Wyndham residents are experiencing a more pleasant train commute to and from the city, a new report reveals.
Public Transport Victoria (PTV) released the results of its annual passenger load survey, which is conducted in May each year to measure passenger loads against state government train capacity benchmarks.
The survey showed commuters along the Werribee line were experiencing lower passenger numbers during morning and afternoon peak services.
It detected six services exceeding benchmark passenger loads during the morning peak between May 2 and May 25, down from eight breaches during the same period last year.
Four services exceeded the benchmark during the afternoon peak, down from nine in 2015.
One additional service was added to the Werribee line’s timetable in both the morning and afternoon peaks in June last year, when the Regional Rail Link came online.
PTV spokesman John Lindsay said the “significant improvements” expressed by Werribee line travellers could be directly linked to the opening of the new Regional Rail Link and stations at Wyndham Vale and Tarneit, which he says are providing passengers with new travel options.
“Planning for the future, the government is also ordering 84 new trains, removing 50 dangerous and congested level crossings, installing smarter signalling, and building the Metro Tunnel, which will create space for tens of thousands of extra passengers in peak hour,” Mr Lindsay said.
“These projects will allow more trains to and from Werribee and right across Melbourne, reducing waiting, crowding and delays.”
Mr Lindsay said PTV is also working with the state government and Metro to rejig train timetables in a bid to further reduce overcrowding on trains at peak times.
