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Ahead of contract renewals for Melbourne’s train network, the Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) has called for much needed upgrades on the Alamein line.

“Alamein commuters are sick and tired of being treated as second class citizens of the train system,” said Jeremy Lunn, the PTUA’s Outer-East Convenor.
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February 2008 edition articles:

• It’s official: Myki more expensive than staff
• PTUA at Sustainable Living Festival
• Bike ban embarrasses minister: Time for some better advice
• Focus on traffic congestion – but what is the fix?
• PTUA launches governance paper

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Following news that V/Line might abandon passenger rail services from Wangaratta to Albury because of the poor condition of the track, the Public Transport Users Association has urged the Victorian Government to immediately begin negotiations with the federal Government for the conversion of the inadequate broad gauge line to standard gauge.

“The Victorian rail network beyond the Regional Fast Rail (RFR) corridors is in crisis,” PTUA regional spokesperson Paul Westcott said. He noted that the Albury line wasn’t part of the RFR upgrade and has been largely neglected.
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The Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) has called for the immediate duplication of single track sections on the Lilydale line, along with service upgrades.

“We’ve seen no major timetable changes or upgrades on our line since the Kennett era and it’s now time for action,” said Jeremy Lunn, the PTUA’s Outer-East Convenor. “The existing timetables are way out of date, too infrequent and don’t meet the expectations of the public.”
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As of today, the ban on bikes on peak hour trains has been officially withdrawn.

Cyclists are asked to use the last door of the last carriage where possible, and strongly advised to avoid the front of the train, where wheelchair users board.

Read more about the new guidelines for metropolitan and regional trains at Metlink: Bikes back on peak hour trains and further improvements announced

The PTUA was opposed to the ban, and is pleased to see the government has reconsidered the issue.

• Bin The Bike Ban campaign
• Background to the ban

After years of government inaction, the Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) has called for the immediate overhaul of train services in Melbourne’s east. Under this move, train services would be upgraded on the Belgrave, Lilydale, Glen Waverley and Alamein lines.

“We’ve seen no major timetable changes or upgrades since the Kennett era and it’s now time for action,” said Jeremy Lunn, the PTUA’s Outer-East Convenor.  “The existing timetables are way out of date, too infrequent and don’t meet the expectations of the public.”
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The billion dollar cost of the troubled Myki smartcard ticketing system, revealed in the Herald Sun today, would cover the direct cost of re-staffing Melbourne’s transport system for over a decade, the Public Transport Users Association said today.

PTUA President Daniel Bowen said rather than spending the money on a ticketing system which, like Metcard, could be replaced after ten years, the money would be better spent on returning conductors to trams and staff to every station.

“The original estimated $494 million cost of Myki was poor value, but $1 billion is a rip-off. For that price, the government could re-staff the system, spend $100m or so to keep Metcard going and have change left over to improve our woeful public transport services.”
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The growing cost of oil imports is a major factor in Australia’s trade deficit and household financial stress, a coalition of transport groups warned today.

“Australia’s annual oil import bill has blown out from under $5 billion per year a decade ago to over $23 billion in 2007,” said Public Transport Users Association President Daniel Bowen. “Surging oil use is one of the key drivers of our huge trade deficit and a major drag on the economy.”
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Australia’s transport system is totally unprepared for the looming challenges of climate change, rising oil prices and urban congestion, a national coalition of transport groups warned today. In making the warning, the groups urged the federal government to fund the long-overdue expansion of urban and regional rail networks.

“The transport sector is one of the largest and fastest growing sources of carbon emissions,” said Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) President Daniel Bowen. “Greenhouse pollution from cars, trucks and planes is growing so fast that the government’s target of an overall 60% cut in emissions by 2050 will be impossible to achieve.”
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A national coalition of transport groups has urged the federal government to fund a major rail network upgrade to enable the introduction of high speed passenger services and ensure the viability of regional rail freight services.

In a submission ahead of this year’s federal budget [1], the sustainable transport coalition, which includes Victoria’s Public Transport Users Association (PTUA), has recommended that the federal government’s commitment to infrastructure investment begin with dragging Australia’s rail network out of the steam age and into the 21st century.
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