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

Anne Derham signed via Barb Derham 2016-08-06 23:55:35 +1000

This is a mean and inefficient thing to do. The trains are already full and given that most already will have to chang e at either S. Yarr, Richmond, Flinder, the least they can do it run thru to the end of the line. Like a normal train does.
Lauraine Charalambous signed 2016-08-06 23:55:01 +1000

No way I go to Melbourne a lot for Doctor appointment And I don’t won’t to be getting on and off Train at pakenham and waiting for a train to take me to Melbourne. Or back to Moe .I pay taxes so I’m having a say in which my money is going to go and that’s My VLINE train
Tracey Johnson signed 2016-08-06 23:54:27 +1000
Margaret Smith signed 2016-08-06 23:52:17 +1000

I thought the government was trying to encourage people to settle and live in the country , a good reliable and fast train service would be a big plus and surely should be a priority in 2016 . What about the problems with our already crowded roads surely the plans proposed would put further strain on commuters to avoid public transport mainly trains if this goes ahead .
Danae Isitt signed 2016-08-06 23:50:36 +1000
Shayne Asnnett signed 2016-08-06 23:33:18 +1000
Teagan Coltman signed via Angela Temple 2016-08-06 23:31:21 +1000
Anne Powell signed 2016-08-06 23:31:04 +1000
Bonnie Mumford posted about this on Facebook 2016-08-06 23:23:57 +1000
A Melbourne train should go to Melbourne, why does the Gippsland regional line get substandard service recommended?
Anne Richardson signed 2016-08-06 23:23:34 +1000
lee hatfield signed 2016-08-06 23:16:47 +1000
Jenni Shaw signed 2016-08-06 23:10:14 +1000
Meranda Baker signed 2016-08-06 23:08:38 +1000

Sale to Melb no stops – all the way!!
Kayne Tottenham posted about this on Facebook 2016-08-06 23:07:20 +1000
A Melbourne train should go to Melbourne, why does the Gippsland regional line get substandard service recommended?
Kayne Tottenham signed 2016-08-06 23:06:20 +1000

Kayne Tottenham. Preposterous idea! Change trains at Pakenham? There’s not much logic to this.
David Mumford signed 2016-08-06 23:01:10 +1000

Don’t go backwards.
Wendy Wright signed via Rhonda Shingles 2016-08-06 22:57:51 +1000
Martyn Hiley signed 2016-08-06 22:51:37 +1000

For those of us who live in far East Gippsland, the train is a vital link to Melbourne after many hours on the bus. Many of the journeys from our town to Melbourne are for medical reasons, please don’t add to an already very long journey.
Greg Lester signed 2016-08-06 22:47:43 +1000
Paul Johnston signed 2016-08-06 22:47:14 +1000

Because fuck you Daniel, you piece of shit.
Doxie Watts signed 2016-08-06 22:46:52 +1000
Ned Makin posted about this on Facebook 2016-08-06 22:44:45 +1000
A Melbourne train should go to Melbourne, why does the Gippsland regional line get substandard service recommended?
Terry Makin signed 2016-08-06 22:43:56 +1000

I would change my vote if this was to occur

Please don’t underestimate that this will have a bad outcome for an election
Terese Bailey signed 2016-08-06 22:42:36 +1000
Belinda Rogers signed 2016-08-06 22:40:47 +1000

My daughter uses the Gippsland train to get to school. As it is she leaves at 6.30 every morning. If she then had to change at Pakenham she’d have to leave even earlier to be on time to school. She has to change at Richmond as it is, this would make it a total of 6 trains a day!!!!

We have a direct line. The government needs to make it function properly, not destroy the service. Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo commuters get a full and proper service. Why does Gippsland constantly get treated as second class citizens?
Christine Bailey signed 2016-08-06 22:40:17 +1000
Samantha Tierney signed 2016-08-06 22:38:15 +1000

Speaking as both a mother to a young child, and a legally blind traveller, this proposal will cause extensive inconvenience to every traveller using the Gippsland Rail system!
Nicole Bauer posted about this on Facebook 2016-08-06 22:38:14 +1000
A Melbourne train should go to Melbourne, why does the Gippsland regional line get substandard service recommended?
Nicole Bauer signed 2016-08-06 22:37:41 +1000

This is an appealing decision. I used this line quite regularly whilst heading to Melbourne for my chemo treatment. It would be an horrendous trip if you were to jump off at Packenham and then jump on another train. This proposal is diabolical for everyone in Gippsland. Please share and sign the petition.
Jane Devine signed 2016-08-06 22:28:48 +1000