Commuters using new Regional Rail Link stations at Tarneit and Wyndham Vale will be able to catch a train every 20 minutes during off-peak periods when the stations open next year.
Labor has announced plans to have V/Line services stop at the new stations every 20 minutes between 9am and 3pm if it wins November’s state election.
Public Transport Minister Terry Mulder has also promised to have trains running every 20 minutes from Tarneit and Wyndham Vale.
V/Line services from Geelong to Melbourne presently run via Werribee station, where they stop once an hour during off-peak times.
The promises mean that commuters will have access to 22 more train services from Monday to Friday.
The new Regional Rail Link line through Wyndham is expected to open in mid-2015.
The new stations at Tarneit and Wyndham Vale will be in zone two, meaning passengers won’t have to pay a V/Line fare.
Opposition public transport spokeswoman and Altona MP Jill Hennessy said the extra services would benefit shift workers and students who travel to Geelong or Melbourne.
Werribee commuter Colin McIntyre welcomed the commitments, saying extra trains would bring Wyndham’s public transport system up to the same standard as other municipalities.
As reported by Star Weekly, the state’s Auditor-General found that Wyndham had one of the most indirect and infrequent public transport systems in Melbourne, with most of the city’s bus and train services failing to connect with each other.
“People all over Melbourne should have the same level of service,” Mr McIntyre said.
“Why should someone in Wyndham wait twice as long for a bus or train? “Waiting longer for services affects people accessing work and education.
“Increasing services is a step in the right direction, but there’s still a long way to go.”
