is one of only three stations in Victoria to have a 19th century train shed. There is a big bright red sign as you pull into St Kilda Station that is separated into linear panels spelling the letters "Metropol," this sign has become somewhat iconic to St Kilda, and is an association of mine to being at the beach as well as Summer time. Still having remnants of the old railway station there are now a series of shops and cafe's scattered through the old terminal, it is lovely to wander through and think about what the station used to look like on your way on through to St Kilda Beach.

This is basically a university station, namely because it happens to be located right next to a…read moreuniversity. Okay, the trains don't always stop here, and there isn't all that much in the way of facilities, expect for the shopping mall that happen to be located beneath it, and it is a pretty cool shopping mall as well. Oh, and the station buildings are also quite nice.

Like most train stations in Melbourne Glenferrie Station is packed in peak times. CBD workers and…read moreschool children clog the station and the train carriages in the morning and afternoon. The station suffers from enormous numbers of school kids and students from Swinburne, but it isn't really a problem until you get onto the trains. The Lilydale, Belgrave and Alamein lines all come through here so to get to another destination you'll have to head further in and then transfer to another train line. During the late nights watch out for crowds around Cheers and Room the local hot spots. I'm not aware of any problems but it's always good to note that there are people drinking in venues close by.

Once you arrive here you are basically in Melbourne's leafy foothills. Okay, not all trains along…read morethis line reach this station, but most do, though if you are planning on heading further north then, unfortunately, you may have to get off the train here and wait for the next one to come along. Still, as a station, it really isn't too bad, though it does feel like one of those rather unappealing 60s types. Yet, it is staffed and does have facilities, so that is a good thing.

I do really like a railway station that is surrounded by art, and not the type of art that is…read moregenerally unsolicited (though some of that art is still pretty good mind you). Rather I am talking about art that happens to be commissioned by the local council, and this is definitely one of those stations where this is the case. Mind you, it isn't staffed, and does seem to be rather small, but it is located in a lovely part of Melbourne where if you step off you suddenly discover yourself in a world of wanders. Yeah, this place is actually rather nice to be honest.

And another random railway station that I'm reviewing. Well, random is probably not the best word…read moreto describe this as that would involve me getting off the train just to review a railway station, and that isn't something that I am really all that keen to do. However, this station wasn't too bad. It's been renovated and also quite clean, and near some pretty decent shops as well.

Ahhh. Balaclava. I used to love getting on and off the train at Balaclava station. OKay, not the…read morewalk down or up those long ramps, that could be a bit painful. But getting off at Balaclava always felt a bit like being in a rock video. First a couple of orthodox jews would get off, all dressed in black and wearing those awesome hats they wear. Then a tough old lesbian couple. Then maybe a backpacker or two, and then finally me. And I'd maybe stop for a coffee, listening to the relaxing thunder of the trains passing overhead, and I'd be happy.