Werribee passengers continue to travel on packed peak-hour trains, with no increase in the number of peak services on the line since October 2010.
Latest passenger load survey results from Public Transport Victoria reveal that five of Melbourne’s train lines are overcrowded during the morning and evening peaks.
The surveys, conducted on 12 weekdays in October, found that nine of the Werribee line’s 41 peak-period trains were overcrowded.
During the morning peak, 20 per cent of passengers travelled on overcrowded trains, while 23.8 per cent of commuters used packed evening trains. Other overcrowded lines were Dandenong, Craigieburn, Sandringham and Frankston.
University student and Wyndham Transport Advisory Committee member Cameron Nash said overcrowding on the Werribee line caused delays, meaning he regularly missed his connecting train.
“It can be a very frustrating ride, with the train stopping for lengthy periods at Laverton,” he said.
‘‘Generally, the Werribee train will also stop for lengthy periods before Flinders Street, causing me to miss my connection to uni.”
Mr Nash said overcrowding on the line was getting worse.
A spokesman for PTV said the more spacious X’Trapolis trains would be able to run on the Werribee line once infrastructure was upgraded as part of the $100 million Bayside rail improvement project.
This work is not expected to be finished until late 2015.
The spokesman said the addition of two new stations, at Tarneit and Wyndham Vale in 2016, as part of the Regional Rail Link, would disperse commuters across two lines, easing overcrowding on Werribee services.
