General News
29 February, 2024
MP slams V/Line performance amid upgrades
STRUGGLING train performance on the Warrnambool line was slammed by a south west MP in Parliament last week.
South West Coast MP Roma Britnell raised her concerns surrounding ongoing issues with V/Line missing its performance targets in Parliament last week, calling on the delivery of modern trains.
She said public transport was critical in rural Victoria to ensure members of the public could access services in larger cities.
“Sadly, week after week I am contacted by constituents who are forced to take replacement buses, and some are left waiting at the station because there are not enough seats,” Ms Britnell said.
“Yet when the trains do run, there is a good chance they will not get to Warrnambool on time.”
As Western District Newspapers reported last month, performance on the Warrnambool line was among the worst in years.
V/Line has maintained performance has been impacted by ongoing works associated with Stage Two of the Warrnambool Line Upgrade, which will allow VLocity trains to travel on the Warrnambool line for the first time.
However, Ms Britnell said the state government provided no recourse for rural residents impacted by delays and cancellations.
“In December last year, just 59 per cent of Warrnambool V/Line services met their punctuality target, whilst in August it was a poor 48 per cent,” she said.
“For the entirety of last year, there was not one single month in which the Warrnambool V/Line service met its punctuality target.
“This is a disgrace.
“The Labor government’s V/Line have not met their targets on the Warrnambool line over the past year – not once – yet long-suffering residents taking the train receive no compensation as only Myki pass users qualify for compensation under this Labor government.”
Ms Britnell acknowledged the success of the Victorian Government’s introduction of a regional fare cap under the Andrews Government, which saw a daily ticket on regional lines capped at the same cost as metropolitan fares, but said regional commuters did not yet enjoy the same performance as metropolitan counterparts.
“Yes, fares are cheaper, but that does not mean we should accept poor performance,” she said.
“South West Coast needs modern trains that are new, accessible and on time.
“They were promised by the Labor government almost seven years ago, and we are still waiting on them.
“If we want to encourage public transport usage, we need to ensure the public has confidence that there will be a train and that it will come on time.”