Article: Commuters are still waiting for better train services from Metro

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Commuters are still waiting for better train services from Metro

Commuters are still waiting for better train services from Metro

    * Ashley Gardiner
    * From: Herald Sun
    * May 08, 2010 12:00AM

FACTS have confirmed what commuters have suspected: Metro is worse than Connex.

Figures to be released on Monday are expected to show the operator is failing to live up to the promise that Metro would be better than Connex.

In its first four months, starting from last December, Metro has missed its monthly punctuality targets by an average 3.5 percentage points.

This is about double the same rate for Connex for the same period a year earlier. During April, the operator's fifth month in charge of the system, about one in five peak trains ran late.

But the operator has claimed victory, awarding all staff a 2.5 per cent bonus for the month under a trial incentive to improve performance.

In a memo to staff, Metro chief executive Andrew Lezala said the April peak performance was an improvement on the previous year under Connex.

"I am delighted that together you have succeeded and earned this reward," Mr Lezala said.

For May, Mr Lezala has set a target of 83.77 per cent of peak trains within five minutes of schedule. This is well short of the official government target of 88 per cent.

Metro spokesman Chris Whitefield said signs of improvement were emerging.

Additional platform assistants at 17 busy stations had cut 10 seconds from the time trains sat at stations.

"The maintenance and upgrades we're doing are showing improvements behind the scenes," Mr Whitefield said, adding power faults had halved and track problems were less frequent.

Public Transport Users Association president Daniel Bowen said new logos did not make trains run on time.

"Ageing equipment, unreliable trains and signalling are the legacy of decades of government neglect of the railways," Mr Bowen said.

"While we saw less problems due to heat over summer, that may have been pure luck due to the milder weather this year. It seems day after day there are equipment failures causing cancellations, delays, and subsequent overcrowding."

Rail, Tram and Bus Union state secretary Trevor Dobbyn said the bonus was welcome recognition for hard- working staff. But it was no substitute for real investment in the network.

"Metro and the Government should not lose sight of the fact that sustainable improvements in performance can't be achieved without injecting extra staff and resources into the system," Mr Dobbyn said.