A new parliamentary petition to restore City Loop and Richmond access for Cranbourne and East Pakenham line commuters has attracted more than 700 signatures.
The petition, launched by Beaconsfield commuter Kylie Robinson and sponsored by Berwick MP Brad Battin, argues that the Metro Tunnel has removed direct access to Richmond, Southern Cross and the other City Loop stations, which increases travel time and creates additional inconvenience for south east commuters who are already travelling long distances from outer suburbs.
Under the Metro Tunnel changes introduced in February, Cranbourne and East Pakenham services were rerouted through the new tunnel and stations, including Town Hall, Anzac, Parkville and Arden, bypassing the City Loop, Richmond, and South Yarra. Transport planners said the changes would create a more reliable and higher-capacity rail network.
But Ms Robinson said many commuters had experienced the opposite.
She said her one-way commute from Beaconsfield to Southern Cross had increased from about one hour and seven minutes to between one hour and 20 minutes and one hour and 30 minutes.
“I feel like obviously for some people, the change has probably been beneficial because maybe they need to get off near Town Hall, or maybe they need to get off near Anzac Station, but when I travel to the city, what I see is people just piling off at either Caulfield or Town Hall and stopping trains. You can’t tell me that people are happy about that…” she said.
“My experience is just that it takes me 13 to 23 minutes longer. I’m stopping at more stations. I have to walk 280 metres (to transit at Town Hall).
“There’s the walk. I’m fully able-bodied, so I can do it, but it’s not the point. What about the people that aren’t? So not only is it a 280-metre walk, but on top of that, you’ve got to go up two flights of escalators.
“For somebody with a disability, it’s not even direct. It would be overwhelming for them.”
Ms Robinson said that the change is not an advancement in public transport, but a step backwards.
“For anybody in the south eastern suburbs who goes to football, or the cricket, tennis or concerts, we can’t even go to Richmond. You have to swap at Caulfield,” she said.
“All those people who were telling me, don’t swap at Caulfield, swap at Town Hall. Well, to get to Richmond, if you swap at Town Hall, you have to go past Richmond, and then you’ve got to go back.
“It sounds quite…
“And then, why shouldn’t we have direct access to go to these things? They’re on our side of the city even, and we have to swap trains to get to them. It’s just not right.”
After sharing the petition in the local Facebook groups, Ms Robinson received mixed comments.
Some said it would not happen, as the whole reason to build the Tunnel was that the city loop was at capacity.
“If they start adding Pakenham/Cranbourne back into the city loop, you will be taking slots from other lines. You are asking them to backpedal on the promises they’ve made to other metro lines for more frequent services,” one person commented.
“It’s very disheartening to read people saying: ‘What’s the point? Mo change will happen’,” Ms Robinson said.
“Some people told me, surely you’ve got more important things to worry about in your life. I’m like, I do, but this actually means a lot to me. And it’s not for my own benefit.
“I work with people, and they’re all feeling it. And we’re women in our 40s and 50s. We’re tired enough.”
Despite some comments questioning whether changes would ever occur, Ms Robinson said many commuters still supported the campaign.
She said another approach where some services continued through the City Loop would also be good.
“Even if you only have one an hour that goes through the City Loop, I can then plan my day around that,” she said.
Berwick MP Brad Battin said petitions in Parliament are an opportunity for the community to have a say and have their voice heard.
“On this occasion, it is important that the Government answer why they have taken the Pakenham Line out of the loop, and away from the MCG’s closest station Richmond. This has added time to travel for many people,” he said.
“I have committed to working with our Shadow Minister Matt Guy when we have all the available details to ensure we can secure the best deal possible to save time on travel.”
A Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) spokesperson said: “Because we built the Metro Tunnel, we’ve delivered 1,200 extra weekly services on the Cranbourne, Pakenham and Sunbury lines, while creating room for more trains right across Melbourne’s rail network.”
“The Metro Tunnel is the biggest transformation of our rail network in more than 40 years, connecting Victorians to hospitals, universities, and jobs never before accessed by rail.
“To travel to Richmond Station, passengers can interchange between the Metro Tunnel and City Loop through connected stations or by transferring at Caulfield.”
DTP has advised that the City Loop was full, which is why the Metro Tunnel was built to untangle Melbourne’s busiest rail corridors and allow more trains to run more often across the network.
The petition remains open until 31 August before being formally presented to Parliament. Once tabled, the State Government can provide an official response.
To sign, visit: parliament.vic.gov.au/get-involved/petitions/restore-city-loop-and-richmond-access-for-east-pakenham-and-cranbourne-line-commuters/
