When I went public with documents leaked to the Liberal Nationals in March 2019 showed the government has abandoned plans to run V/Locity trains on the Warrnambool line – Minister Jacinta Allen rubbished what I was saying and said a Labor Government would run modern V/Locity trains to and from Warrnambool (The Standard, March 7, 2019).
But on Saturday, she finally told the truth and said there are no immediate plans to run new and more reliable trains on the Warrnambool line.
Since this upgrade to the Warrnambool line was announced in 2017, during the Premiers only visit to Warrnambool since becoming Premier, Labor has continually said modern V/Locity carriages would run on the line.
We now know that’s a lie.
The Federal Liberal Government has recognised the importance of high quality passenger and freight rail infrastructure to help make our regions more accessible. In fact 91 percent of the total cost of the Warrnambool line upgrade is being funded by the Federal Liberal Government.
It was the Napthine State Liberal Government that invested $10 million in a new passing loop that allowed for a fourth daily passenger service – replacing the one ripped out by the Bracks/Brumby Labor Government.
The State Labor Government now need to come to the party and do their job and upgrade the trains to run on the upgraded line – otherwise only half the job will be done.
Rolling stock on the Warrnambool line is over 30 year old and is plagued by continual breakdowns which severely impact the line’s punctuality and reliability.
Warrnambool line passengers will see no improvements to punctuality or reliability while we continue to run trains that are more than 30 years old and are being continually replaced at short notice by busses at no doubt a huge cost to the taxpayer.
The Andrews Labor Government has misled Warrnambool and the south-west since this project was announced – over promising, under delivering and lying about it the whole time.
Daniel Andrews needs to remember he is the Premier of all of Victoria and needs to start governing for the whole state.
