Nationals Member for Eastern Victoria Region, Melina Bath, has moved a take note motion in state parliament condemning the State Government for its mismanagement of Gippsland rail upgrades.
Ms Bath’s motion cited the fact that Gippsland train travel times to Melbourne have worsened under Labor.
“Forty years ago, in 1984, a train trip to Melbourne departing Traralgon was 40 minutes faster than it is today,” Ms Bath said.
“The trip to Flinders Street when John Cain was the Victorian Premier took one hour and 40 minutes, however under Premier Allan the duration is now two hours and 33 minutes.
“Passengers have suffered 10 years of service disruptions with no time efficiency gains and despite a multitude of false claims, Gippsland train travel is neither more reliable nor faster under Labor.
“Labor has shunted Gippsland commuters to the end of the queue while city-based infrastructure projects take precedence.”
Member for Morwell, Martin Cameron, said V/Line had failed to meet any rail punctuality targets between August 2015 and June 2024 – except in January 2023 when the train service did not operate.
“The poor performance on the Gippsland line and a constantly changing timetable is beyond frustrating for commuters who deserve a reliable service,” he said.
“We know Gippsland’s never ending train chaos will continue while Labor keeps preferencing its city centric big build, but despite all its the spin it cannot hide the poor performance figures.”
Ms Bath said it appears 21st Century technology cannot overcome Labor’s ineptitude and mismanagement.
“Labor cannot manage projects, it cannot manage rail upgrades and Gippsland commuters are paying the price.”
