Goya Dmytryshchak
Commuters using the Altona Loop section of the Werribee line have cautiously welcomed the increased frequency of trains to every 20 minutes, shaving two minutes off the current waiting time.
The changes only apply to Williamstown and Laverton trains (not trains all the way out to Werribee) during peak hours and from 10pm to midnight.
Extra weekday services on the Werribee line, which go to Newport but do not go through the Altona Loop, will be at least every 10 minutes for more than three hours in the morning and afternoon peaks.
Williamstown services will extend to Flinders Street on weekends so people no longer have to change trains at Newport.
Public Transport Minister Ben Carroll last week announced the timetable changes, effective from January 31.
He said the increased services would make it easier for passengers to travel during quieter times and physically distance as Victoria recovered from the coronavirus pandemic.
“We know COVID-normal will see people travelling differently than in the past – working from home arrangements, more services and a discount for off-peak travel will make it easier for people to stagger their trips,“ Mr Carroll said.
Off-peak fares will be discounted for three months from January 31. Anyone using myki money between 9.30am and 4pm or after 7pm on weekdays will receive a 30 per cent discount.
Public Transport Users Association spokesman Daniel Bowen said the change from 22 to 20 minutes only applied to Williamstown and Laverton trains in peak hours.
“This will be a very welcome change,“ he said.
“The current timetable of trains every 22 minutes is difficult for people to remember, and results in longer waits during peak hour than at other times of day.
“Also welcome will be the upgrade of Werribee-line services after evening peak from half-hourly to every 20 minutes until midnight, which will cut waiting times for people heading home at night.
“An ongoing issue for local train users is Altona Loop bypasses, which continue to mean long delays for passengers.
“More duplication of the line would help, but in the meantime, Metro must ensure that unplanned bypasses of the Altona Loop are minimised as much as possible.“
Altona Loop Group spokeswoman Jennifer Williams said there were still concerns about reliability and whether trains would bypass Altona if running late.
“We are happy with the news the 20-minute service will be restored after having put up with an impossible-to-remember 22 minutes between trains since 2011,“ she said.
“Hopefully, the through-running to Frankston will reduce delays.
“The real test is if something goes wrong, will the Altona Loop passengers be sacrificed to restore the timetable?“
