Locals living in Melbourne’s west have the opportunity to be featured in a one-of a kind podcast played to passengers on trains.
Metro Trains Melbourne has partnered with Storytowns Podcast Tours and the Department of Transport and Planning to capture untold stories of the city with a series of podcasts.
Those travelling along the Williamstown, Sandringham and Pakenham lines can have an app downloaded to their phones then when passengers approach a town, landmark or point of interest, the podcast will automatically play in their earphones.
This use of geo-located podcasts along the city’s train lines is an Australian-first.
Metro Trains chief executive Raymond O’Flaherty said these podcasts will provide passengers with a new and unique way to experience Melbourne
“They will especially be great for school kids and tourists who want to know more about the west,” he said.
Melbourne residents are invited to share their local stories which may feature in the podcasts.
“We have plans for the layout of the podcasts, we know what’s around each area but the community knows more,” Mr O’Flaherty said.
“Residents that live along the train lines will have some really interesting stories that we don’t know about, it will be amazing to uncover those.”
The series of podcasts will cover a variety of themes, including local food, culture, street art, travel tips, fun facts, and interesting stories about each suburb’s history, culture and train stations.
Locals can share their stories via www.storytowns.app or social media platforms by June 1.
The podcasts will be available for listening from July.
Jennifer Pittorino
