Tuesday, 3 March 2026

 Roma BRITNELL (South-West Coast) (19:08): (1553) I have a matter for the Minister for Public and Active Transport, and the action I seek is for the minister to urgently ensure appropriate passenger assistance and genuine safety support are provided on train services operating between Melbourne and Warrnambool. Since the Allan Labor government reduced regional train capacity, service standards have deteriorated significantly. The most alarming issue is safety. A growing number of passengers are telling me they no longer feel safe. Reports of individuals who appear to be substance-affected, aggressive and intimidating behaviour and volatile confrontations are becoming disturbingly common. They are regular complaints raised with my office. People are now telling me they are reconsidering whether they want to use the service at all. That should set alarm bells ringing. When regional Victorians begin avoiding public transport because they feel unsafe, the government has got something seriously wrong. Overcrowding is now routine. Passengers who have booked allocated seating are boarding to find their seats occupied and are sometimes forced to stand for hours. When they attempt to assert their booking, they risk confrontation. Young university students travelling describe feeling anxious and vulnerable. Parents are increasingly worried about their teenagers travelling alone, particularly on overcrowded services where there is no visible authority figure readily available.

They are asking a very simple question: if something goes wrong, who is there to help? Conductors are doing their best, but they have not been given the authority or backup required to manage serious behavioural issues. Why has the government failed to properly empower them? Why has it not considered the presence of protective services officers on these long regional routes? If visible safety supports can be provided in metropolitan areas, why are the regional passengers treated as an afterthought? Older passengers are being overlooked. One elderly woman travelling with a walker was forced to have it placed in an overhead rack because of inadequate storage areas. She then had to rely on strangers to retrieve it when she arrived at the station or needed to go to the toilet. That is not dignity, that is not accessibility; that is neglect.

Yes, cheaper fares have driven up patronage; that should be welcomed. But increasing demand without increasing capacity, staffing and safety provisions is irresponsible. You cannot promote regional rail while stripping back the support structures that make it functional and safe. The Allan Labor government has clearly failed. Our communities feel short-changed. They feel unsafe. The minister’s response to last Friday’s overcrowding demonstrates just how out of touch the Labor government is. It is no good advising ‘Make a booking’. The message could not be clearer: the system just is not working. The minister should listen to the voices of regional Victorians, restore confidence in this vital service and stop treating the South-West Coast as second best.