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Labor Making VLine Trains Even Slower from December 1

Ballarat commuters will be worst affected with 95 trains to run slower with labor making VLine trains going slower from December 1.

By Portal Admin - 8th December 2019 - Back to News

The Andrews Labor Government’s failed management of regional Victoria’s VLine network has sunk to a new low.

Opposition analysis of the new VLine timetable shows 271 services will be slower from December 1.

Asked about the delays in Parliament this week, embattled Public Transport Minister Melissa Horne didn't know the detail of her own train timetable.

Ballarat commuters will be worst affected with 95 trains to run slower. The Ararat/Maryborough, Bendigo, Bairnsdale, Geelong, Gippsland, Shepparton, Seymour, Swan Hill & Echuca, and Warrnambool lines will also be affected.

It follows last week's bungled metro timetable announcement when the Minister was unaware that 93 trains on the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines will now run slower.

Problems with the VLine network are getting worse.

Last month an old VLine carriage caught fire on its way from Swan Hill to Melbourne, forcing the evacuation of 200 passengers and hours of delays to the Ballarat, Bendigo and Geelong lines.

The Andrews Government has slashed $149 million from V/Line’s annual budget this year, while customer satisfaction with the state’s regional train service is at a 10-year low.

The Andrews Labor Government invested just four per cent of the capital funding for public transport in this year’s State Budget into regional Victoria.

Comment attributable to Shadow Minister for Regional Public Transport Steph Ryan

The crisis in VLine under Daniel Andrews has hit a new low.

The Minister has one job – to make the trains run on time, but her solution is to slow down the timetable rather than fix the trains.

Country train passengers are already enduring constant delays and cancellations and long trips on old, unreliable and uncomfortable rolling stock but it's set to get even worse.

The Premier for Melbourne has hit the brakes on VLine by failing to make the investment we deserve, while finding billions to put into his Melbourne level crossing cost blowouts.

Labor is ignorant of the countless country Victorians who are inconvenienced on a daily basis by delays, breakdowns and cancellations.


Source: Comparison of current VLine timetables and new timetables that will be in place from December 1

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: support@gippsland.com