Save the Gippsland Line

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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.

 

1,310 SIGNATURES
1,200 signatures

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Showing 948 reactions

  • Julie Mcmillan
    signed 2016-08-07 18:03:36 +1000
  • Maddy Sloan
    signed 2016-08-07 17:57:55 +1000
  • Vickie Darwent
    signed 2016-08-07 17:56:28 +1000
  • William Addison
    signed 2016-08-07 17:55:43 +1000
  • Zoe Moore
    signed 2016-08-07 17:50:28 +1000
  • Charli Hoy
    signed 2016-08-07 17:41:29 +1000
  • Cathy Stephenson
    signed 2016-08-07 17:38:12 +1000
  • Ian Darwent
    signed 2016-08-07 17:36:38 +1000
    Keep your grubby hands off our rail system Mr Andrews. More and more people are moving to Drouin & Warragul and we deserve our existing service to be maintained.
  • Janette Pocklington
    signed 2016-08-07 17:28:22 +1000
  • Bron Mclay
    signed 2016-08-07 17:24:46 +1000
    The governments of old planned for future population growth, building the public network. This government and all the government’s during the past 60 years… yes 60 years have not planned or been committed to any vision of future planning. Railroads need to be extended and services increased, not the opposite.

    Real politicians that truly have the public and community as there first priority are very much lacking in this modern egocentric times. Mr Andrews, have a read of Maslow’s Hierarchy theory….. there you may discover what the community really require.
  • Sky Eddy
    signed 2016-08-07 17:22:36 +1000
  • Janeece Cook
    signed 2016-08-07 17:20:56 +1000
  • Tammy Forrester
    signed 2016-08-07 17:20:18 +1000
  • Julie Mcintosh
    signed via 2016-08-07 16:54:40 +1000
  • Mitanda Fatmer
    signed 2016-08-07 16:42:12 +1000
  • Ron Ipsen
    signed 2016-08-07 16:38:25 +1000
  • Alysha Salter
    signed 2016-08-07 16:29:54 +1000
  • Margaret Conduit
    signed 2016-08-07 16:28:08 +1000
  • Annette Brown
    signed 2016-08-07 16:26:44 +1000
    I’m an ex Gippslander and l rely on this train service when l come home to Morwell to visit friends keep this train service going
  • Heather Urie
    signed 2016-08-07 16:20:07 +1000
  • Shaina Occhipinti
    signed 2016-08-07 16:19:25 +1000
  • Lachlan Gronow
    signed via 2016-08-07 16:17:44 +1000
  • Lee Pattinson
    signed 2016-08-07 16:11:31 +1000
    This would definitely be a disadvantage. I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and stepping high into buses makes it extremely hard. My sister uses a walking frame and this to can cause issues.
  • Janine Fowler
    signed 2016-08-07 16:10:51 +1000
  • Susan Gorst
    signed 2016-08-07 16:03:38 +1000
  • Willem Arrts
    signed 2016-08-07 16:01:33 +1000
    I frequently catch the Bairnsdale/ Traralgon train on weekends after the footy and during the week. As I have a disability this would cause more stress & difficulty to me on my journey.
  • megan griffiths
    signed 2016-08-07 15:59:07 +1000
    I have been a regular customer of the train service from Bairnsdale to Melbourne all my life. Due to being born with a number of medical issues, I was a patient at the Children’s Hospital, and needed regular appointments along with surgeries. Now living in Queensland, I rely on the service when I fly down to visit family. Please keep the train service how it is!! It is working well the way it is set up now, changing the service, and stopping in Pakenham, is a huge mistake on your behalf. Thank you
  • Bradley Jessup
    posted about this on Facebook 2016-08-07 15:57:33 +1000
    A Melbourne train should go to Melbourne, why does the Gippsland regional line get substandard service recommended?
  • Aleasha Innella
    signed 2016-08-07 15:56:41 +1000
  • Helen Adams
    signed 2016-08-07 15:51:18 +1000
    My children and grandchildren live along this line at Warragul. We are hoping to move there shortly. We will all be totally disadvantaged by the loss of this line. The loss of the Yarra Valley line was devastating and a great disadvantage to residents. Please not another one!