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

Jo Hope signed 2016-08-12 18:46:39 +1000

I will not use the train unless I can go straight to Flinders street.
Raina Strecker signed 2016-08-11 21:07:53 +1000
pamela mcgarrity signed via Dorothy Hoare 2016-08-11 19:58:49 +1000
Gladys Junge signed 2016-08-11 19:33:47 +1000

Yes I am elderly, I have medical problems and have to visit specialists. The discomfort, difficulty, the annoyance of having to change, wait and jostle will be so impossible for elderly, disabled and young parents with little children. No toilets, luggage storage on suburban trains,. We pay taxes and vote too.
Karin Rigg signed 2016-08-11 14:10:13 +1000

This is ridiculous don’t we matter.

Discrimination.
Anne Rodda signed 2016-08-11 06:16:03 +1000
Terry Provan posted about this on Facebook 2016-08-10 21:03:10 +1000
A Melbourne train should go to Melbourne, why does the Gippsland regional line get substandard service recommended?
Sue & Glenn Taylor signed via Leonie Williams 2016-08-10 20:21:22 +1000
David Watkins signed via Sue and Stan Rodwell 2016-08-10 20:18:30 +1000
Elizabeth Schroeter signed via Linda Provan 2016-08-10 19:59:53 +1000

I am fortunate to live in Ballarat and have a reasonable rail service, but I grew up in Gippsland, have friends and family still there, from Bairnsdale to Warragul. Some commute to Melbourne for work from as far as Sale, others use it to transit between towns and definitely needed for others for getting to and from Melbourne for medical, family and social connection. Under the NDIS Act community capacity building is important for vulnerable Australians with disabilities, taking away this vital form of public transport is a backward step. Access ability for those people in wheelchairs, mobility scooters and with mobility issues, would be denied travel to Melbourne if the alternative is bus transport. Train transport is vital not negotiable.
Victoria Kearney signed 2016-08-10 19:51:07 +1000

I am looking to purchase property in Trafalgar.the main reason is it is transport accessible for Melbourne based employment with direct access to Melbourne. From a sustainability agenda perspective this recommendation is a backward step.
Catherine James signed via Shelly Nundra 2016-08-10 17:23:21 +1000

I have used this train many times and it is much more comfortable to be in a train. Why would we want to add more traffic to the roads. It would be a backward step to lose this train line! How many train lines have we lost? Crazy!
Janet Marsh signed 2016-08-10 16:09:34 +1000

I lived there until recently and saw how crowded the trains ALWAYS were.
Sonia Ottaway signed 2016-08-10 13:26:10 +1000

Most travel to Melbourne includes taking luggage as it is not usually a one day trip, elderly people struggle and if you are lucky enough to get a seat at Pakenham, you will be standing till you get to Melbourne, the rail system is a disgrace, I had to drive a friend 2 hrs to Morwell from Bairnsdale for a hospital app as there was no train till late to get beck home ,meant getting back to Bairnsdale at 10 pm ,my friend is a dialysis patient and needed to get home earlier ,I think our country is going backwards,
Jenny Murray-Jones signed 2016-08-10 12:54:20 +1000

The Gippslanders need both their Bainrsdale line and South Gippsland Wonthaggi line in opperation. Not only for the good of the community being able to travel to Melbourne and back, but for real estate values, tourism and those without vehicles being able to go to work. Don’t cut off what has neve been made full commericial use of!!
Linda Provan posted about this on Facebook 2016-08-10 12:46:43 +1000
A Melbourne train should go to Melbourne, why does the Gippsland regional line get substandard service recommended?
Linda Provan signed 2016-08-10 12:46:19 +1000
Luke Prekop signed 2016-08-10 09:33:32 +1000
LaBerta Forys signed via Dorothy Hoare 2016-08-10 09:18:43 +1000
Helene Hunt signed 2016-08-10 09:09:24 +1000

We use the train all the time and can’t understand why we, the elderly, disabled, disadvantaged, mothers with children, etc need to be treated differently to other country Victorians. Please be informed and look after people of Gippsland!
Rosemary Teychenne posted about this on Facebook 2016-08-10 09:04:39 +1000
A Melbourne train should go to Melbourne, why does the Gippsland regional line get substandard service recommended?
Heather McLennan signed 2016-08-10 08:10:47 +1000
Sandi Prekop signed 2016-08-10 07:32:02 +1000
Tanya Mussared-Horne signed 2016-08-10 04:59:48 +1000

We pay our rates etc to have these services, yet again the government only thinks of metropolitan.
Carol Whadcoat signed 2016-08-10 00:32:58 +1000

This train needs to continue to our country towns. As this is the only way for transport for some people die to lack of car or other means they rely on this service. Why should us country people miss out just for the city folk.
Sandra Verlaat signed 2016-08-10 00:04:38 +1000
Shannon Taylor signed 2016-08-09 23:55:56 +1000

How dare they even consider terminating the Gippsland line at pakenham. This is a joke. Come one Daniel!!
Angela Van Eyk signed 2016-08-09 23:11:30 +1000

Very disappointed that our so called very fast train will terminate at Pakenham. This is wrong on so many levels.Other Victorian regional centres have dedicated lines to Melb. Is it our low socio economic status? Does this mean we are less worthy than other regional citizens.
Karen Mackenzie signed 2016-08-09 22:40:09 +1000
David Koschade signed via Dorothy Hoare 2016-08-09 22:38:49 +1000