An early morning commute is a part of many people’s lives, which is evident if you’re one of those people travelling to Melbourne City via public transport.

As someone who often avoids public transport it was very out of my comfort zone to begin taking the train from Croydon to the City. Early mornings coupled with a very low chance of getting a seat, even from a station so far out, didn’t make the journey any more appealing to me.

According to Metro trains, 415,000 people catch the train every day in Melbourne and while there are multiple trains running each morning that is a lot of people to cram into each carriage!

Being perpetually late I often jump on the train at the last minute so am forced to wiggle in against the door; the plus side of this is the ability to see everyone who gets on and off.

From the man in the immaculate suit giggling as he plays candy crush on his phone, to the rugged looking teenager playing his iPod so loud the whole carriage can bop along, it seems all people have somewhere to get to in the morning.

However sardine like we all are though, nobody hesitates to give up their priority seat for someone in need or squeeze a little closer when we arrive at Richmond to let another hundred people on.

The usually social boundaries of personal space are thrown out the window and we are all united in our common goal of just getting where we need to be.

As the carriages getting tighter and tighter until it seems like they will burst, there is finally relief as we get to the city loop. What seems like half of commuters get off at Parliament and I am finally able to sit down for the next few stops. By the time we arrive at Flinders Street all but a few of us are left to get off.

While there are only a few of us left on my train, Flinders Street station never ceases to be a hub of activity. Announcements ring out from every platform and people rush up and down escalators to get to the train, or get to work as their train has been delayed.

While Metro states that in April 2015 91.8% of trains ran on time, many people are often forced to change trains at an earlier station to get where they want to go due to delays. Luckily, being the last stop, my train will often skip stations to get me to Flinders on time.

As I walk across St Kilda road I see people going from a crowded train to a crowded tram and am thankful that that is the end of my journey.

The morning commute is not often an enjoyable one; however it does show me the importance of being united for a common purpose and shows the integrity of the people of Melbourne, no matter what the uncomfortable circumstance.