Public Transport Users Association outer east convenor Alex Makin pictured at Springvale Train Station is concerned that the State Government may place secret plans to upgrade rail services in Melbourne’s south east on the backburner.
By Shaun Inguanzo
A SECRET plan to build two new railway stations in Dandenong South and run four lines into the Dandenong station may never see the light of day.
That’s the fear of the Public Transport Users’ Association (PTUA) this week after it applauded the plans revealed in a leaked Department of Infrastructure document titled Transport Opportunities Kept Open.
The document shows two new stations, one in Greens Road, where the Logis industrial hub will be built, and the other in Abbotts Road.
Both are busy sections of Dandenong South’s industrial hub, and would provide an important North-South link to offer employees a transport alternative to cars.
But PTUA’s Eastern convenor Alex Makin this week challenged new Premier John Brumby to enact the plans rather and not sit on his hands.
“The bottleneck (in carrying out such plans) seems to be in government inertia,” he said.
“Despite the government’s claims, they simply haven’t seen public transport as a priority.
“This is where public transport will define the success of John Brumby as Premier.”
Mr Makin said the State Government had grossly neglected the south-east’s public transport demands, with the Cranbourne East railway station – promised seven years ago but yet to be built – one of the worst examples of government inaction on public transport he had seen.
“It’s a simple five kilometre extension of the Cranbourne rail line that would then ensure that Melbourne’s rail network would be able to reach the growing suburbs of Cranbourne East and further afield,” Mr Makin said.
He said while the Department of Infrastructure document was promising, the new stations and extra Dandenong lines needed to become short term goals, not just nice ideas.
“The City of Greater Dandenong has been advocating for additional stations in Dandenong South to serve newly developed industrial areas,” Mr Makin said.
“But these need to be built simultaneously with the developments, not afterwards.”
Dandenong’s rail line triplication is also in question, with the document pointing towards the possibility of four lines, not three.
“The fourth line appears to be used primarily for freight,” Mr Makin said.
He said four lines would be better than three because freight, express and regular passenger services could run with greater ease.
City of Greater Dandenong CEO John Bennie said he supported the notion that public transport be expanded as residential or industrial development occurred.
“It is always desirable if the appropriate infrastructure is in place at the time, rather than following development,” he said.
“The need needs to be demonstrated or proven, but I think there is sufficient research on the take up of industrial development in Dandenong South justifying infrastructure going ahead at the same time as development and to promote, as much possible, worker and passenger use of any rail links provided.”
