By Brendan Rees
Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan has hit back at the State Opposition’s pledge to extend the Cranbourne rail line to the fast-growing suburb of Clyde as a “half-baked” proposal.
Ms Allan visited Cranbourne Railway Station with Labor candidate for Cranbourne Pauline Richards on Monday 6 August to talk about works on the Cranbourne line.
Plans are underway to duplicate the track between Dandenong and Cranbourne by removing the bottleneck created by the current single track as part of a $572 million upgrade package for Melbourne’s busiest corridor.
“If we want to get more services into Cranbourne, and we want to see future rail extensions you’ve got to do the job properly and that job involves duplicating the track between Cranbourne and Dandenong,” Ms Allan said.
“At the moment trains run on a 20 minute frequency here, you can’t improve that until you do the duplication.”
When asked if the State Government would match the Opposition’s promise to extend the rail line to Clyde, Ms Allan said “We’re not here to talk about that today. Before the railway line can be extended to Clyde you’ve got to do the duplication (to Dandenong).”
The State Government has labelled the Opposition’s promise as a “botched plan” that was underfunded and result in more congestion, delays and cancellations.
“I’m concerned they’re trying to con the people of Cranbourne with what is a under-cooked and half-baked proposal,” Ms Allan said.
“What the Liberal Party has committed to is a giant hoax of the local community.”
Shadow Minister for Public Transport David Davis said Labor “had lost the plot” and failed to recognise the importance of the Cranbourne–Clyde rail extension.
“Daniel Andrews has arrogantly taken Casey and Cardinia for granted,” he said.
He said the extension would have a “significant role in reducing congestion and improving access to education and indeed recreation precincts.”
Ms Allan said a long-overdue revamp of power and signalling along the entire length of the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines was continuing as part of an 11-day construction blitz which began Saturday 4 August and will run until 14 August.
Works also included track work to improve the tangled rail junction at Dandenong – a “crucial first step” the State Government says towards the duplication of track through Lynbrook, Merinda Park and Cranbourne.
“With $15 billion of work underway – we’re delivering for the people of Cranbourne by getting on with projects that will get them home safer and sooner,” she said.
Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) spokesperson Daniel Bowen said PTUA welcomed state Labor and Coalition pledges to expand Melbourne’s rail network.
A new metropolitan train timetable, kicking off on 26 August, will incorporate ten extra weekday services from Cranbourne and 80 extra new or extended services on the Caulfield-Dandenong corridor.
