After a six-year campaign, Altona Loop commuters have welcomed the return of direct city-bound services that won’t require changing trains at Newport.
The new Metro timetable that starts in August will see 37 extended week-day Altona Loop services a day, meaning commuters travelling from Westona, Altona and Seaholme will be able to take one train to and from Flinders Street station.
Transport for Victoria spokesman Adrian Darwent said the extended services would stop at all stations between Laverton and Flinders Street.
“There will be no changes to the Werribee line’s current stopping patterns during the peak period,” he said.
“Stopping patterns between the am and pm peak will be altered so that trains from Werribee will run express from Newport to Footscray to North Melbourne.”
Altona Loop Group spokeswoman Jennifer Williams said it was good news but more needed to be done.
“This is certainly a step in the right direction, particularly for people who travel off-peak and who are shift workers, because they won’t have to change trains at Newport, so it’s much less disruptive,” she said.
“What we really need is reliability and currently we have many signal and track faults on the line, especially at Newport, and almost weekly there is a problem at Newport.”
Metro spokesman Marcus Williams said the number of Altona Loop bypasses had been reduced by 20 per cent since 2015.
“Altona Loop bypasses are caused by a range of factors including incidents that require emergency services to attend,” he said.
“We recognise that delays are very frustrating for our passengers and that is why the Altona Loop is only bypassed if it becomes absolutely necessary.”
