Rail back on council’s track

By Alison Noonan
THE construction of the Cranbourne East rail line is back on Casey Council’s agenda following a damning report on Melbourne’s public transport system.
Councillors at last week’s meeting voted to reignite their campaign to lobby the State Government to build the promised railway station.
The call came in the wake of recommendations made by the Metropolitan Transport Forum in its Most Liveable and Best Connected Report, which examined the performance of Melbourne’s public transport services and outlined an investment program for improvements.
The report said the State Government needed to increase rail capacity, including duplicating single-track lines, extending train lines and constructing additional stations in the city’s outer urban growth areas and connect all principal activity centres by high-frequency, seven-day and evening routes.
Four Oaks councillor Rob Wilson said the report contained a number of changes that, if implemented, would lead to significant service improvements in Casey.
He called for the council to push the State Government to construct the Cranbourne East and Lynbrook railway stations and add the duplication of the Cranbourne line to its future budget.
“I feel that there are very important points in the report that we should be taking on board,” Cr Wilson said.
“It shows the lack of connectivity between Endeavour Hills and Narre Warren and other major parts of our city.
“The priorities mentioned in the report are very worthwhile and should be put before our local members of parliament.”
Cr Wilson said it was vital for the council to air its views on public transport and continue to fight for improved services for residents.
“There is a lot of investment in public transport but nowhere near enough so we need to keep beating that drum,” he said.
“We need to take this seriously because we want to be heard.”
Casey mayor Kevin Bradford agreed, saying both the Cranbourne East and Lynbrook stations were significant to the city’s future development.
“They are vital pieces of infrastructure,” he said.
“There will soon be several thousands of houses in the Lynbrook Estate and more and more people wanting to get over the (railway) crossing to the supermarket.
“Then we have the recent opening of Casey Fields, so it is fair to suggest we need the Cranbourne East railway station to allow easy access to this sporting facility.”
Cr Bradford vowed to continue to pressure the State Government to invest in Casey’s public transport system.
“This is something we need to keep pushing,” he said.
“The State Government has to recognise the need for a drastic investment of funds to bring the system to an adequate level to cater for the growing population in our city.
“An improved bus service is simply a bandaid fix,” he said.
A spokesperson for Transport Minister Peter Batchelor said the Government recognised the growth of communities on the city fringe had outstripped the growth of public transport services.
However, she shrugged off calls from the council to build the Cranbourne East and Lynbrook rail lines, saying the Government had instead improved bus services.
“That is why the Government has made the provision of improved bus services to the outer suburbs a priority,” the spokesperson said.
“This included a number of new services in Casey and we will continue to improve bus services in the future.
“The Government is also planning for the future – investing $25 million into a major study examining potential improvements to the Dandenong rail corridor and planning for future railway stations.
“The Government will be outlining its future infrastructure investment priorities in a major policy statement after the Commonwealth Games,” she said.