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Minister Refuses To Guarantee Gippsland V/Line Services Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky has refused to allay fears about the Brumby Government’s plan to terminate Latrobe Valley V/Line services at Flinders Street Station. By Russell Northe - 22nd September 2009 - Back to News In another extraordinary backflip, Ms Kosky wrote to The Nationals Member for Morwell Russell Northe this week saying while changes to Gippsland services were ‘inevitable’, no decision had been made.
"I sought clarification of the Brumby Government’s plan to change V/Line services from the Minister in June after her story was at odds with advice received from her department," Mr Northe said.
"But instead of clarifying the matter, the Minister has again failed to guarantee that services will continue as normal or provide details of the changes.
"She has simply changed her story and made plans even more ambiguous. It is an extraordinary set of circumstances."
Mr Northe said it was clear from Ms Kosky’s latest letter the Brumby Government intended to terminate some services at Flinders Street, but was playing down the move because it feared a public backlash.
"The Minister is hedging around the issue because she knows Latrobe Valley residents will be the ones disadvantaged by the proposed changes," Mr Northe said.
"I have already tabled two petitions in Parliament signed by almost 1000 residents formally objecting to the plan to terminate services before they reach Southern Cross Station.
"Latrobe Valley residents have sent a very clear message to the Minister that these changes simply aren’t good enough.
"It’s important that we keep the pressure on the government to find an alternative solution that does not put Gippsland residents at a disadvantage.
"To ask our elderly and disabled residents to change trains at either Richmond or Flinders Street Station is unacceptable."
Mr Northe said V/Line statistics showed the Traralgon line was failing to meet on-time targets largely due to congestion on the metropolitan network east of Melbourne.
"It appears the only solution the Brumby Government can offer is to terminate the service short of the preferred destination of many Gippsland travellers," Mr Northe said.
"The government’s so-called visionary transport plan has promised $4.3 billion for country rail services, yet the only thing Latrobe Valley residents are getting is a reduction in services."
January 14, Department of Transport to Latrobe Valley resident: ‘There is no proposal in the plan to change the running of Traralgon trains away from Southern Cross Station.’
May 21, Public Transport Minister to The Nationals Leader Peter Ryan: ‘It is proposed to terminate Traralgon line services at Flinders Street Station…these service changes are anticipated as part of future major timetable changes, to be rolled out within the next three years.’
September 10, Public Transport Minister to The Nationals Member for Morwell Russell Northe: ‘No decision has been made at this time and no change to stopping patterns are likely before 2011.’
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
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