Community petition for new Airport West station grows
A community petition calling for a new train station in Airport West to fix the “transport black hole” is gaining traction. And now community members and the council are rallying Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan to make it happen.
North West
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A community petition to build a train station in Airport West has reached more than 2000 signatures as angry commuters lobby the transport minister for change.
Moonee Valley Council has been inundated with submissions calling for the State Government to build the much needed station as part of its Still Waiting campaign.
The council will forward the letters on to Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan as part of the push.
Meanwhile, a petition to build a new station on Terror St has garnered more than 2000 signatures.
Airport West’s Matthew Muscat, 32, who has written to Ms Allen, said although he only lived 12km out of the city, it took him more than an hour to get to work.
“I live too far from the tram stop so my wife or my 72-year-old dad has to drop me off at Essendon station every morning,” he said.
“I can’t drive to the station because there’s absolutely no car spots by 7am.”
He said Essendon station was supporting a large portion of commuters from the west because Airport West was an “absolute transport black hole”.
“A new station wouldn’t just support Airport West, it would support the surrounding suburbs and become a hub for East Keilor, Keilor Park, Tullamarine and Avondale Heights which would then free up the Craigieburn line,” Mr Muscat said.
Petition creator Michael Moyzes, 41, said he was frustrated with the lack of efficient transport.
“I just put (the petition) out there because it’s something I genuinely believe in,” he said.
“It’s great to see it’s growing and there’s definitely a desire within the community (for the station).
“We’re talking about a vulnerable suburb needing a connection to the city, but it’s also about the future and connecting people to jobs in the CBD.”
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Moonee Valley Mayor Samantha Byrne said it took the same amount of time to get to the city from Airport West by public transport as it did to get to the city from Geelong.
“That’s just shameful and our residents are fed up,” she said.
Cr Byrne said since the council launched its Still Waiting campaign last week, the community had really rallied around the initiative.
“We’ve received close to 100 submissions from members of the community lobbying the State Government for a station to fill the transport black hole in the area,” Cr Byrne said.
The campaign recommends that the new station should be located at the border of Keilor East and Airport West near Roberts Rd, as the location is already zoned for rail infrastructure.
Transport minister spokeswoman Hayley Bester said Rail Projects Victoria was still undertaking detailed planning and development works for the Melbourne Airport Rail.
But she didn’t answer questions on whether an Airport West station was on the cards.