FRUSTRATED Altona Loop commuters will have to wait until at least 2016 and the start of services on the Regional Rail Link before a full service can return on the route, train operator Metro told a packed public meeting last Thursday.
About 200 people attended the forum at Altona RSL to mark the one-year anniversary of timetable changes to accommodate 185 extra services on the Werribee line.
Among those at the meeting were Metro chief executive Andrew Lezala, Williamstown MP Wade Noonan, Altona MP Jill Hennessy, Western Metropolitan Greens MP Colleen Hartland and representatives from Public Transport Victoria.
Transport Minister Terry Mulder, along with Western Metropolitan Liberal MPs Bernie Finn and Andrew Elsbury were invited, but told organisers they had “other commitments”.
Mr Lezala said that only when V/Line trains were taken off the Werribee line would it have sufficient capacity to reverse the controversial timetable changes introduced in May last year.
The new timetable has forced Altona Loop commuters to change trains twice during off-peak times (9am-5pm) to reach stations beyond Newport, including the City Loop.
Some journeys have blown out to as long as 80 minutes, with some commuters forced to catch three separate trains.
Peak commuters who have to change trains once to reach the City Loop have reported delays and cancellations, forcing many off public transport and into cars.
Commuters at Laverton station have also been forced to endure waits of more than 45 minutes for connections.
However, Mr Lezala said there would be some short-term relief and promised to reduce waiting times for connecting services at Newport from seven to four minutes.
“We absolutely do care and we’re trying to provide a better, higher-capacity, higher-reliability rail network across all of metropolitan Melbourne,” he said.
“Sometimes that does have an adverse effect in some areas and clearly that’s what you’re feeling, but we try [to] optimise the use of the network for the benefit of all.”
Metro has also vowed to provide quarterly performance data on the Altona Loop, minimise cancellations, investigate complaints of early departures and install new disabled ramps and shelter at Newport station.
Public Transport Users Association president Daniel Bowen told the gathering the loop had the least frequent peak services in zone 1, with trains only every 22 minutes compared to 10 minutes on many others.
The meeting was told a partial track duplication could cost as little as $10million, excluding land acquisition and extra platforms.
Altona Loop Group spokeswoman Sandra Wilson welcomed the concessions, but said it would continue its campaign for the reinstatement of a full service on the line.
“There’s still a lot of public angst about this issue,” she said.
“One of the speakers at the meeting, Stephen Colebrook, is a sessional teacher and because [the existing train service is] now so unreliable, he’s given up using trains and taken to riding his bike.
“We understand their [Metro] infrastructure and spending constraints. We’ll still take on the government until they improve public transport for everyone – they’re the ones holding the purse strings.”
-cameron.tait@fairfaxmedia.com.au
