Blowout in overcrowded trains

Blowout in overcrowded trains

Stephen Moynihan
July 26, 2007

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MELBOURNE'S
trains are bursting, according to figures that reveal nearly all the
city's suburban lines are carrying too many passengers.Twelve
out of 15 lines are now exceeding the passenger limits defined in
Connex's contract, compared with just seven lines last year. Under the
contract, a six-carriage train should carry a maximum of 798 passengers.This
May's survey of passenger numbers by the Department of Infrastructure
shows, for the first time, the Sandringham, Greensborough, Williamstown
and Hurstbridge lines are chronically overcrowded. And the Dandenong
line, which was under the target last year, is now operating above the
required passenger limit.The survey says rail patronage grew by
an average of 3.9 per cent a year in the decade from 1995. But a
combination of petrol price increases and population growth has caused
a boom in patronage in Melbourne's middle and outer suburbs. Across the
network, patronage has climbed by 18 per cent in two years, with growth
expected to continue.Bureau of Statistics figures released on
Tuesday show Melbourne has the biggest population growth of any
Australian city. Between 2001 and 2006, the population increased by
273,000, putting even greater stress on the public transport network.Trains
are filling up faster on morning-peak journeys to the city, sometimes
leaving passengers stranded on platforms. There are no seats left on
city-bound trains from Cranbourne by the time they reach Springvale.
Passengers boarding at stations after Springvale must stand for up to
40 minutes to the city. The same occurs at stations along the Epping,
Sydenham and Werribee lines.The capacity crunch is also
affecting services leaving the CBD in the evening peak. Last year only
the Epping, Pakenham and Sydenham lines operated above load limits. In
May, nine train lines were recorded as overcrowded, with Werribee and
Hurstbridge services feeling the squeeze.The survey found that
the Sydenham line registered the biggest increase, up by 25 per cent.
Passengers on the Upfield and Williamstown lines were up by 15-20 per
cent; on the Cranbourne, Pakenham, Epping, Sandringham and Broadmeadows
lines by 10-15 per cent; and on the Frankston, Hurstbridge, Werribee
and Alamein lines by 5-10 per cent. Traffic on the Glen Waverley,
Lilydale and Belgrave lines grew by less than 5 per cent.Last
year the State Government announced its $10.5 billion long-term plan to
improve Victoria's transport. About $7.5 billion of that was earmarked
for public transport.
The
Government has pledged to build extra tracks to Dandenong and eliminate
bottle-necks in the City Loop and at Clifton Hill — an important
junction for the Epping and Hurstbridge lines.The purchase of 10 new trains has also been brought forward and plans are under way to refurbish the 30-year-old Hitachi fleet.Passenger
growth in Melbourne's east remains just above previously projected
figures. The Belgrave, Lilydale and Glen Waverley lines have all
recorded less than 5 per cent growth in the 12 months to May.The Government has plans to add extra tracks on the Sydenham line.But the infrastructure improvements are medium to long-term solutions, meaning the commuter crush will continue.In October, a new suburban timetable will be introduced which includes an additional 39 services every weekday.Public
Transport Users Association president Daniel Bowen said it was obvious
the rail system had been neglected. "There's been no substantial
increase in the fleet in decades and there's been virtually no changes
to the timetable since 1999," Mr Bowen said."We are running less trains in peak hour than we did in the 1980s."