Large vending machines replace food kiosks at Flinders Street Station
Food kiosks on the platforms of Flinders Street Station have been replaced by giant vending machines, just months after the historic stalls were taken down to “reduce clutter” and add “more platform space”. But have they?
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Food kiosks on the platforms of Flinders Street Station have been replaced by giant vending machines months after the historic stalls were taken down to create more space.
Heritage lovers and commuters are baffled by the location of the machines after being told the kiosks had to go as part of a $100 million upgrade to the station.
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In July, Public Transport Victoria said the shopfronts were removed as part of a push to add “more platform space for better passenger flow and comfort”.
The announcement sparked an outpouring of support for the decades-old stores and their steady stream of dim sims and newspapers.
But commuters were left scratching their heads this week when they noticed large metallic boxes full of soft drink taking up the same space.
No new vending machines have been purchased and existing machines have instead been moved from other parts of the station to reduce clutter.
Eltham resident Sue Bush said she missed the old kiosks and had been perplexed by the change
“It is a shame to take them away and then replace them with something that still takes up quite a bit of space,” she said.
“The kiosks were around for decades and were really a part of the fabric of the city.”
A single kiosk remains on Platform 1 because it is protected by a heritage overlay.
The subways and platforms at Flinders Street Station are being upgraded to create more space and make it easier to move around Melbourne’s historic station,” a Public Transport Victoria spokesman said.
“The works will reduce clutter on the platforms and ensure better passenger flow, especially during peak periods.
“The upgrades are part of the redevelopment of the iconic station to further improve the experience for more than 200,000 people who use the station each day.”
Melbourne Heritage Action vice president Rohan Storey said the kiosks had been part of the station since it was first built.
“People were upset and there was a lot of reaction when they were taken away,” he said.
”It turned out because the structure themselves weren’t old the heritage report said they had no heritage value but we all disagreed.
“The kiosk is part of the character and to replace it with vending machine just adds to the clutter of the platform and detracts from the station.”
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