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Where Is The Draft Weekend ‘Farce Rail’ Timetable?"Transport Minister Peter Batchelor must explain why V/Line has failed to release its draft weekend ‘Farce Rail’ timetable", Shadow Minister for Transport and Ports, Terry Mulder, said today. By Terry Mulder - 17th May 2006 - Back to News "In February 2003, Peter Batchelor said that new V/Line timetables would be implemented in 2005.
"Although Labor spent $56,000 interviewing 729 West Gippsland and Latrobe Valley motorists and rail users in 2003 at a cost of $78 each, local residents still do not know whether there will be any extra train services on weekends."
Mr Mulder said that the new ‘Farce Rail’ weekday and weekend timetables would not commence on 1 July 2006, the latest revised date.
"Despite the Latrobe Valley’s ‘Farce Rail’ now costing Victorians at least $148.2 million in construction costs, $33.4 million more than the contract price of $114.8 million, the track lessee Pacific National has yet to approve the tracks between Pakenham and Traralgon for a top train speed of 160 kilometres per hour."
Mr Mulder called on Peter Batchelor to release the draft weekend Warragul and Latrobe Valley ‘Farce Rail’ timetable immediately.
"Will it show that there will not be any regularly timetabled express train between Melbourne and Traralgon on weekends?
"Will it also confirm that no weekend train will reach Labor’s revised target train journey time of 95 minutes between Flinders Street station and Traralgon?"
Mr Mulder said that the Gippsland and Latrobe Valley ‘Farce Rail’ project was meant to be completed in July 2004.
"Almost two years later, no VLocity railcar has carried fare-paying passengers at 160kph.
"Many more unexpected bills are yet to be publicly disclosed.
"Peter Batchelor has badly let down residents who live between Pakenham, Warragul and Traralgon", Mr Mulder said.
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
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