Constituency questions: Frankston line services
Mr HIBBINS (Prahran): My constituency question is for the Minister for Public Transport, and I ask: will the government urgently increase peak-hour services and improve reliability on the Frankston line for passengers at Hawksburn, Toorak and Armadale stations? Commuters using those stations have had to put up with a shocker of a fortnight, with train cancellations and delays. But this is not just a problem that has occurred in recent weeks; it has been going on for years. These stations are expressed by Frankston trains during the morning peak and afternoon peak, resulting in waits of up to 12 minutes between services, which is far too long a wait for peak hour in the inner city, and that is if the trains are running on time. When delays or cancellations occur, services are overcrowded, often to the point where passengers are left stranded and unable to board, while express services with capacity go past the station without stopping. This is an unacceptable situation. Hundreds of local residents have signed petitions over past years calling for increased services. I urge the minister to act, because the current situation is just not good enough.
Answer: The Andrews Labor Government is committed to increasing capacity on our rail network. We're removing level crossings along the Frankston line and building Melbourne Metro so we can run more services, more often.
The Department of Transport (DoT) continually reviews existing rail services and plans for future growth. These reviews consider factors such as the likely number of users, suitability of the current infrastructure for train operations, connectivity with other public transport services and service provision costs.
Any proposal to increase peak services between Caulfield and South Yarra stations will be considered as part of the State Budget development process. In the meantime, DoT will continue to monitor demand for all train services on the Cranbourne, Pakenham and Frankston lines.
Hon Melissa Horne MP
Minister for Public Transport
Minister for Ports and Freight