New Train Connexion for Melbourne

Ten years ago, Connex, a subsidiary of the French corporation Veolia Environnement, was awarded by the State Government of Victoria a contract to operate the suburban rail lines in Melbourne, Victoria. Over the years, as a combination of lack of government support and mismanagement by Connex, the train service has been anything but stellar and has been widely criticized by its riders. This past June, the State Government of Victoria stripped Connex’s contract and, starting in November of this year, the responsibilities will fall to Metro Trains Melbourne (MTM), Metro to the public, an enterprise formed my majority owner MTR Corporation — based in Hong Kong and operating that city’s train lines — and two minority Australian owners, John Holland Group and United Group