Major slump in commuter numbers

During a visit to Warragul last week State Opposition deputy shadow minister for public transport (regional) Steph Ryan said the slump in patronage over the past four years could be attributed to poor punctuality and frequent withdrawal of services and their replacement with road coaches and cuts to V/Line’s budget by the State government.

Ms Ryan said V/Line’s annual report revealed annual number of passengers on services between Traralgon and Melbourne had dropped from 20.4 million in 2014-2015 to 1.8 million last financial year.

She said that at the same time patronage on the four other main regional lines – Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo and Seymour – had all shown year-on-year increases.

Gippsland passenger numbers represented an 11.2 per cent drop over the five-year period while the Geelong route recorded an increase of more than 130 per cent, Ballarat 45.7, Bendigo 17 and Seymour 6.2 per cent.

Ms Bath said customer satisfaction with V/Line was at a 10-year low and the State government’s cut to its budget of $149 million this year would do nothing to restore faith in the service.

Member for Narracan Gary Blackwood who met with Ms Ryan at the Warragul railway station, said Gippsland passengers were disillusioned.

He said he was aware of many regular train commuters, especially from Warragul and Drouin, that had reverted to driving to Pakenham and catching Metro trains, rather than replacement buses, to ensure they get to work in the city on time.

While it has become more difficult and stressful for people to use the service the government was spending billions of dollars on cost overruns on city transport projects and handing Gippslanders scraps, Mr Blackwood added.

Ms Ryan also said there were still serious doubts about the future of V/Line’s Gippsland services.

She said the government had failed to respond to questions in parliament about suggestions that Gippsland trains to and from Melbourne terminate and originate at Pakenham when a new station is built there.

A future new “super station” at Pakenham and removal of three level crossings in the town was put forward by the government leading to the last state election.

It was also stated there would be a separate platform there for V/Line trains.

Ms Ryan and Mr Blackwood also said they were concerned about the possible effect on Gippsland services when the new Metro train stabling and maintenance facility at Nar Nar Goon became operational and the fact that a separate line has not been built to cater for those trains moving between the stabling area and Pakenham.