South-east Melbourne locals are encouraged to spruik local stories from their hometowns as part of an upcoming virtual tour-based podcast.
Metro Trains is partnering with travel podcast and geo-mapping platform Storytowns Podcast Tours and the Department of Transport and Planning to deliver the tour experience.
Podcasts will play automatically as you approach a town, landmark or point of interest.
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.
One of the series will focus on stations and suburbs along the Pakenham line, including Pakenham, Berwick, Narre Warren, Dandenong, Sandown Park and Springvale, with additional podcasts coming on the Belgrave, Lilydale, Upfield, Williamstown and Sandringham lines.
South-east Melbourne locals can contribute to the series by Thursday 1 June.
After hitchhiking around the world, Storytowns founder Jarrod Pickford wanted to connect travellers to communities, launching the project in regional Victoria, with hundreds of free geo-located podcasts now available 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.“
Metro Trains chief executive Raymond O’Flaherty said the podcast series will be a “new and unique“ way to enjoy Melbourne’s inner and outer suburbs.
“This will provide our passengers with a new and unique way to experience Melbourne,“ he said.
“These podcasts will enhance the journey and provide passengers with fascinating insights into the places they travel through.“
The Storytowns app is available for download on both iOS and Android devices.
To express your interest in contributing to the podcast series, visit www.storytowns.app.
