CBD commuting from Bacchus Marsh

[jimmy1986]

Hello fellow poms!

 

My girlfriend and I are looking to move out to the Melbourne area towards the end of the year and are looking at potential suburbs to settle in, Bacchus Marsh being top of our list at the moment.

 

We both work in IT so will most likely find work in Melbournes CBD, can anyone comment on what the commute is like from BM? We're intending to use the trains rather than drive.

 

There were a few posts about BM on here, but nothing recent, I hear the line has recently taken some upgrades?

 

Are the trains reliable for commuting? A few leaves on the line and the trains won't run?

 

Any other comments in general about BM? Would love to hear.

 

Thanks!

[Quoll]

It's on the Ballarat line. It's fine - some relatives of ours had kids who commuted into Melbourne to Uni every day and they had few problems. Not fantastically modern rolling stock on that line though unless they've upgraded in the past few years.

[surfndirt]

G'Day Jimmy,

 

I ride dirt bikes out that way most weekends - get the same question about 1x a month on average.

 

By far the easiest answer is to pull out a map of the South East of London and map out some of the surrounding towns villages of London. Then think realistically about what a complete nightmare it would be to into and out of the city every, single, day.

 

BM, Melton, Greendale etc etc - they are all cheap for a reason buddy, that being it is not really commutable. Take, for example, where I currently work which the top of Lizzy street in the CBD. From BM I would need to travel;

 

- ~ 1hr? From BM to Southern Cross

- 10mins from SC to Melb Central

- 10mins walk from MC to office

 

Melbourne is the same as any other big city mate, no difference just cos some randoms from Reading were on a TV show once where they bought a house in the D ranges for $350k. The TV wouldn't show the miles and miles of traffic jams to get anywhere near the city. Or the train car parks all full at 7am everyday for the commute.

[rosiew]

Well plenty of people do it. But it is not a suburb, it is a nice, small country town. You could well be bored stiff - stuck in a new estate quite a way from the shops. It is different if you have a family and have local friends. It is a bit far to regularly go to Melbourne for nights out etc. There are plenty of people there in their 20s but they probably grew up there or close by, work locally and play in the footy team. Which will not be your life.

 

I'd suggest going for a small property closer in - say Altona. I appreciate that rents are considerably cheaper for a lot of house in Bacchus Marsh but its all relative - you are paying for the lack of amenity.

 

Try not to compare rents to the UK. Perhaps work out what you expect 30% of your net incomes to be and work around that figure as a guide?

 

Best of luck with the move.