Save the Gippsland Line

gippsland-line-2.jpg

 

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

  • Dawn Jeffries
    signed 2016-08-07 15:44:21 +1000
  • Rebecca Griffiths
    signed 2016-08-07 15:43:55 +1000
  • Kim Van Dyk
    signed via 2016-08-07 15:37:38 +1000
    I am disabled and regularly use this train to get to Melbourne to visit my specialist. Changing trains at Southern Cross is hard enough. Having to change trains twice would be a nightmare. Please keep our Vline trains as they are.
  • Graham Mclure
    signed 2016-08-07 15:36:39 +1000
  • Belinda Fay
    signed 2016-08-07 15:30:10 +1000
  • Barbara Flint
    signed 2016-08-07 15:27:40 +1000
  • Elether bruce
    signed 2016-08-07 15:26:30 +1000
  • Jessica Madeleine
    posted about this on Facebook 2016-08-07 15:20:07 +1000
    A Melbourne train should go to Melbourne, why does the Gippsland regional line get substandard service recommended?
  • Jessica Delahay
    signed 2016-08-07 15:19:23 +1000
    I live and work in East Giposland. Already access to public transport and medical treatments in Melbourne is costly and restricted. Any proposal to limit trains further would be hugely damaging to local communities and families already struggling with isolation.
  • Karen Bowden
    signed 2016-08-07 15:18:29 +1000
  • Leane Gooding
    signed 2016-08-07 15:18:03 +1000
  • Julie Kamoen
    signed 2016-08-07 15:16:07 +1000
  • Gemma Richards
    signed 2016-08-07 14:58:26 +1000
  • Karen Marks-Hunt
    signed 2016-08-07 14:57:39 +1000
  • Samantha Turner
    signed 2016-08-07 14:56:38 +1000
  • kathryn wilson
    signed 2016-08-07 14:55:00 +1000
  • Ben Fenner
    signed via 2016-08-07 14:52:25 +1000
  • Cathy North
    signed 2016-08-07 14:46:14 +1000
    This is a very short sighted move affecting a community that is already struggling through economic downturn. I have family members who use this service for medical appointments to access services that are not available in the Valley. To place further limitations on this community is an unconscionable act bordering on neglect. To have not fully consulted them, is frankly, short sighted and dismissive.
  • Christiane Bromilow
    signed 2016-08-07 14:44:19 +1000
  • Marjo Poels
    signed 2016-08-07 14:41:13 +1000
  • Emma Crooke
    posted about this on Facebook 2016-08-07 14:38:12 +1000
    A Melbourne train should go to Melbourne, why does the Gippsland regional line get substandard service recommended?
  • Emma Crooke
    signed 2016-08-07 14:37:27 +1000
    Absolutely ridiculous!
  • Mik Giles
    posted about this on Facebook 2016-08-07 14:28:51 +1000
    A Melbourne train should go to Melbourne, why does the Gippsland regional line get substandard service recommended?
  • Michael Giles
    signed 2016-08-07 14:28:01 +1000
  • Murray Phillips
    posted about this on Facebook 2016-08-07 14:18:15 +1000
    A Melbourne train should go to Melbourne, why does the Gippsland regional line get substandard service recommended?
  • Joy Whute
    signed via 2016-08-07 14:17:57 +1000
    No way think of the country people for a change .
  • Murray Phillips
    signed 2016-08-07 14:17:53 +1000
  • Lynn Fowler
    signed 2016-08-07 14:17:33 +1000
    With the congestion in the city, the government should be encouraging people to live in regional areas, not making it more difficult.
  • Sue North
    posted about this on Facebook 2016-08-07 14:15:28 +1000
    A Melbourne train should go to Melbourne, why does the Gippsland regional line get substandard service recommended?
  • Anne Boyle
    signed 2016-08-07 14:13:53 +1000