Petition Re-establish Cranbourne and Pakenham line City Loop services

The petition of certain citizens of the State of Victoria draws to the attention of the Legislative Council that passengers on the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines are no longer able to travel directly to major stations such as Richmond and South Yarra or other stations within the City Loop without changing trains lines at certain stops, as all services now operate via the Metro Tunnel. As a result, passengers no longer have access to direct services to these key destinations. Instead, many are required to transfer between platforms, which can add approximately 20–30 minutes to their overall travel time due to additional stops and connection delays. Furthermore, passengers frequently encounter overcrowded trains when transferring between services, creating a more challenging and less efficient commuting experience.

A solution would be to allow services on the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines to continue operating through the City Loop. For example, scheduling every second train to run via the City Loop would provide passengers with a direct connection to key central stations while maintaining services through the Metro Tunnel. This approach will improve convenience for commuters and reduce the need for additional transfers and shorten travel times.

The petitioners therefore request that the Legislative Council to call on the Government to allow services on the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines to continue operating through the City Loop to improve convenience for commuters, reduce the need for additional transfers and shorten travel times.