Metro Trains says Upfield line short shunting on the way down despite passenger complaints

‘Literally every person’ who travels on the Upfield line during peak time deals with short shunting, but figures from Metro Trains say otherwise.

Passengers at Fawkner Train Station face delays due to short shunting. Picture: Hamish Blair

THE instances of “short shunting” on the Upfield train line is reducing according to figures from Metro Trains, but passenger anger remains.

Figures provided by Metro show 1.49 per cent of services on the line were shortened between January and July this year, down on 1.83 per cent for the same period the year before.

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Just 0.72 per cent were shortened in June and July. Short shunting occurs when trains are turned around at Coburg Station and sent back to the city to avoid clogging the single track onwards from Gowrie Station.

This leaves passengers either at or trying to reach the five stations beyond Coburg stuck waiting for the next train, generally about 20 minutes later.

Metro corporate affairs senior adviser Andrew Nelson said this was done to avoid further delays should a train be running behind schedule.

Fawkner is one of the five stations effected. Picture: Hamish Blair

Josephine Tyrrell said it happened to her about once a month, generally at night during peak hours as she attempted to get to Merlynston, and passengers were only told the service would end at Coburg at Moreland Station, just one stop before.

“Coupled with late services … and the massive increase in numbers of train users, it’s becoming more and more frustrating to catch the trains on our line,” she said.

Christian Schmidt commented on the Moreland Leader Facebook page that “literally every person” hoping to travel beyond Coburg deals with the issue.

Mr Nelson said it alerted passengers through its mobile app and drivers made announcements to alert passengers.

“The number of Upfield line services delivered short of their destination has been falling, but we recognise every altered service impacts our passengers,” Mr Nelson said.

Public Transport Users Association president Tony Morton said the issue belonged in the last century.

He called for upgrades to the track to ensure services run every 10 minutes.

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