Leader gets behing local campaigner and Casey councillors’ calls for Cranbourne rail line extension
LEADER CAMPAIGN: WITH rampant growth in Cranbourne East and Clyde, the push for the long-promised rail line extension is intensifying. Leader has joined the fight.
South East
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CRANBOURNE East and Clyde residents face a public transport crisis unless the State Government starts work now on the long-promised extension of the Cranbourne rail line, community leaders warn.
Today, Cranbourne Leader launches its campaign for the extension. Currently, 20,000 people live inthe area. But this is set to skyrocket to 140,000 within the next 25 years.
Mayor Mick Morland said both the Labor and Liberal parties agreed the extension of suburban passenger services on the former Leongatha rail line was needed, but neither would commit to it.
“There’s a view it will not be needed for 10 years,” Cr Morland said.
“That’s highly questionable, but even if it’s correct, the time to get started on developing stations and upgrading the track is now.
“Do it now or it will never get done.”
Spirit of Cranbourne president Judy Davis said getting the extension built quickly was vital for residents and businesses.
“Clyde is growing like Topsy and there’s virtually no public transport either there or in Cranbourne East,” Ms Davis said.
“Getting that line in will bring business and make travel from our newest and fastest developing areas to the rest of Cranbourne and southern Casey much more practical.
“It will reduce the need for multiple-car families, saving our roads and people’s pockets.”
Cr Amanda Stapledon said the need for the line to Clyde was obvious.
“Apart from commuter and inter-suburban travel, it would allow a boutique platform at Casey Fields, to carry sports fans to be dropped on the edge of the playing fields. Anybody who has struggled with the traffic on major football days would welcome that,” Cr Stapledon said.
Scorpions Football Club general manager Matthew Young said it would be eagerly welcomed by all sporting groups using Casey Fields.
“It would be a great help to us and fans on days of AFL matches. I think it would be welcomed by the entire sporting community.”
Cr Gary Rowe, who has pushed for the extension of the line to Clyde for the past 20 years, said it was something that needed to be done, whatever the cost.
“It should be done now and it should be done well,” he said.
“Any attempt to put it through as a single line should be resisted.
“Duplicating the line from the Lyndhurst area to Clyde would allow a 10-minute service on the line through some of Casey’s fastest and most intensely developed areas. How hard can it be? The easement is already there, going to waste.”
*Key dates in history of Dandenong-Cranbourne-Leongatha rail line:
■ 1888 Dandenong Cranbourne rail line opened
■ 1891 Line extended through Clyde to Leongatha
■ 1993 Last passenger train, Melbourne to Leongatha
■ 1994 Cranbourne Liberal MP Gary Rowe pushes for line upgrade for suburban passenger service to Clyde
■ 1995 Dandenong-Cranbourne section of line electrified for suburban travel
■ 1999 Coalition and Labor both promise to extend the electrified line to Cranbourne East
■ 2002-3 Line extension included in State Budget papers
■ 2003-4 Line extension dropped from Budget papers