Left: Liberal candidate for Cranbourne Luke Martin and State Opposition transport spokesman Terry Mulder announcing funding for a rail extension to Cranbourne East.By Sarah Schwager
A LIBERAL Party announcement to extend trains to Cranbourne East has been met with criticism in the City of Casey.
Last Friday, State Opposition transport spokesman Terry Mulder announced $6 million for the rail link between Cranbourne and Cranbourne East if the Liberals were elected.
But Casey mayor Kevin Bradford said he had concerns that $6 million was not nearly enough money to complete the extension. He said the new Lyndhurst station had cost $10 million alone.
“They have also not allocated money to install a grade separated crossing at the South Gippsland Highway,” Cr Bradford said.
“This is a big concern. Without it this would cause traffic bank-ups along those two roads.”
The Liberal candidate for Cranbourne, Luke Martin, said a station at Cranbourne East would benefit thousands of City of Casey residents.
“Every Cranbourne train will be extended to and from Cranbourne East, which will be provided with a single face platform and an initial 100-bay asphalted car park,” Mr Martin said.
The State Government has not yet announced funding for the Cranbourne East extension.
Cranbourne MP Jude Perera said because of the massive increase in patronage on public transport it had become important to increase capacity on the network before extending it.
“As part of the $10.5 billion transport action plan announced by the Bracks Government earlier this year, we announced the triplication of the Dandenong line between Caulfield and Springvale, which will directly benefit those people who access public transport in the Cranbourne area,” Mr Perera said.
Mr Perera said the announcement by the Liberal Party was just one of nearly $3 billion worth of promises that the party had made.
“They can’t deliver them all,” he said.
