Save the Gippsland Line

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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.

 

1,311 SIGNATURES
1,200 signatures

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Showing 949 reactions

  • Mark Kilpatrick
    signed 2016-08-08 22:25:44 +1000
  • Kimberley Newham
    signed 2016-08-08 22:21:40 +1000
  • Kylie Grisotto
    signed 2016-08-08 22:18:16 +1000
  • Yvonne Graeme Kimberlin
    signed 2016-08-08 22:15:13 +1000
    It just shows how out of touch they are with the country people. If it was any of the greens or the other desk sitters it would not be a problem
  • Gary Coombes
    posted about this on Facebook 2016-08-08 22:13:01 +1000
    A Melbourne train should go to Melbourne, why does the Gippsland regional line get substandard service recommended?
  • Gary Coombes
    signed 2016-08-08 22:12:04 +1000
    Leave our trains alone 😞
  • Jason Hurley
    signed 2016-08-08 22:07:16 +1000
    Pity if country Victoria cut off electricity and water gas and food supply
  • Sasha Radic
    signed 2016-08-08 22:03:07 +1000
    We use this train all the time. The Latrobe Valley has had enough kicks in the guts over the last few decades.
  • Jemma Costigan
    posted about this on Facebook 2016-08-08 21:57:34 +1000
    A Melbourne train should go to Melbourne, why does the Gippsland regional line get substandard service recommended?
  • Jemma Costigan
    signed via 2016-08-08 21:57:04 +1000
  • Morgan Brinsmead
    signed via 2016-08-08 21:56:35 +1000
    It would be very disappointing to see the train line be terminated at Pakenham, as I travel to and from Southern Cross to Morwell multiple times a week to attend university. By attending university in Melbourne, I am trying to give myself the best opportunities for my future, yet this would be greatly impacted on if I could not make it to Melbourne in a reasonable amount of time. There have been too many issues with the Traralgon/Bairnsdale lines in the past six months, and to see these lines be affected again would anger and disappoint many people, including myself. If this train line was in fact closer to the city, the decision would not be considered in the slightest, yet making unnecessary changes to the train lines that help country residents access the city seem to be “okay” in the eyes of v-line, metro and the government. I do hope the right decision is made and that the train line is kept the same, or even improved.
  • Jassie-Bree Salmond
    signed via 2016-08-08 21:55:09 +1000
  • Ada Lee
    signed via 2016-08-08 21:48:10 +1000
  • Steven Thomson
    signed via 2016-08-08 21:44:40 +1000
  • David Wombat Lyons
    signed 2016-08-08 21:39:10 +1000
  • Emily Garrett
    signed via 2016-08-08 21:36:46 +1000
  • patricia williams
    signed 2016-08-08 21:36:21 +1000
  • David Wijgers
    signed 2016-08-08 21:35:29 +1000
    I built my career going back and forth to the city everday for 10 years on the Gippsland line. I met my wife on the train. There are hundreds more like me.


    This service is critical for building core competencies and business experience in Gippsland.


    The additional time of changing services in Pakenham will become an added barrier to Gippslanders accessing this vital service and will absolutely result in poorer economic outcomes for the region as people stop using the service.


    Please reconsider this rash decision.
  • Gael Mitchell
    signed via 2016-08-08 21:31:46 +1000
    Rural people have reduced access to many services the railway line has been a real boost allowing people to comfortably access hospitals and specialists in Melbourne as well as being able to access the theatre shopping etc. buses are too cramped. What is wrong with the public service and government doing away with such an essential service. Are the bus companies still lobbying to close it down. Please leave the railway line open we are Victorians too. I need to travel to Paynesville on a regular basis the train helps my journey to be more comfortable
  • Maria Oliveira
    signed 2016-08-08 21:26:52 +1000
  • Cressida Koniaras
    signed 2016-08-08 21:24:07 +1000
  • Ben Mitchell
    signed 2016-08-08 21:23:25 +1000
  • Darold Klindworth
    signed 2016-08-08 21:20:19 +1000
    Any move like this will kill the service and impact on many many gippslanders. Our service is already 20 minutes slower than 15 years ago. This will add another 20 minutes or more to the trip.
  • Di Robertson
    signed 2016-08-08 21:18:24 +1000
  • Peter O'Rourke
    signed 2016-08-08 21:16:48 +1000
  • Vicki Oldfield
    posted about this on Facebook 2016-08-08 21:16:14 +1000
    A Melbourne train should go to Melbourne, why does the Gippsland regional line get substandard service recommended?
  • Lisa Douglas
    signed 2016-08-08 21:15:41 +1000
  • Debbie Hoffman
    posted about this on Facebook 2016-08-08 21:14:02 +1000
    A Melbourne train should go to Melbourne, why does the Gippsland regional line get substandard service recommended?
  • Malia Stephenson
    signed via 2016-08-08 21:08:31 +1000
  • Trevor Reeves
    signed 2016-08-08 21:01:28 +1000
    This idea is a silly idea as we pay just as much as anyone to travel if you cut line tourism in Melbourne will decline from traveling gippslanders
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