Massive surge in Metro’s train passengers driving Melbourne’s peak hour crush

For many Melburnians who catch the train during peak hour, it won’t come as a surprise that the city’s train network is struggling to handle the surge of millions of extra passengers. These are the worst hit lines.

Commuters are being squeezed into carriages like sardines as Melbourne’s train network struggles to handle the pressure of ­millions of extra passenger journeys.

There are now 14.7 million more annual trips recorded across the city than there were five years ago, new ­Department of Transport figures show.

Surging population growth has also heaped immense pressure on stations in the outer suburbs.

Patronage has surged by five times what it was in 2013-14 at Officer, in the southeast, and doubled at Diggers Rest, in the northwest, over the same period.

The influx is creating a domino effect down the line as peak-hour commuters struggle to cram into full trains approaching the city.

Public Transport Minister Melissa Horne said the state government was working with Metro Trains to reduce crowding.

Commuters are being squeezed into carriages like sardines as Melbourne’s train network struggles to handle the pressure of millions of extra passenger journeys.

“Since 2015, we’ve added more than 530 new weekly train services, with close to 100 of those in peak hour, to reduce crowding and ­improve services for locals,” she said.

It’s understood a major timetable update was due to be rolled out this year but is now expected in 2020, with no additional services added to the schedule in 2019.

The last major change came in August 2018 when the network was extended to Mernda in the city’s northeast.

Melbourne’s $11 billion Metro Tunnel will take pressure off some of the city’s busiest lines but the mammoth project is not due to be finished until 2025.

Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan said the project would make room for an extra 500,000 people across the metropolitan network.

Maria Mikovik, like other passengers often drives into the city to avoid catching the train. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

“We’re also working on the Western Rail Plan, which will give people in the growing western suburbs access to Metro services for the first time,” she said.

Some of the biggest passenger increases were recorded between Kensington and Craigieburn and on corridors running through Footscray, Sydenham and Caulfield.

Public Transport Users Association spokesman Daniel Bowen said governments needed to invest in extra services to make sure timetables kept up with growth.

MORE NEWS:

PREMIER’S PLEA FOR A FIX TO DODGY CLADDING IMPORT CRISIS

AMBOS SEEING RED OVER ANDREWS PAY DISPUTE

HERO DIES SAVING GRANDDAUGHTER FROM BURNING HOUSE

“While some lines can’t take many more peak-hour services until the Metro Tunnel opens, authorities must make the most of existing track and fleet capacity to cut crowding,” he said.

“Cutting the current long waiting times of 20, 30 or even 40 minutes would bring huge benefits for our growing city.”

Maria Mikovic catches the Sunbury line to work every day, but finds the carriages are often packed long before West Footscray.

“It’s chock-a-block … I can never get a seat, I always have to stand,” she said.

“Sometimes I borrow my daughter’s car before work, just so I don’t have to catch the train.”

TRAIN STATIONS WITH THE BIGGEST PASSENGER INCREASES

Officer

2013-14 — 19,000

2018-19 — 123,000

Up 537 per cent

Diggers Rest

2013-14 — 66,000

2018-19 — 221,000

Up 234 per cent

Jacana

2013-14 — 80,000

2018-19 — 227,000

Up 183 per cent

Williams Landing

2013-14 — 809,000

2018-19 — 1.75 million

Up 17 per cent

Ruthven

2013-14 — 205,000

2018-19 — 409,000

Up 99 per cent

Gowrie

2013-14 — 168,000

2018-19 — 321,000

Up 91 per cent

Patterson

2013-14 — 211,000

2018-19 — 354,000

Up 68 per cent

West Footscray

2013-14 — 448,000

2018-19 — 733,000

Up 64 per cent

Cardinia Road

2013-14 — 247,000

2018-19 — 382,000

Up 55 per cent

Jordanville

2013-14 — 325,000

2018-19 — 499,000

Up 54 per cent

TRAIN TRIPS ACROSS MELBOURNE

2013-14 — 214.9 million

2018-19 — 229.6 million

An increase of 14.7 million

BUSIEST STATION

Flinders Street — 28 million annual passengers

BIGGEST INCREASE

Southern Cross — 2.46 million more passengers than five years ago

78.1 million passengers travel through City Loop each year

[e-mail]

@KieranRooneyCM