Craigieburn line commuter petition calls for works to relieve overcrowded trains
It’s one of Melbourne’s fastest growing regions, but Craigieburn’s population boom has come at the expense of public transport, with hundreds of locals saying it’s to blame for overcrowded and unreliable trains.
North West
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Commuters crushed on overcrowded trains have called for better services along the Craigieburn line.
The change.org petition has amassed more than 420 signatures in the months since its launch.
Last year data revealed that over a fifth of peak hour trains along the line were overcrowded in the morning, and a quarter of evening trains faced the same problem.
Organiser Tim Michell said he started the petition to call for upgrades.
“I’ve lived in Melbourne’s northwest for a decade and in that time public transport has only got more unreliable,” he said.
“The addition of a new car park at Craigieburn station is a good step but the punctuality and reliability of services remains a major issue.”
A community call out revealed problems with clashing bus and train timetables, packed train carriages and a need for express services to the city.
“What’s it going to be like in 10 years when thousands more people are relying on the line every day?” he asked.
The petition also called for better bus connectivity from stations along the line.
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Department of Transport Head of Transport Services Jeroen Weimar said the State Government was in the middle of an “unprecedented transport construction boom”.
“On the Craigieburn line we’re running more services than ever before and we regularly look at plans to deliver additional rail services to passengers,” he said.
“These investigations will inform any future timetable changes, which will give passengers more trains, more often at the times they need it most.
“We will continue to keep the public informed about future timetable changes.”