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Coalition To Deliver Free Wi-Fi On Traralgon Train Services

Traralgon Trains

Coalition Government to fix mobile blackspots and provide free Wi-Fi with $40M commitment across regional Victoria • Traralgon trains get free Wi-Fi

By Russell Northe - 8th April 2014 - Back to News

„h Coalition Government building a better public transport network for Victoria

Regional Victorians are set to receive better internet connectivity, with Member for Morwell Russell Northe and Member for Eastern Region Danny O¡¦Brien today announcing $40 million to fix mobile blackspots and deliver free Wi-Fi on Traralgon train services.

Mr Northe said a collaborative process with the Commonwealth Government and mobile infrastructure providers would soon commence.

An Expressions of Interest (EOI) process will secure Victorian Government-sponsored Wi-Fi aboard V/Line¡¦s VLocity carriages operating between Melbourne and Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Seymour and Traralgon.

¡§This announcement will be of enormous benefit to thousands of commuters with 1.89 million passenger trips recorded between Traralgon and Melbourne each year,¡¨ Mr Northe said.

¡§Having access to more reliable internet services through free Wi-Fi means commuters will be able to access emails, social media and work without the annoying service interruptions that they currently have to deal with.

¡§The Coalition Government is committed to building a better public transport network and this initiative will be of great benefit to commuters who want to do work or connect with friends and family while they travel,¡¨ Mr Northe said.

Mr Northe said that many commuters travelling on local V/Line services had expressed frustration with signal drop outs along the 158Km of track between Traralgon and Melbourne.

¡§Eliminating these blackspots along train lines means commuters will be able to access emails, social media and work.

¡§Commuters travelling beyond these regional centres will also be able to access more reliable mobile services, with the Coalition Government also addressing mobile blackspots across Victoria more broadly.

¡§This funding will improve mobile coverage for regional towns affected by mobile blackspots. Around 4,000 Victorians live in areas where mobile coverage is poor or non-existent,¡¨ Mr Northe said.

This announcement will also see the construction of new towers to provide better coverage around the state.

The Government will consider rolling out Wi-Fi services across the V/Line network more broadly following the successful implantation of these five initial services.

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Source: http://gippsland.com/

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