Article: Metro forced to delay plans to introduce additional train services

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Metro forced to delay plans to introduce additional train services

Metro forced to delay plans to introduce additional train services

    * Ashley Gardiner
    * From: Herald Sun
    * April 28, 2010 12:00AM

METRO has been forced to delay plans to introduce additional train services for long-suffering commuters.

Passengers on the Craigieburn, Epping, Frankston, Hurstbridge, Pakenham, Sandringham, Sydenham and Werribee services were expecting extra peak services this year.

But Metro plans, seen by the Herald Sun, show the Alamein, Belgrave, Cranbourne, Glen Waverley, Lilydale, Upfield and Williamstown lines are unlikely to get extra services this year.

Metro chief executive Andrew Lezala said there would be two timetable changes this year. "The first is planned to be in late May and the second will be sometime post-July," Mr Lezala said.

"The timetable development process is a complex one and involves continuing discussions between Metro and the Department of Transport."

Mr Lezala said train operations would improve through a simpler timetable.

"We are aiming to simplify operations to increase reliability," he said.

"The timetables are very complicated at the moment and hard to run at the best of times, and when things are starting to run late, it's even more difficult to recover.

"Simplification of the timetables is something that we will be doing at every opportunity, and using extra trains, the new trains, to provide extra services in the peaks."

Metro chief operating officer Bob Lindsell says a structural problem in the Cranbourne, Frankston and Pakenham line timetables will be fixed this year. "There is a similar problem with the timetable on the Werribee line, where if there is an incident during the off-peak, we have difficulty getting back to time for the evening peak," Mr Lindsell said.

Last month, addressing a parliamentary inquiry, Mr Lezala said the timetable was being tested.

"We will do everything we can to make it available as soon as possible. We believe by the end of May we could be in that position. It may take a little longer, but we are driven to change this," Mr Lezala said.

The Herald Sun believes the implementation of the first round of timetable changes has been pushed back beyond May to June, and the second may be in September.

Another Metro document, the asset management plan, shows the rail operator had plans to increase services on eight lines this year.

The April 2009 document shows Metro had no plans for extra services on the Belgrave line until 2015, and none on the Lilydale or Upfield line until 2016.