Warrnambool train services
Roma BRITNELL (South-West Coast) (09:41): Public transport is essential in regional Victoria, ensuring that rural residents can access services in the city without requiring a car. Critical to this in South-West Coast is the Warrnambool V/Line train. Sadly, week after week I am contacted by constituents who are forced to take replacement buses, and some are left waiting at the station because there are not enough seats. Yet when the trains do run, there is a good chance they will not get to Warrnambool on time. In December last year just 59 per cent of Warrnambool V/Line services met their punctuality target, whilst in August it was a poor 48 per cent. For the entirety of last year there was not one single month in which the Warrnambool V/Line service met its punctuality target. This is a disgrace. The Labor government’s V/Line have not met their targets on the Warrnambool line over the past year – not once – yet long-suffering residents taking the train receive no compensation as only Myki pass users qualify for compensation under this Labor government. Yes, fares are cheaper, but that does not mean we should accept poor performance. South-West Coast needs modern trains that are new, accessible and on time. They were promised by the Labor government almost seven years ago, and we are still waiting on them. If we want to encourage public transport usage, we need to ensure the public has confidence that there will be a train and that it will come on time.