A new parliamentary petition to restore City Loop and Richmond access for Cranbourne and East Pakenham line commuters has attracted more than 700 signatures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But Ms Robinson said many commuters had experienced the opposite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI 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\u2019t tell me that people are happy about that\u2026\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy experience is just that it takes me 13 to 23 minutes longer. I\u2019m stopping at more stations. I have to walk 280 metres (to transit at Town Hall).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere\u2019s the walk. I\u2019m fully able-bodied, so I can do it, but it\u2019s not the point. What about the people that aren\u2019t? So not only is it a 280-metre walk, but on top of that, you\u2019ve got to go up two flights of escalators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFor somebody with a disability, it\u2019s not even direct. It would be overwhelming for them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ms Robinson said that the change is not an advancement in public transport, but a step backwards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFor anybody in the south eastern suburbs who goes to football, or the cricket, tennis or concerts, we can\u2019t even go to Richmond. You have to swap at Caulfield,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAll those people who were telling me, don\u2019t 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\u2019ve got to go back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt sounds quite\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd then, why shouldn\u2019t we have direct access to go to these things? They\u2019re on our side of the city even, and we have to swap trains to get to them. It\u2019s just not right.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After sharing the petition in the local Facebook groups, Ms Robinson received mixed comments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some said it would not happen, as the whole reason to build the Tunnel was that the city loop was at capacity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf 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\u2019ve made to other metro lines for more frequent services,\u201d one person commented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s very disheartening to read people saying: \u2018What\u2019s the point? Mo change will happen\u2019,\u201d Ms Robinson said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSome people told me, surely you\u2019ve got more important things to worry about in your life. I\u2019m like, I do, but this actually means a lot to me. And it\u2019s not for my own benefit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI work with people, and they\u2019re all feeling it. And we\u2019re women in our 40s and 50s. We\u2019re tired enough.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite some comments questioning whether changes would ever occur, Ms Robinson said many commuters still supported the campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She said another approach where some services continued through the City Loop would also be good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEven if you only have one an hour that goes through the City Loop, I can then plan my day around that,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Berwick MP Brad Battin said petitions in Parliament are an opportunity for the community to have a say and have their voice heard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOn 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\u2019s closest station Richmond. This has added time to travel for many people,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) spokesperson said: \u201cBecause we built the Metro Tunnel, we\u2019ve delivered 1,200 extra weekly services on the Cranbourne, Pakenham and Sunbury lines, while creating room for more trains right across Melbourne\u2019s rail network.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTo travel to Richmond Station, passengers can interchange between the Metro Tunnel and City Loop through connected stations or by transferring at Caulfield.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
DTP has advised that the City Loop was full, which is why the Metro Tunnel was built to untangle Melbourne\u2019s busiest rail corridors and allow more trains to run more often across the network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The petition remains open until 31 August before being formally presented to Parliament. Once tabled, the State Government can provide an official response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n