VLine is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on replacement taxis as a result of constant train breakdowns and delays, including on the north east and Shepparton lines. Documents obtained under Freedom of Information (FOI) by Shadow Minister for Public Transport (Regional) Steph Ryan show VLine has spent $343,589 in an 18-month period on replacement…
Checkpoints on Victoria’s border with New South Wales must be removed following today’s announcement that reclassifies all of NSW as either ‘green’ or ‘orange’ zones. Border communities are at their wits end. Despite no COVID cases in NSW border communities, Labor’s unwieldy permit system is leaving local people still facing debilitating delays to get across…
A new V/Line timetable unveiled by the Andrews Labor Government again fails to provide any additional services for Gippsland train passengers. The Nationals Member for Gippsland South, Danny O’Brien said he was extremely disappointed that there were no new services for Sale and East Gippsland and not even additional trains between Melbourne and Traralgon.…
A more than $200 million Commonwealth rescue package will revive the Murray Basin Rail Project after it was derailed by the Andrews Labor Government. The Federal Liberal and Nationals investment, announced today, includes $195.2 million to fix the mess left by Labor’s Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan, with a further $5 million for planning for…
The Nationals Member for Gippsland South, Danny O’Brien is reminding Gippslanders that road safety starts before you get on the road. Mr O’Brien said with the “ring of steel” no longer in place and restrictions on accommodation booking easing it was evident that many road users would be planning long drives over the coming months.…
The State Government is being asked to put the duplication of the South Gippsland Highway from Lang Lang to Leongatha on the infrastructure agenda. Speaking in State Parliament, The Nationals Member for Gippsland South, Danny O’Brien asked the Minister for Transport Infrastructure to clarify the long-term plans for the eventual duplication of the South…
Today’s release of the revised business case for the Murray Basin Rail Project confirms the Andrews Labor Government never intended to complete the transformation of Victoria’s freight rail network. Instead of completing the once-in-a-generation project, Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan has opted to leave the project barely half finished, only funding the patch up of…
The Nationals Member for Gippsland South, Danny O’Brien has welcomed $3.14 million in federal funding to repair notorious Gippsland South roads, including a black spot on the Hyland Highway he has been campaigning to fix. Mr O’Brien said the much-needed funding was being delivered under the Federal Government’s 2020-21 Black Spot Program and would see…
Andrews Labor Government Minister Jacinta Allan is disrespecting Gippslanders with her refusal to outline the scale of the blowout in costs for the remaining stages of the duplication of the Princes Highway to Sale. The Minister for Transport Infrastructure told local media in November last year that the Federal Government’s $132 million contribution to…
No end to VLine’s poor performance The crisis in VLine has hit rock bottom. February performance data for the VLine network reveals a worsening trend of unreliable and late trains. Every short distance service – Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, Seymour and Gippsland lines – failed to meet reliability and punctuality targets. Four of the six long…
Commuters on the northeast, Seymour and Shepparton trainlines faced another day of pain as a result of Daniel Andrews’ ugly, unresolved pay dispute with the Victoria’s Rail, Tram and Bus Union. Local MP and Shadow Minister for Regional Public Transport Steph Ryan said this week’s industrial strike could not have come at a worse time…
Gippsland Nationals MPs are ramping up pressure on the Andrews Labor Government to deliver more rail services to Central and East Gippsland. The Nationals Member for Gippsland South, Danny O’Brien in Parliament last week called on the government to provide additional services beyond Traralgon. “In this day and age it is extremely…