THE summer schedules of thousands of Brimbank commuters could be thrown into chaos following the state government’s decision to intensify Regional Rail Link works over the holiday period.
Buses will replace trains on the Sydenham line between Albion and Footscray from December 28-30 and January 4-13. V/Line services between Sunbury and Southern Cross will also be affected.
Sunshine pensioner John Kodric said he and his wife used the train at least twice a week. He said while the inconvenience couldn’t be helped, the government must ensure there were sufficient buses to replace train services.
“A lot of the time when there are replacement buses they don’t come as often, so I just hope they run on time and are reliable,” he said. “The whole way through this, residents have felt like they haven’t been consulted. They do whatever they want and nobody cares how it affects the people who live here.”
Transport Minister Terry Mulder said the closures would pave the way for upgrade works at Sunshine station.
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Fix the Links action group spokeswoman and Sunshine resident Geraldine Brooks said the government should have sent out flyers informing residents. But Ms Brooks said a more pressing concern remained the completion of a noise management plan for construction and after the railway line is complete.
Under questioning in Parliament last month, Planning Minister Matthew Guy said he had approved the environmental management plan but couldn’t recall when. He later conceded the plan was still incomplete, with a section on operational noise due at the end of the year.
The government said timetables for replacement buses were still being finalised. It is expected there will be delays to travel times and some passengers will need to travel on a combination of train and bus services.
Taylors Lakes commuter Samantha Shalders said she would avoid public transport once she returned to work in the second week of January. She said that in the past, replacement buses were less frequent, overcrowded and took much longer to arrive at destinations.
For more information on replacement buses, call 1800 800 007.
