Article: Border mars rail passenger record

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Border mars rail passenger record

Border mars rail passenger record

BRAD WORRALL
26/05/2008 9:23:00 AM

V/LINE?S service between the Border and Melbourne was the only line to lose passengers as the regional rail service trumpeted another record month yesterday.

More than a million people travelled on regional trains during April.

But the Albury-to-Melbourne route was down on the same time last year.

A V/Line spokesman said the advantage of cheaper fares and rocketing petrol prices that had boosted other lines had been offset by what the railways accept is a less than ideal service to the Border.

Train travellers from the Border still face a bus service to and from Wangaratta train station four times a day.

The mixed transport option was introduced by V/Line in February to overcome delays caused by the state of the broad gauge track between Albury and Wangaratta.

It is been part of a litany of bugbears for the service in recent months with passengers forced to travel with overflowing toilets, no food, no seats and broken down trains.

Last month V/Line recorded 1,025,194 passenger trips on its regional network, more than 73,000 better than the previous record set in March.

Its April?s figures showed a 27.9 per cent increase on the same time last year and a 7.8 per cent increase on the March record of 951,309 passenger trips.

But the 27,127 trips recorded on the Albury-Wodonga trip for the month was down 0.4 per cent on March the previous year.

Yesterday a V/Line spokesman put a positive spin on the figures.

He said V/Line was pleased there had been so little change despite the challenges facing the service.

?It?s not the level of service that historically we have been able to provide on the line but the difference in numbers is basically one school group,? the spokesman said.

?The feedback we are getting is that while people aren?t overjoyed with the idea that they have to swap between buses and trains, they are aware of the issues.

?They understand that a decision on upgrading the track is imminent and will lead to a better service.

?And there is no doubt the cost of petrol is putting more people back on the train.

?Travelling 360km by car at today?s prices or jumping on the train for $25 for someone travelling by themselves is a no-brainer.?

Wodonga transport lobbyist Bill Traill said rail travellers had some sympathy for V/Line.

?No one is happy with the buses and the standard of the trains is at best questionable,? he said.

?But there are plans afoot to make the line better and bring the trains back to the Border.

?It is a job that should have been done many years ago, a federal responsibility, and V/Line is simply the one copping the flak.?

The Victorian Government has been looking at its options to upgrade the existing broad gauge line or replace it with a standard gauge line for the past three months.

The Seymour journey on the North East line also recorded a decline last month but V/Line said this was due to peak trains no longer stopping at Craigieburn after Connex extended suburban services to that area.