Gippsland › Latest news › Tim Bull MP

Tim Bull advocated for an extra Melbourne service between Bairnsdale's 6.45am and 12.54pm departures

Gippsland East MP Tim Bull says locals want an extra Bairnsdale - Melbourne morning service, but the Allan Labor government has rejected requests despite heavy city rail investments.

By news@gippsland - 18th August 2025 - Back to News

Advocacy to have an additional morning bus/train service from Bairnsdale to Melbourne has been rejected by the Allan Labor government. Gippsland East Nationals MP, Tim Bull, made representations on behalf of the community, seeking an additional service to Melbourne between the one that departs at 6.45am and the early afternoon 12.54pm service.

The Allan Labor government has rejected community calls, raised by MP Tim Bull, for an additional morning Bairnsdale - Melbourne bus/train service

Disappointing transport response

Mr Bull said, "I have had a number of representations from locals stating they want a service that leaves sometime between 8am and 10am and arrives in Melbourne late morning or early afternoon. It would be as simple as putting on another bus that connects to one of the trains departing Traralgon."

"However, the response from Minister Williams states 'there are currently no plans to introduce an additional rail service and there are no immediate plans to address this gap by introducing a coach service."

"This is a very disappointing result when you consider this city-centric government is about to commit to tens of billions of dollars on a new Cheltenham to Box Hill rail line (Suburban Rail Loop), yet they cannot afford to put on an additional bus from Bairnsdale to connect to a train departing Traralgon," he said.

Bairnsdale request denied

Mr Bull added, "In a further show of lack of understanding, Minister Williams' response boasts that the government has added a further 900 weekly services to the network since 2014. This is not what we want to hear when not one of those 900 comes to Bairnsdale and they are refusing our one request."

"This government needs to realise much of regional Victoria sits outside Ballarat, Bendigo and Geelong. It is another case of a Labor Minister not reading the tea leaves when it comes to services to regional Victoria," he said.

Pictures from Tim Bull MP website.

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: news@gippsland.com