Save the Gippsland Line

Dear Daniel Andrews,

We the citizens and people of Gippsland do not agree with the recommendation that regional train services be terminated at Pakenham and our vulnerable, disabled and elderly be forced to change trains on their journey to Melbourne. Many of these people are the disadvantaged of our community, often seeking medical assistance & appointments in metropolitan medical centres that are not available in our region.

This change would also affect the bike tourists and young families who would also have difficulty with young children, prams and bikes changing trains to and from crowded metropolitan rail. The Gippsland area is being promoted as a great tourist region with economic benefits and as a way of overcoming the demise of the coal and timber mill industry and continual rail service is a must for this to succeed.

Other frequent users of the system are our people who work in the metropolitan centres and choose to live in the regional and rural areas here for the lifestyle and community opportunities that we have. The current system is unreliable and often runs late, this additional transfer and changeover time will add to the already overly long trip and decrease the reliability of the transport system to them, not to mention the additional time needed to be added to the start of the trip, getting up earlier, the changes in timetables that will be required etc.

We understand that the cost of upgrading the metropolitan system is a burden, but can Gippsland at least have the same standard as the other Victorian regions, that our Melbourne trains actually go to Melbourne, as they now do.

The Federal Minister for Infrastructure who is a resident here has promised his support in working with the state government to help sort the congestion problem.

We ask that you do not accept this part of the report from the citizens jury on face value and seek further consultation with the impacted communities and federal counterparts as you work towards an upgrading of the lines to at least the standard that the other Victorian Regions rail systems already have.

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Showing 949 reactions

Roger Clark signed 2016-08-08 09:43:29 +1000

Given the growth in the Pakenham, Drouin-Warragul corridor this rail line is essential.
Michelle Frost signed 2016-08-08 09:42:38 +1000
Heather Bice signed 2016-08-08 09:40:31 +1000
Chris Trbovich signed 2016-08-08 09:38:45 +1000
marion cartledge posted about this on Facebook 2016-08-08 09:37:27 +1000
A Melbourne train should go to Melbourne, why does the Gippsland regional line get substandard service recommended?
marion cartledge signed via marion cartledge 2016-08-08 09:37:00 +1000
Lisa Comtesse signed 2016-08-08 09:34:57 +1000

Make traveling more easy not harder
chris Hawthorne signed via Bruce Mongan 2016-08-08 09:34:09 +1000
shannon knegt signed 2016-08-08 09:34:00 +1000

This is rubbish. In my opinion, its all about the money for metro. The train systems now work perfectly fine with their timetables with no disruptions so why do this now. Are they trying to give themselves a bad name cos ive heard of bad descisions by the vic gov before but this is just BS
Fred Scott signed 2016-08-08 09:33:47 +1000
laura Melville signed 2016-08-08 09:33:03 +1000
Julia Browell signed 2016-08-08 09:26:31 +1000

I am unable to travel on suburban trains. They are inaccessible to me. The seating is very uncomfortable and the very rough movement of the carriages cause me huge pain, causes deterioration of my already debilitating illness. There are no toilet facilities. Met trains are frequently overcrowded, seats all in use. I cannot stand for longer than a few minutes

Having to change trains at Pakenham will mean I will be prevented from travelling to Melbourne at all. Prevented from attending specialist doctor appointments. It is at present the only way I can do so.

Whenever, as happens far too often, coaches replace trains on parts or all of the journey I am left with no access to anywhere outside my home town, including to Moe to my GP and to my daughter & grandchildren further down the line.

How many more times do we Gippslanders year in year out have to be faced with these kind of proposals ignoring the needs of our community?
Chloe Penn signed 2016-08-08 09:23:52 +1000

It’s hard enough using vline to get to Melbourne as it is now, they should be working towards making it a better system not throwing it in the trash.

Gippsland users will opt to drive rather than catch a vline if these plans go ahead which will result in congested roads and more vehicles within the city.

Metro needs to work on how their services can become more effective and efficient by having more freuqent trains through to the Bairnsdale station not more changes and more time spent on what is already a long trip.

For too long I had made the choice to travel 3 days a week on a 4 hours travel due to bus changes and train delays. This trip only takes 2 and a half hours of driving which I have now changed to for effieincy that vline couldn’t provide. Metro should be effot put into helping people in these situations not making their daily commute hell.

Make the city more accessible to the Gippsland region, we don’t need more inefficiencies by choosing to travel by public transport.
Deborah Frier signed 2016-08-08 09:20:16 +1000

I travelled on this train for five years to work and back. I travelled through many disruptions, new sleeper works etc, always with the future in mind. Pakenham is not a stop I want my children to have to wait at. The metro Pakenham line in general feels unsafe.
Tony Vickery signed 2016-08-08 09:19:07 +1000

As a father with large family we rely on the trains to Melbourne to take our children on outings , to remove this service from Gippsland people would be an appalling thing .
Johanna Hersey signed 2016-08-08 09:18:29 +1000

Make access from and to Regional Victoria more easy. Not more difficult.
raelene begbie signed 2016-08-08 09:17:59 +1000
marion cartledge posted about this on Facebook 2016-08-08 09:15:09 +1000
A Melbourne train should go to Melbourne, why does the Gippsland regional line get substandard service recommended?
Beryl Watson signed 2016-08-08 09:12:04 +1000

Country people need this service!
anne orman signed 2016-08-08 09:10:52 +1000
Terry Noone posted about this on Facebook 2016-08-08 09:06:24 +1000
A Melbourne train should go to Melbourne, why does the Gippsland regional line get substandard service recommended?
@814282 tweeted link to this page. 2016-08-08 09:06:21 +1000
A Melbourne train should go to Melbourne, why does the Gippsland regional line get substandard service recommended? http://www.votv.org.au/gippsland_line?recruiter_id=2793
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Barbara Murphy posted about this on Facebook 2016-08-08 08:48:39 +1000
A Melbourne train should go to Melbourne, why does the Gippsland regional line get substandard service recommended?
Barbara Murphy signed 2016-08-08 08:47:23 +1000
sally munn signed 2016-08-08 08:35:52 +1000
Angelina Draper signed 2016-08-08 08:35:08 +1000
Darryl Mackay signed 2016-08-08 08:22:29 +1000
Linda Mattheyse signed 2016-08-08 08:06:16 +1000

Common sense: there is no way you can promote regional Victoria as a place to visit, but make it harder for people to get there. That doesn’t make any sense.

It would also disadvantage people living in Gippsland, making them even more separated from the city, and I’m sure many people would agree this is the last thing that Gippsland needs! It is already significantly disadvantaged in many ways and so a further setback is the last thing these people need. I would appeal to those making this decision: don’t be a stuck-up city person, think about what you are doing here! There are actually amazing people out in the country who need better, not worse, access to the city.
Jacinta Clarke signed 2016-08-08 08:02:03 +1000
Mary Mattheyse signed 2016-08-08 07:56:10 +1000