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

Thomas Hammond signed 2016-08-06 18:57:57 +1000

I take a v-line service to and from Warragul to clayton every week day. The trains constantly arrive 20 minutes late either way and there has been 3 times where there has been no communication at clayton that a v-line service had been cancelled. Therefore having to constantly ask metro workers at clayton and Dandenong as to when a bus will arrive. Sometimes taking 3 hours in a trip that should take just over 1. Don’t make a service that is already ridiculously unreliable even worse, it seems like we are always cast aside just like at the start of the year interruptions.
Narelle Hancock signed 2016-08-06 18:54:45 +1000
Cath Lanigan signed 2016-08-06 18:52:25 +1000

Maintain a reasonable service please
Jackie Brown signed via Nicky Smyth 2016-08-06 18:50:41 +1000

My parents are elderly & live in Gippsland. They use this train & I think it would be horrible & confusing for them to change trains at Pakenham.

Gippsland should have the same service as the rest of Victoria.
Ian Martin signed 2016-08-06 18:48:34 +1000

A lot of elderly people and pensioners, disability and aged, rely on the rail connection to Melbourne to access medical and other services that are only available there. Anything that makes it harder for them is a disgrace. Please don’t make it harder!
Deborah Woodburn signed 2016-08-06 18:45:41 +1000
Elizabeth Colvin signed 2016-08-06 18:39:06 +1000
Sharon Rae signed 2016-08-06 18:35:43 +1000

I commute everyday via Gippsland Vline and this wold my trip slow down considerable and in general be a huge inconvenience
Em Ross signed 2016-08-06 18:35:41 +1000

Please do not make us change trains at Packenham.

Why should we as a big regional area not have our trains go all the way to Southern Cross like other regional areas in Victoria.
David Riddell signed 2016-08-06 18:35:15 +1000
Patricia East signed 2016-08-06 18:33:06 +1000
Jannette Langley signed 2016-08-06 18:30:58 +1000
Allan Wood signed 2016-08-06 18:30:31 +1000
Rhonda Shingles posted about this on Facebook 2016-08-06 18:21:53 +1000
A Melbourne train should go to Melbourne, why does the Gippsland regional line get substandard service recommended?
Rhonda Shingles signed 2016-08-06 18:21:10 +1000
kara worthington signed 2016-08-06 18:18:47 +1000
Megan Lee signed via Nicky Smyth 2016-08-06 18:18:17 +1000
judy smith signed 2016-08-06 18:11:56 +1000
Richard Atkinson posted about this on Facebook 2016-08-06 18:09:51 +1000
A Melbourne train should go to Melbourne, why does the Gippsland regional line get substandard service recommended?
Richard Atkinson signed 2016-08-06 18:09:29 +1000
Rhonda Mether signed 2016-08-06 18:04:05 +1000

This decision would disadvantage many country commuters as well as adding extra numbers to the already overcrowded Pakenham to City – City to Pakenham metro trains. Imagine what it would be like at peak times with an extra train load of passengers trying to get onto the metro train in order to meet a V-line train at Pakenham. This will force a lot of people back into their cars causing more congestion on our roads.
Peter Auger signed 2016-08-06 18:02:48 +1000

Seriously!
Nicky Smyth posted about this on Facebook 2016-08-06 17:59:04 +1000
A Melbourne train should go to Melbourne, why does the Gippsland regional line get substandard service recommended?
Richard Lang signed 2016-08-06 17:58:49 +1000

The number of Pakenham residents already using the Vline service from Pakenham to the City shows the inability of the Metro services to cater for the existing customer base at Pakenham without adding further to the numbers. If the decision for the installation of the Skyrail had had proper consultation and not blind acceptance of an unsolicited proposal there would have been a better solution for the future of Metro, Vline and freight rail services in the Gippsland corridor.
Alice-Mae Keenan signed 2016-08-06 17:58:39 +1000
Nicole Smyth signed 2016-08-06 17:58:37 +1000
Carol Wilson signed 2016-08-06 17:53:29 +1000

I work with disadvantaged clients and also know many of them and others not disadvantaged who have to travel to Melbourne for medical appointments and the train is quite a necessary mode of transport. To see it cut would really hinder there ability to get to these appointments. Or, will there be medical services moving to Gippsland to compensate??
Annette Tod signed 2016-08-06 17:50:56 +1000

Am reliant on that train to get me to special events and meetings. It already takes 2 hours. It will take up to 3 hours if the train doesn’t go through Melbourne. I vote and I pay taxes and full fares. Come on leave our trains alone
Sue Bell signed 2016-08-06 17:50:27 +1000
Gary Jay posted about this on Facebook 2016-08-06 17:48:20 +1000
A Melbourne train should go to Melbourne, why does the Gippsland regional line get substandard service recommended?