RACV On Track Survey 2019 reveals Melbourne’s best and worst stations
How does your train station rate in terms of safety, accessibility and crowding? A new survey has revealed how every station in Melbourne stacks up, with a key problem plaguing one previously popular station.
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Commuters have not held back when asked to share their views about the state’s train network in a new survey.
Chronic overcrowding, unsafe stations, excessive late trains and inadequate parking are plaguing Melbourne’s train lines, RACV’s 2019 On Track Survey has revealed.
But stations rebuilt as part of the level crossing removal project have been given the commuter stamp of approval.
More than 24,500 people rated railway stations and services across the state in the latest survey.
South Kensington was ranked worst out of Victoria’s 311 stations, scraping a score of just 2.48 out of 10.
The average station rating across the state was 6.40, down from 6.48 in the 2017 survey.
Sixty-four per cent of respondents who used South Kensington said they felt unsafe there, 58 per cent said trains were too crowded and 27 per cent said there were poor bus connections.
Other low ranking spots included Aircraft in Laverton (3.43), Donnybrook (3.44), Hastings (3.50) and Broadmeadows (3.74), Jacana (3.76) and Ruthven (3.96).
Four of those stations languished in the rankings in the previous survey conducted in 2017.
SCROLL DOWN TO SEE MELBOURNE’S TOP 10 BEST AND WORST STATIONS
But there is hope for some commuters in those areas with current improvement works at Donnybrook and plans to upgrade Broadmeadows with a new northern station entrance, refurbish toilets, upgrade lighting and CCTV, and signage, upgrade lighting along the walkway between the station and subway entrance.
When it came to services, the Upfield line came off the worst with Gowrie, Fawkner, Merlynston, Coburg topping the list for the infrequent trains.
At the other end of the line, Hawkstowe earned the highest rating – 9 out of 10 – in Victoria.
The Whittlesea station opened in 2018 as part of the Mernda line extension and also scored highly when it came to train services.
The new Carnegie station, unveiled in 2018 after a level crossing removal, was the express mover on the list skipping from the bottom 10 in the 2017 survey to second best this time around with a score of 8.61.
>>HAVE YOUR SAY: DID THE SURVEY GET IT RIGHT? TELL US BELOW
Other top ranking spots were Middle Gorge (8.48), Rosanna (8.34), Bentleigh (8.32) and Southland (8.22), all of which were new or rebuilt stations opened since 2016.
RACV senior manager transport Peter Kartsidimas said urgent investment on the rail network was needed to improve railway stations and services.
“It’s no surprise that congestion on Melbourne’s road network is getting worse, but we also need to fix congestion on our rail with over a quarter of Victorians experiencing overcrowding on their service,” he said.
Wyndham Vale, which had the highest score in 2017 survey, dropped to 43rd this time with commuters citing a lack of parking spaces and bus connections for the score.
More than 40 per cent of respondents who drove to their station said they would be willing to pay an extra $2 for more parking options, particularly people travelling from Camberwell, Frankston and Heidelberg.
“As the population continues to boom we need genuine alternatives for getting to the station including reliable bus connections and better walking and cycling paths,” Mr Kartsidimas said.
He said other concerns raised, such as inadequate shelter and lighting, had inexpensive solutions.
Public Transport Minister Melissa Horne said the State Governments was transforming the transport network by investing more than $70 billion in major projects.
“While we build the infrastructure for the future, we’re also investing in the services passengers need now with more than 500 extra services added to the Metropolitan network since 2015,” Ms Horne said.
The On Track Survey 2019 was conducted from October 16 to November 20 and gave commuters a platform to air their gripes and help RACV advocate for better public transport infrastructure and services.
To see the full results visit racv.com.au/ontracksurvey
A TALE OF TWO STATIONS
The bad
The platform shakes, services regularly skip it, there’s not much shelter from the elements and the underpass floods – it’s not hard to see why South Kensington was the lowest ranked station in Victoria.
Damian Testa, who catches the train there every weekday, said the platform was very narrow and the underpass was prone to flooding.
“It’s especially bad during peak hour when you’ve got 50 or so people trying to exit the station and having to wade through ankle-deep water,” he said.
Worst of all, Mr Testa said express trains often skipped the station and left the growing masses stranded on the sliver of a platform as they waited for the next service.
“If there’s a delay or a cancellation, the platforms get very crowded and once you do get on a train it’s packed to the rafters,” he said.
Almost two-thirds of commuters who used the station said they didn’t feel safe at the West Melbourne spot during certain times of the day.
Michael Taylor, who gave the station a one star Google review, said it was the worst station in Melbourne.
“The platform is so skinny that if someone is seated you can’t walk behind the yellow line. Trains fly past you on both sides and the platform starts to shake,” he wrote.
And the good
Hawkstowe Railway Station was a victory for people power.
Initial plans for the Mernda line extension did not include the stop between Middle Gorge and Mernda stations.
But a powerful community campaign forced the State Government to bow to public pressure and Hawkstowe Railway Station was born.
South Morang Rail Alliance campaigner Darren Peters said it was no surprise the station earned the top ranking in the RACV On Track survey, with people grateful for its existence alone.
“It just goes to show what happens when you listen to what the community wants, and building a station in a location where lots of people could walk or ride to it was a winning combination,” he said.
The modern station, which opened in August 2018, boasts a cafe, bike and carparking spots, CCTV and sheltered waiting areas.
“The space is used well and it’s a very welcoming station,” Mr Peters said.
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The transport advocate said with the rail line now completed, planners needed to turn their attention to reducing congestion on surrounding thoroughfares such as Plenty and Yan Yean roads.
“We also need more frequent services during off-peak times on this line, it will encourage more people to catch the train if they don’t have to wait 20-30 minutes outside peak times,” Mr Peters said.
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