Wyndham Vale and Tarneit train stations are set to get 44 extra services – but Regional Rail Link commuters will have to wait until the end of August for the changes to take effect.
The state government last week announced that it would add more than 140 new V/Line services across the state from August 27, including the new Wyndham services.
Thirty of the new Wyndham services will run on the weekend –14 on Saturdays and 16 on Sundays – meaning commuters will only have to wait 40 minutes between trains.
Currently, weekend train services are spaced an hour apart. There will also be 10 new services for weekday nights and a late night service will now run each weeknight.
Meanwhile, five existing train services that currently start in Warrnambool will start at Wyndham Vale under the changes.
Werribee MP Tim Pallas said the extra services catered for the growing commuter demand in the area.
“These new services will make a real difference – reducing waiting and crowding for local passengers, particularly on weekends,” Mr Pallas said.
Tarneit MP Telmo Languiller added: “The new services will better connect local passengers to work, education and each other –and get them home safer and sooner at the end of the day.”
The timetable changes come six months after the state government added 23 new train services along the Wyndham part of the Regional Rail Link, including 19 services along the Geelong line that stop at Wyndham Vale and Tarneit train stations; two morning peak services that stop at Tarneit; a morning peak train from Wyndham Vale to Melbourne, and two Sunday services to and from Waurn Ponds.
V/Line figures released in 2016 revealed that Tarneit train station was the second-busiest on the RRL network – behind only Southern Cross – with 2300 passengers boarding on an average week day.
An average of 1300 passengers board at Wyndham Vale on week days.
