Boroondara train users forced to contend with late services, skipped stations and cancelled trips
Commuters on the Lilydale and Belgrave train lines are among some of the worst affected by late services, skipped stations and cancelled trips.
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Trains on the Lilydale line stopping at stations in Boroondara are some of the worst performing services on the Metro network.
The train line had the highest number of cancellations, short trips, station skips and bypasses throughout the first half of this year, while trains on the Belgrave line — which joins the Lilydale line at Ringwood station — failed to reach their punctuality targets every month last financial year.
Opposition public transport spokesman David Davis said Boroondara commuters deserved better.
Figures from his office showed more than 14 per cent of Belgrave line trains failed to arrive on time in the year to June.
Commuters were also forced to contend with 1620 services not being delivered as scheduled due to cancellations or alterations since January this year, while punctuality targets on this line also weren’t met for nine of the 12 months to June.
“It’s time the reliability of these lines was improved so Boroondara and Whitehorse residents can again have punctual and reliable train services,” he said.
Kew state Liberal MP Tim Smith backed the call for Metro to lift its game, and said the State Government had proven “month after month” it was incapable of managing public transport.
“(People) are fed up with being inconvenienced, delayed and made to run late,” he said.
Metro spokesman Andrew Nelson agreed passengers deserved better services and said significant punctuality improvements were made on both lines in July, the most recent month for which figures were available.
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“Thanks to additional staff on platforms at key locations, and a greater focus on maintenance and renewal, we’re running more Belgrave and Lilydale trains on time,” he said.
A decision to alter a service was only made as a last resort and was caused by issues including trespassers on the tracks, poor weather and vandalism, he said.
Labor spokesman Matt Macklin said tougher performance measures were included in the Government’s new contract with Metro.
“These measures keep operators to account, with Metro able to be fined more than $1 million per month for poor performance,” he said.