Category Archives: Regional

Ballarat, Media releases, Regional

PTUA welcomes extra Night Coach services

The Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) has welcomed the government’s announcement of extra Night Coach services for regional Victoria.

Passengers on the Ballarat and Bendigo lines will benefit from new Night Coaches leaving Melbourne around 1am, in addition to the existing coaches which leave around 2am. This fills a gap of approximately 2 hours in the existing timetables, between the last train leaving around midnight and the Night Coach leaving around 2am. The Geelong line’s last train is around 1am, so the new Night Coaches to Ballarat and Bendigo will cater to a similar crowd.

The PTUA has previously advocated for a service leaving around 1am, and is extremely pleased that the government has decided to introduce these services in addition to the existing 2am coaches.

For passengers heading in the other direction, there will be extra Night Coach services from Bendigo, Seymour and Traralgon, all timed to arrive in Melbourne around 12:40am. These services also fill a large hole in the timetable, making it possible to stay in these regional centres later into the evening.

PTUA Ballarat Branch Convener Ben Lever praised the government’s announcement, saying this would provide more flexibility to passengers wanting to travel to and from Melbourne on weekends.

“The extra services to Ballarat and Bendigo fill a real hole in the current timetable between midnight and 2am. For many people, the midnight train means they have to leave the party too early, and the 2am coach gets them home too late – so the 1am coach should be very popular.

“The Geelong line’s last train leaves around 1am, so these new Night Coaches will give Ballarat and Bendigo passengers the same opportunities as Geelong passengers to socialise and attend events in Melbourne”.

The services from Bendigo, Seymour and Traralgon to Melbourne will also serve a real need.

“In many regional towns and cities, the latest train to Melbourne on a Saturday night is very early – in most cases before 9:30pm, and on the Traralgon line before 7pm! This means that if you want to visit one of these regional centres to attend an event, or even just have dinner, you currently have to spend the night – which is a big deterrent for many people. These Night Coach services will make it easier for Melburnians to experience all that regional Victoria has to offer, and head home to their own beds afterwards.

“The new services will also come in handy for regional Victorians who need to arrive in Melbourne later at night, such as people catching the SkyBus to Tullamarine airport for a late-night flight”

Geelong, Media releases, Regional

Rail users call on MPs to save North Melbourne stop

Volunteers will hand out fliers at Geelong railway stations this week, asking passengers to contact state and federal MPs to help save stops at North Melbourne station.

When the Regional Rail Link opens, Geelong line trains will run past North Melbourne station without a stop, despite it being the best station for changes to the City Loop, and other rail and bus services.

Dedicated train users will give fliers to early morning commuters outside major Geelong stations, encouraging them to e-mail, phone or visit their MPs to make their views known.

The Public Transport Users Association’s Geelong branch convenor, Paul Westcott, said the volunteers hoped to raise awareness among train travellers. “About half of regional commuters change at North Melbourne, but many don’t know that they will lose their stop without urgent changes to Regional Rail Link plans”.

Continue reading Rail users call on MPs to save North Melbourne stop →

Geelong, Media releases, Regional

Minister’s spin doesn’t wash

The Public Transport Users Association has described as “pure spin” Public Transport Minister Terry Mulder’s excuse for regional trains not stopping at North Melbourne station under the Regional Rail Link (RRL)

“The minister is trying to dress up a downgrade as an improvement,” PTUA regional spokesperson Paul Westcott said.

Mr Mulder has said that continuing to allow V/Line passengers to use North Melbourne would “add to congestion” at the station, yet it was recently rebuilt at a cost of $30 million to increase its capacity.

“It’s nonsense to claim that regional trains will suffer delays from congestion by stopping at North Melbourne because they will now all stop at Footscray instead,” Mr Westcott said.
Continue reading Minister’s spin doesn’t wash →

Geelong, Media releases, Regional

Bus users call for new paper tickets to replace short-term Myki

The Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) has called on the Public Transport Minister Terry Mulder to clarify the position regarding Myki short-term tickets.

PTUA Regional Spokesman Paul Westcott said yesterday’s announcement about Myki had created uncertainty for regional bus users in areas using Myki, including Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo.

