BRIMBANK residents fear access to regional train lines won’t improve after Regional Rail Link works are completed.
Albion Ratepayers Association spokesman Frank Reinthaler said the signs were ominous for residents who used Sunshine station regularly.
“The fact is that 90 Bendigo services stopped at Sunshine every week until the opening of the Sunbury extension in November last year. Then it went to zero,’’ he said.
‘‘If Sunshine is to be a major point of interchange, why would they do this? It’s inconceivable that RRL trains won’t stop there to allow passengers to interchange.
‘‘Passengers will be forced to travel 7.4km into Footscray and then the same 7.4km back again. That’s 14.8km of unnecessary extra travel and at least 20 minutes of wasted time.”
The state government’s Rowville rail study revealed that trains from Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo could run express through Sunshine, even though it carried the disclaimer: “[Service plans] do not necessarily represent the actual planned services in each year.”
A Rail Link spokesman said while Sunshine station would be significantly improved, including dedicated plat- forms for regional trains, a new bus interchange, pedestrian overpass and extended car park, stopping patterns were unclear. “Stopping patterns will be determined by Public Transport Victoria on completion of the project,” he said.
A Public Transport Victoria spokesman said it was too early to comment.
The RRL project includes the removal of two level crossings at Anderson Road in Sunshine and will add 33 extra services during peak hours by 2016.
