After a weekend of “overcrowded” trains to and from Ballarat does our timetable need a rethink?
Ballarat is a growing city and the idea of adding more trains is the ultimate solution and despite what V/Line might be telling the media, they do have trains available and add more capacity. Further, these trains sit idle in railway yards across the station being vandalised whilst V/Line refuse to place them into service.
Ballarat also needs electrification to Wendouree Railway Station allowing more modern and less polluting trains to come into the network providing a much better service then the V/Locity trains that continue to be ridiculed for their outdated design and lack of longer distance facilities. Ballarat users of V/Line should expect better services than a V/locity set.
Ballarat also should expect services to be extended from Ballarat to Creswick the same way some services are extended to Ararat and also Maryborough. Creswick and the northern areas of Ballarat are growing as is the entire city and more services are required. Presently Creswick only has 2 V/Line trains services to Southern Cross per day yet the town is half the population of Ararat having 5 train services per day.
Extending some services from Ballarat to Creswick would not be difficult with a new railway station at Eureka Stadium another important development.
Can I ask these questions: How those people in responsible positions make a “informed” decision on the needs of the travelling community….
1. They don’t ride the system to and from to see with and experience what the travellers experience on route to and from their destinations ?
2. Whist those “professionals”in the Industry :railway are forced to tow the line or be ousted from their roles in their dept of expertise and expertise when they voice their concerns the pro and con of that newer technology of train being designed or introduced beforehand and it seems that non qualified people above seem to have bigger say over in regards with $$$$ Funded to introduce them?
Lastly 3. Does any decision makers above have any connections with the powerful road Transport Industry and cyclist groups?
Creswick a good point could be done with a simple extension of some down Ballarat services. 2 more each way would do it.