Commuters have given Regional Rail Link (RRL) the thumbs up, saying the new service is making their journey into work easier.
The new service, which is the first major new suburban rail line in 80 years, was launched on Sunday and involves the separation of regional and metropolitan train lines. Two new stations have been built at Wyndham Vale and Tarneit.
During peak hour, passengers are able to board trains at Wyndham Vale station every 10 minutes, increasing to every 20 minutes during off-peak times. Trains stop at Tarneit every 20 minutes on weekdays.
Star Weekly visited Wyndham Vale station on Monday and caught the 7.26am train to see how RRL was coping with the morning peak.
At 7am, the car park was less than half full, with many passengers saying they had opted to walk instead of drive to the new station.
Station staff told Star Weekly that more than 50 passengers had boarded each train on Monday morning.
About 160 people caught the 7.16am train, which was the first ever service to originate at Wyndham Vale.
While the 7.26am train started at Marshall station in Geelong, there was still plenty of seats for passengers getting on board at Wyndham Vale.
The journey from Wyndham Vale to Southern Cross takes about 30 minutes.
Conductor Chris McMahon said many of the passengers were regulars who had commented on the faster journey into the city.
Manor Lakes resident Lesley Watson described the new service as “fantastic”.
“I think it is not only a benefit for Wyndham Vale and Manor Lakes, but all of Wyndham,” she said.
“One of the main advantages is the comfort. [The trains] are a lot more comfortable and cleaner and the carriages were quieter.”
Werribee line passengers took to social media on Monday to report a drop in patronage on the metropolitan service, noting that Werribee station car park wasn’t as busy and the trains were less crowded than usual.
