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Rail Performance Highlights Need for Dedicated Line

Issues and possible solutions for the poor performing Gippsland rail service discussed.

By Portal Admin - 5th August 2018 - Back to News

The Nationals candidate for Morwell, Sheridan Bond said the latest V/Line performance data for the Gippsland rail line shows exactly why The Nationals are focused on fixing Gippsland’s line.

Ms Bond yesterday caught the 6.37am Melbourne bound train from Traralgon for an early meeting with Natalie Thorne from the Gippsland V/Line User Group to discuss the issues and possible solutions for the poor performing Gippsland rail service.

One in four trains to Traralgon were late in June (76 per cent punctuality), while every second Bairnsdale train also failed to meet its schedule (48 per cent) – making it by far the worst performing line in the state.

Ms Bond said congestion at the Melbourne end is causing ongoing delays and Gippsland passengers deserve a better deal than they are currently being provided by the Andrews Labor Government.

"I am advocating for a better rail system for Gippsland as this is what our community is asking for.

"While some recent delays have been caused by important upgrade works funded by my Federal colleague Darren Chester, the ongoing concern is congestion caused by Gippsland trains being stuck behind Metro trains stopping all stations. As a result Gippsland commuters are forced to use a service that crawls into the city at the expense of metro commuters.

"Punctuality on the Gippsland line is more miss than hit as reflected in V/Line’s performance statistics. Talking to commuters on the train, they are frustrated that they just can’t rely on our public transport," said Ms Bond, who was joined by The Nationals Member for Eastern Victoria Region, Melina Bath.

"Meeting with the Gippsland V/Line User Group was a great opportunity to really listen to those who best understand the issues. Natalie provided us with great insight and The Nationals are committed to a better deal for Gippsland train passengers.

"We need to plan for a Gippsland rail service upgrade now and not for 20 years’ time when our roads and cities become even more clogged.

"Labor has delivered dedicated rail lines for Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo but when it comes to Gippsland it appears that Daniel Andrews is not interested. His Labor government will not even enter into real discussions regarding the Gippsland rail line with the people who are actually using the service.

"The Nationals will continue to advocate for the people of the Latrobe Valley and pursue options for a dedicated line. The Nationals understand a reliable Gippsland rail service is an incredibly important issue in the Morwell electorate and must be addressed," said Ms Bond.


Caption: The Nationals candidate for Morwell, Sheridan Bond on the train with Gippsland V/Line Users Group’s Natalie Thorne and The Nationals Member for Eastern Victoria Region, Melina Bath.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: support@gippsland.com