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.

 

1,310 SIGNATURES
1,200 signatures

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Showing 948 reactions

  • Geraldine Robertson
    signed 2023-10-28 18:52:25 +1100
  • Cheryl Cook
    signed via 2017-10-14 17:00:14 +1100
  • Helen Smith
    signed 2017-08-21 13:34:47 +1000
  • Libby Mitchell
    signed 2017-01-18 12:56:30 +1100
    I am aged 68, with family / children all in Melbourne. Without the train service, it would cost me around $30 per round trip in fuel, car costs to see them. I can catch the Yallourn North bus, then the train from Moe and be close to my family in Ringwood, via Dandenong station for a full cost of approx. $12 return. As I get older I will not be able to drive, so I will no doubt rely on the regular transport and rail service even more regularly.


    Using the train is far more restful than a long bus ride and we deserve our train, as much as other Victorian taxpayers do. The train can offer ‘quiet carriages’ like the Ballarat train does, so people can study or read. Bus travel is too noisy for extended, regularly taken trips.


    Travellers can use their own reading / mobile resources more effectively to make train travel a logical and pleasant part of each day. Having a train service is thus superior to having a bus service and it would encourage population growth to give new residents a sensible commute pathway to Melbourne. Our property values may increase at last. We have enough ‘bad press’ to deal with via mining / pollution etc that negatively impacts Gippsland people via reduced asset values, for the sake of increased benefits to other Victorians, rather than ourselves.


    If Gippsland is trying to encourage new business development, increased population and tourism, it is insane to drop the Central Gippsland train service…and if the service is threatened, I believe we should have a street march all the way from Gippsland to Melbourne’s Parliament House etc. If Korumburra residents wanted to hook into that, having lost their train service already…then we could march on their behalves also to have that service reinstated.


    If our politicians’ perks, rights, expenses, pension entitlements and salaries all must be cut to pay for these services to continue…well and good! It is repugnant to me that citizens must lose so many personal and welfare rights…for the sake of cushy politicians’ comforts. They have been eating ‘cake’ at our expense for years while we have eaten ‘bread’….It needs changing around! It is time for us to speak out together…march out and visibly but peacefully state our case!
  • Rebekah Axe
    signed via 2016-12-30 00:09:25 +1100
    The train line is used regularly for my parents to get to medical services and the airport. This decision is detrimental to them and to our international visitors who take the vline train to visit us. Removing this direct line of transport will also make this difficult !
  • Christine Peers
    posted about this on Facebook 2016-12-29 19:38:07 +1100
    A Melbourne train should go to Melbourne, why does the Gippsland regional line get substandard service recommended?
  • Sara Redenbach
    posted about this on Facebook 2016-10-05 16:25:32 +1100
    A Melbourne train should go to Melbourne, why does the Gippsland regional line get substandard service recommended?
  • kevin m bell
    posted about this on Facebook 2016-09-22 19:35:36 +1000
    A Melbourne train should go to Melbourne, why does the Gippsland regional line get substandard service recommended?
  • kevin m bell
    @ongin43 tweeted link to this page. 2016-09-22 19:35:33 +1000
    A Melbourne train should go to Melbourne, why does the Gippsland regional line get substandard service recommended? http://www.votv.org.au/gippsland_line?recruiter_id=4184
  • Kevin Bell
    signed 2016-09-22 19:33:58 +1000
  • Kelsey Giardina
    signed via 2016-09-05 13:36:43 +1000
  • Dianne Harris
    signed 2016-08-26 17:19:11 +1000
  • Erin Garth
    signed 2016-08-25 21:53:43 +1000
  • Rebecca Pell
    signed via 2016-08-25 18:19:04 +1000
  • Emily Ridgewell
    signed via 2016-08-25 17:12:48 +1000
  • Mitch Bradley
    signed 2016-08-25 07:28:21 +1000
  • Shae Baxter
    signed via 2016-08-16 19:19:41 +1000
  • Nicholas Stirling
    signed 2016-08-16 16:15:35 +1000
  • Liz Watkins
    signed via 2016-08-16 08:21:38 +1000
    Why ohh why can’t we have a train that goes right into the city. Are we second class or even a here class citizens because we live in the country. We aren’t stupid hillbillies
  • Lesley Froud
    posted about this on Facebook 2016-08-15 22:05:11 +1000
    A Melbourne train should go to Melbourne, why does the Gippsland regional line get substandard service recommended?
  • Florence McClenaghan
    posted about this on Facebook 2016-08-15 13:12:39 +1000
    A Melbourne train should go to Melbourne, why does the Gippsland regional line get substandard service recommended?
  • David McClenaghan
    signed via 2016-08-15 13:11:55 +1000
    Do any of those making this decision regularly travel on country trains?
  • Glynis Galbraith
    signed 2016-08-15 06:23:58 +1000
    Lifeline from the Valley to Melbourne, ridiculous to think about changing.
  • Maree Hall
    signed 2016-08-14 20:29:01 +1000
    It may not happen at this point, but that option is never going to go away!! Stand up and be counted, Gippsland!
  • Katy Grandin
    signed 2016-08-14 19:30:51 +1000
    When we made the choice to live regionally, one of the attractions was that when my children went to university they could safely travel on one train to access university. On days that vline is not operating my daughter takes approximately an extra hour to get to uni. 2 1/2 hours instead of 1 1/2. She has to wait in Pakenham (not a safe place) and struggles to get a seat for the extremely long trip. Why on earth would we lose our valuable v line services instead of further developing then. Regional Victoria is an important part of improving infrastructure. Support us, don’t cut our services.
  • David Graham
    signed via 2016-08-14 16:55:00 +1000
  • Murray Parkinson
    signed via 2016-08-13 18:52:44 +1000
    The train needs to continue on to the city for those with health issues and the elderly.


    As well, the train running times can be cut down by duplicating the tracks between Bunyip & Longwarry and putting island platforms at Traralgon, Morwell & Moe.


    There does not need to be a dedicated line between Pakenham, Dandenong, Caulfield and or the city. First step is to Duplicate the line Bunyip _ Longwarry, the second step is to put an extra line from Pakenham to Dandenong for use by ALL trains, i.e.Electric & fright & V/Line trains, the V/Line train can then pass the stopping all stations Suburban Train on the way to or from Dandenong, and they will also then be able to get past broken down trains. The third step is to begin, ion stages, to put in two extra tracks from Dandenong to the Caulfield.


    There is room, the room that was to be for ALL trains has been stolen so that a dedicated fright line can be built from Caulfield to Dandenong, Cranbourne and then to Port Hastings. Meaning any future plans to put in extra tracks will be cost prohibited because the line would need to take houses for the “Right of Way.” If they want to put in a dedicated freight line, then they should not use the “Right of Way” which was always going to be for ALL trains on the old VR network, not just to help Privately owned Rail Freight companies like Tolls & Linfox, Qube, etc.


    If they want a line out there then they can pay for it, Thanks Murray.
  • Kate Walsh
    signed via 2016-08-13 10:05:13 +1000
  • Donna O'Brien
    signed 2016-08-12 22:45:21 +1000
  • Wendy Dyete
    signed 2016-08-12 21:17:26 +1000
    Don’t do it Andrews