Annoyed there are not extra trains for Cranbourne commuters to catch is Sarah Nammuni Dewage with her son Nishan. 48646 Picture: Kim Cartmell
By Bridget Brady
A CRANBOURNE mother says commuters have been misled by the advertisement of apparent new train services on the Cranbourne line.
The State Government recently announced 10 new morning peak and 25 evening peak services per week on the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines, but Cranbourne resident Sarah Nammuni Dewage said the government had pulled the wool over commuters’ eyes.
She investigated the new timetable, which came into affect on 6 June, and discovered there were in fact no extra services for Cranbourne.
The only notable change, Ms Nammuni Dewage said, was the 7.19am that used to only travel to Dandenong when passengers had to change trains was now running all the way into the city.
“To me it’s not a brand-new service because you could still get a train at that time. It’s not like you didn’t have it before,” Ms Nammuni Dewage said.
“To say there are new services, then you actually expect to see them.”
Given the rapid growth in the Cranbourne area, Ms Nammuni Dewage said she was disappointed there was no more consistency in train times
“I understand it is only a single track and logistically you can’t have as many services, but given the growth there should be a train at least every 15 minutes.”
Ms Nammuni Dewage said it was important this issue was addressed with plans underway for new stations at Cranbourne East and Lynbrook.
A government spokesman said investments in public transport were being made in Melbourne’s growing areas.
“The new Lynbrook station will be a significant addition to the communities of Lynbrook and Lyndhurst where there is expected to be approximately 80,000 people living within five kilometres from the station by 2021,” the spokesman said.
