The Two-Person Team at Parkville Station Helping Thousands of People
Since opening in December, Travellers Aid’s newest hub has been quietly transforming what it means to travel to Melbourne’s medical precinct.
When Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel stations opened, I made a point of exploring each one. They’re beautiful spaces — considered, light-filled, unlike anything else on the network. But it was something else that caught my eye at Parkville Station. Some friendly faces setting things up for a new Travellers Aid hub. I remember thinking: of all the places in Melbourne to put a service like this, right here, in the heart of the city’s medical precinct, makes complete sense.
Anyone who’s travelled to a hospital appointment — or accompanied someone who has — knows the particular anxiety of it. The unfamiliar corridors, the distances that look manageable on a map but aren’t, the mental load of just getting there on top of everything else you’re carrying. The idea that someone might be waiting at the station to help seemed, to me, long overdue.
I’ve since had the chance to speak with Joel Ubias, the Site Supervisor who has been there since day one — one of what he calls the “pioneers” of the Parkville service.
Not just getting people from A to B
Joel is modest about what he does, but the picture he paints is anything but ordinary.
“We’re just not here to work and finish the day,” he told me. “It’s more about what we’re able to provide.”
In practice, that looks different every day. Parkville Station serves three major hospitals — Royal Melbourne, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, and the Royal Women’s — plus Melbourne Private. Joel has noticed that the patient flow shifts depending on the day of the week. Mondays tend to bring more Peter Mac patients. Tuesdays, more people heading to Royal Melbourne.
The team learns the rhythms of the precinct the way a good local knows their neighbourhood.
What surprised Joel most when the service opened wasn’t the work itself — it was the demand.
“I was thinking, oh, it might not be as busy because people don’t normally know that there’s a mobility assistant ready in a train station,” he said. “But surprisingly, we have supported almost 4,000 people since December.”
Just two people on the floor each day, five days a week.
The people who don’t ask
One of the most telling things Joel shared was about hesitation. Many of the people who need help most are the ones least likely to ask for it.
“We noticed that pattern where people are sometimes hesitant to ask because they feel like — I’m not sure who to ask, or where to ask,” he said. So the team doesn’t wait. They approach people proactively, reading the concourse for anyone who looks uncertain or in need.
“Some people are just, ‘Oh, thank you for offering,’ because they just didn’t know whether to ask or not.”
There’s also a common misconception he encounters regularly: people assume the service costs money.
“That’s one of the reasons why people don’t ask (for our services),” Joel told me.
“They think automatically we’re charging.” When he sees a first-timer, he makes a point of telling them upfront — this is a free mobility connection service. No charge. No forms. Just help.
The woman who wanted breakfast first
The most vivid moment Joel described wasn’t a dramatic one. It was an older woman, new to the service, arriving at Parkville Station with an hour to spare before her appointment. She asked Joel if she had time to eat something first.
He walked her to a café, made sure she was settled, then spoke quietly to the café team— asking them to keep an eye on her while she ate, in case she became confused about where to go next. Then he came back to check on her before her appointment.
“I just want them to feel safe and confident,” he said.
It’s not what most people imagine when they think of a station assistance service. But it’s exactly what Travellers Aid does — and it’s why, Joel says, some of the most meaningful feedback comes not from the patients themselves but from family members who call afterwards.
“Thank you for helping my mum earlier.” Those calls, he said, mean everything.
What to know before you go
The Parkville hub is open Monday to Friday, and the team operates without pre-bookings — deliberately so. Joel explained that pre-bookings would create expectations around exact timing that two staff members simply can’t always meet during peak periods.
Instead, if things are busy, someone will ask you to wait five to ten minutes and come back to find you. Most regulars have learned to arrive a little early, which helps.
The service covers wheelchair assistance, personal guidance and wayfinding — including walking with you from the platform all the way to your hospital entrance if needed.
Joel is clear that even if something falls outside what Travellers Aid can do directly, the team will refer you to someone who can help.
Weekend support isn’t currently available due to funding constraints, though the team is watching demand closely as the service develops.
How to find them
The Travellers Aid hub at Parkville Station is on the western end of the concourse, near Exits 3 and 4 — the exits closest to Royal Melbourne Hospital and Royal Women’s Hospital.
Hours: Monday to Friday, 7.30am–3.30pm (excluding public holidays)
Phone: (03) 9661 8000
Email: parkville@travellersaid.org.au
No booking needed.
Part of something bigger
Parkville is the newest addition to a network that now includes Southern Cross, Flinders Street, Geelong, Ballarat, Seymour and Melbourne Airport.
This quarter, Travellers Aid is our Community Giveback partner — and if their work resonates with you, there’s a simple way to support them.
Even if donating isn’t for you right now, sharing this article with someone who travels to Parkville for appointments is just as welcome.
Travellers Aid Parkville Station
Grattan Street, Parkville (western end of concourse, near Exits 3 and 4)
Ph: (03) 9661 8000
parkville@travellersaid.org.au
Hours: Monday to Friday, 7.30am–3.30pm
Also read: Travellers Aid Melbourne: Wheelchair Hire and So Much More
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