Passengers on Melbourne’s busiest lines will benefit from more additional peak hour services from next month to cater for growing demand on the city’s metropolitan rail network.
Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky today announced the new timetable which includes 277 more weekly train services as well as extensions to another 51 services, resulting in a total of 328 new services every week.
“We are adding 25 extra morning peak services a week across the Sydenham, Werribee and Epping lines and these services alone can carry up to 5000 people every day, which is equivalent to around two freeway lanes of traffic,” Ms Kosky said.
"We are adding 25 extra morning peak services a week across the Sydenham, Werribee and Epping lines."
“Twenty more weekly services will be added in the evening peak to the Sydenham, Werribee, Epping and Dandenong lines and these will be complemented by more services on either side of the peak times.
“Increased petrol prices, population growth and a flourishing CBD means our rail system is carrying more people than ever before with passenger trips on metropolitan trains reaching 201.2 million in the 2007-2008 financial year – a record high driven by growth of 12.7 per cent.
“Our passenger railway is changing from a suburban train network into a mass transit system. That’s why we’ve worked so hard with Connex to provide these services, particularly in the peak periods when they’re needed most.
“But of course there is more to do. This is stage two of our plan to boost rail services. In April we added 105 new services and next year we will add more off peak options for commuters.
“The Victorian Government has added 1298 new weekly services since 1999 and in this year’s State Budget we funded extra tracks on the Werribee, Dandenong and Craigieburn lines. And we are developing the Victorian Transport Plan to be released by the end of the year.”
More services to the Werribee and Epping lines in November is the result of operating changes which form part of the biggest overhaul of services since the completion of the City Loop.
Ms Kosky said clearing bottlenecks on the network helps reduce congestion and allows space to run more services where demand is the greatest.
“Unclogging the network also increases track space to ensure we have room for the 18 new trains we have on order which will be rolled out from late 2009,” Ms Kosky said.
Running Werribee line trains direct to Flinders Street instead of round the City Loop allowed two new AM peak services to be introduced for Werribee commuters.
“These changes to the Werribee line benefit the more than 30,000 people who travel across the Northern rail group which includes Werribee, Sydenham, Craigieburn and Upfield line passenger by unclogging a bottleneck at near North Melbourne,” Ms Kosky said.
“Commuters who need to access Melbourne Central, Flagstaff or Parliament will be able to change at Southern Cross station for City Loop trains.”
With the start of the new timetable, morning Epping and Hurstbridge line services will run direct to Flinders Street Station and then clockwise through the City Loop.
Currently, morning inbound Epping and Hurstbridge trains are delayed near Jolimont Station because they cross the path of outbound trains on the same line.