“Over sixty percent of bus travellers are using short-term tickets[1], yet Mr Mulder says that they are going to be eliminated ‘to the extent possible’. That threatens to create a huge problem for bus passengers and is likely to be a disincentive for people to use public transport.”
Continue reading Bus users call for new paper tickets to replace short-term Myki →

Media releases, Melbourne west, Regional

Regional Rail Link must be reviewed, users say

The Public Transport Users Association has criticised the state government for giving the go-ahead to the Regional Rail Link (RRL), without an independent review to fix the project’s problems and explore alternative plans.

PTUA secretary Tony Morton said the government’s approval made a mockery of its commitment to set up an independent Public Transport Development Authority to guide the improvement of Victoria’s public transport system.

“We strongly support the government’s initiative for an independent, expert body to guide the development of public transport services and infrastructure. We understand the government is in the process of selecting the key personnel. So why wouldn’t these, the experts we’re counting on to guide the system over the coming years, start by reviewing the largest and most expensive Victorian rail project in living memory?” Dr Morton said.
Continue reading Regional Rail Link must be reviewed, users say →

Geelong, Media releases, Regional

Geelong Branch: Regional Rail Link needs independent review, users say

The Geelong Branch of the Public Transport Users Association is disappointed that the state government has given the go-ahead to the Regional Rail Link (RRL) without any real changes.

“When he was in opposition, Public Transport Minister Terry Mulder made a number of pointed criticisms of the scheme, yet now he has rushed into announcing that it will continue it as it is, even in the face of a huge cost increase,” Branch convenor Paul Westcott said.

The cost blow-out that Mr Mulder revealed after the Coalition came to power, coupled with the federal government delaying its funding commitment in order to deal with recent natural disasters, provided a perfect opportunity to have the project properly re-assessed, and for alternatives to be fully explored.
Continue reading Geelong Branch: Regional Rail Link needs independent review, users say →

Federal funding, Geelong, Media releases, Melbourne west, Regional

Billion dollar rail blowout a blessing in disguise

Southern Cross StationThe billion dollar blowout in the construction costs of the Regional Rail Link, reported in the Australian Financial Review today (3 February 2011), could provide the opportunity to revise the project and fix its worst problems, the Public Transport Users Association has said.

Secretary Tony Morton said that well-chosen experts for the proposed new Public Transport Authority could now be appointed to “do the homework” on the Link that had been neglected by the Department of Transport.

The PTUA has previously raised concerns that existing plans would make Geelong trains slower and cut connections to the City loop, the University precinct bus shuttle, and the Upfield, Craigieburn and Werribee suburban train lines. Passengers may have also overloaded the trains serving the proposed new stations.
Continue reading Billion dollar rail blowout a blessing in disguise →

Geelong, Media releases, Regional

Transport review must include the regional rail link

The PTUA has called on the Minister for Public Transport, Terry Mulder, to include an evaluation of the Regional Rail Link (RRL) in the review of the former government’s transport plan.

PTUA Geelong Branch convenor Paul Westcott noted that in his recent announcement of the review, Mr Mulder said all projects proposed in the Victorian Transport Plan would be reviewed, but also that the RRL would proceed.

“It’s unclear whether some of the critical elements of the RRL project will be reviewed as well, but they certainly should be.  What’s the point of doing an overall review of the Transport Plan without examining the most extensive and expensive part of it?” Mr Westcott asked.

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Election 2010, Media releases, Melbourne and suburbs, Regional

Labor transport policy: Good upgrades, but big gaps remain

The Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) has welcomed the launch of Labor’s transport policy, and said that it contained a number of worthwhile initiatives that would make life easier for passengers, but warned that it was not a comprehensive vision for fixing Victoria’s public transport woes.

PTUA President Daniel Bowen said it was pleasing to see a number of the PTUA’s priorities[1] in the ALP’s policy, and that the deployment of staff to all Metro electrified stations was significant step forward.
Continue reading Labor transport policy: Good upgrades, but big gaps remain →

Election 2010, Media releases, Melbourne and suburbs, Regional

What a mess – a hundred different organisations running public transport in Victoria

Diagram of organisations running public transport in VictoriaThe Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) has highlighted the fragmented nature of public transport management in Victoria, issuing a flowchart illustrating how difficult it is for the average person to work out who to contact with questions and problems. The flowchart will be sent to PTUA members, and available on the PTUA web site.

“We were staggered to find over a hundred different organisations involved”, said PTUA President Daniel Bowen. “We considered putting the diagram on a postcard to hand out to people to help them navigate the bureaucracy, but it wouldn’t all fit.
Continue reading What a mess – a hundred different organisations running public transport in Victoria →