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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Robert Hoare signed 2016-08-09 16:42:39 +1000
Dorothy Hoare posted about this on Facebook 2016-08-09 16:40:35 +1000
A Melbourne train should go to Melbourne, why does the Gippsland regional line get substandard service recommended?
Dorothy Hoare signed 2016-08-09 16:39:42 +1000
Mim Cook signed via Shelly Nundra 2016-08-09 15:22:43 +1000

As a car-less mother with two young children, the train from Bairnsdale to Melbourne, is our only connection with Melbourne. Because of the train my children and I are connected with culture, family, sport, health, opportunity and the broader Australian community. We have used the vline to get to vital hospital appointments, to stay in touch with my brother and sister, to see our team Geelong play, to go to the NGV and Zoo. Please please do not take this away from us. I do not know what we would do with out it.
Suzanne Murany signed 2016-08-09 15:18:36 +1000

More traffic on our already impossibly slow ‘Freeway’ AKA Sth eastern ‘carpark’ will make travel to the city ridiculous & totally undesirable.
Billie Bristol signed 2016-08-09 14:49:45 +1000
Wendy Henshaw signed 2016-08-09 14:39:25 +1000
Jacqueline Jurovic signed via Eva Burton 2016-08-09 13:44:23 +1000

I grew up in Far East Gippsland & regularly used the train to commute between Bairnsdale & Melbourne. I have many friends and relatives to still choose this mode of transport. Changing trains in Pakenham is ridiculous! You’re treating Gippslanders like 2nd class citizens!
Alice Morrison signed 2016-08-09 13:37:47 +1000
Bob Stern signed via Terry Fulton 2016-08-09 13:10:23 +1000
nicola keyzer signed 2016-08-09 12:44:34 +1000

you must be kidding!!
Heather Reynolds signed via Helen Lambert 2016-08-09 12:38:47 +1000
Wayne Coutts signed 2016-08-09 12:10:48 +1000
Bayley Charalambous signed via Steph Kay 2016-08-09 12:03:32 +1000

This decision is a very unnecessary one as this line is a major arterial access point for country people to get to the city. To remove this line and terminate at packenham would be a disgrace as this would severely hindrance people abilities to get to Melbourne as many people who travel on this line have big bags and suitcases which are not suitable for the metro trains. For people in Shepparton to meet and make a decision about a train line that most of them probably haven’t seen before is an absolute joke. They need to all be removed from their positions because there doing a pretty terrible job. Instead of this they should have suggested to add extra carriages to certain services and add extra services during peak times, which would help reduce congestion on the trains.
Pamela McArthur signed 2016-08-09 11:59:21 +1000
Kayla Wojciechowski signed via Eva Burton 2016-08-09 11:34:43 +1000
Rachael Matthews signed via Shelly Nundra 2016-08-09 11:13:11 +1000
Damian Fowler signed via Michelle Templeton 2016-08-09 10:24:50 +1000
Helen Lambert signed 2016-08-09 09:35:32 +1000

Helen Lambert this is needed more now than ever.
Bree Bateman posted about this on Facebook 2016-08-09 08:55:42 +1000
A Melbourne train should go to Melbourne, why does the Gippsland regional line get substandard service recommended?
Bree Bateman signed 2016-08-09 08:55:13 +1000
Penny Ward posted about this on Facebook 2016-08-09 08:41:44 +1000
A Melbourne train should go to Melbourne, why does the Gippsland regional line get substandard service recommended?
Penny Ward signed via Terry Noone 2016-08-09 08:41:04 +1000
Meg Lambert signed via Shelly Nundra 2016-08-09 08:39:31 +1000
Annette Johnston signed 2016-08-09 08:38:46 +1000
Rod Faithfull signed 2016-08-09 08:34:46 +1000
Joy Flint signed via Lyn Chadwick 2016-08-09 08:33:02 +1000

We are both elderly and cannot travel on buses
lyn howe signed via Jan Langstaff 2016-08-09 08:29:24 +1000
Catherine McCombe signed via Donna Nash 2016-08-09 08:14:54 +1000

My husband is disabled this would be a disaster for us. I call this discrimination to those in the East of the state. Daniel Andrews blew money on cancelling the EastWest Link and the useless Desal plant that could have fixed this problem.
Megan Thorn posted about this on Facebook 2016-08-09 08:10:39 +1000
A Melbourne train should go to Melbourne, why does the Gippsland regional line get substandard service recommended?