Did you know that the clocks at Flinders Street Station used to be manually changed 900 times a day? More than 400,000 passengers pass through Australia’s oldest station every day but most are unaware of its rich and interesting history.

Train travel is set to become a more unique and interesting experience for passengers with Metro Trains Melbourne partnering with Storytowns Podcast Tours and the Department of Transport and Planning to capture untold stories of our city with a series of podcasts.

Podcasts play automatically as you approach a town, landmark or point of interest, and soon whilst you’re travelling across Melbourne’s one thousand kilometres of train lines.

This use of geo-located podcasts along the city’s train lines is an Australian-first.

Melbourne residents are invited to share their local stories which may feature in the podcasts. It’s an exciting opportunity to bring the unique character and history of Melbourne’s suburbs to life through the voices of local people.

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. Initially, the podcasts will focus on the Belgrave, Lilydale, Upfield, Williamstown, Sandringham and Pakenham lines.

After hitchhiking around the world, founder of Storytowns, Jarrod Pickford wanted to connect travellers to communities. Storytowns began in regional Victoria and has now produced hundreds of free geo-located podcasts throughout Australia.

“We believe that every suburb has a story to tell, and we’re excited to bring Melbourne’s unique character and history to life through the voices of its people,” Jarrod said.

Metro Trains CEO Raymond O’Flaherty said that this will provide passengers with a new and unique way to experience Melbourne.

“These podcasts will enhance the journey and provide passengers with fascinating insights into the places they travel through,” he said.

Melbourne locals can contribute their stories via the Storytowns website – www.storytowns.app  or social media platforms by 1 June. Podcasts will be available from July.

The Storytowns app is available for download on both iOS and Android devices. Users can access the podcasts for free and start their journey right away.