Article: More trains at weekend in in railway revamp

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More trains at weekend in in railway revamp

More trains at weekend in in railway revamp
Article from: Herald Sun

Ashley Gardiner

April 02, 2009 12:00am

MORE train services would run at weekends in sweeping plans to improve Melbourne's train system.

Security would be increased at night, trains kept tidier and flying squads of staff sent to stations during disruptions.

The new train contract, which begins in December, could scrap the Sunday timetable in favour of a combined weekend schedule.

Final touches are being made to the three bids, from Connex's parent company Veolia and competitors Keolis and MTR, ahead of next Tuesday's deadline.

The State Government has told the bidders that commuters want:

BETTER service information, particularly during disruptions.

MORE staff to improve safety and customer service.

INCREASED cleaning.

IMPROVED connections with buses, trams and country trains.

In tender documents made available to the bidders, the Government has conceded this could be expensive.

"Some initiatives may require significant capital spending or ongoing costs," the document says.

MTR is from Hong Kong, where 99.5 per cent of trains ran on time in the final three months of last year.

In a statement on its website, it has promised "innovative solutions which expand capacity, improve reliability and enhance the customer travelling experience".

A spokeswoman for MTR declined to comment yesterday. Keolis, from France, did not return calls from the Herald Sun.

Veolia spokesman Mark Paterson said his company would submit a compelling bid to the Government.