Survey signals commuters’ trains of fear

– Melissa Grant
IMPROVING security on trains and at railway stations is a priority for passengers on the Pakenham line, many of whom are fearful of using night services.
Drunks, drug users, aggressive passengers, gangs, foul-mouthed patrons and night travel are among the reasons they feel unsafe, according to the results of a transport survey circulated by Bass MP Ken Smith.
When asked what features should be added to the line, 35 per cent called for improved security on trains and at stations.
Commuters also felt the line was overcrowded. On a scale of zero to 10, with lower scores indicating higher levels of dissatisfaction, 23.5 per cent of respondents rated overcrowding, particularly during peak times, a zero.
And most felt that removing train seating wasn’t the solution, with 87.5 per cent against the move.
Mr Smith said the results reinforced the view that the Pakenham line was one of the busiest in the state, but seriously under-serviced.
“Every day commuters are crammed in like sardines onto poorly maintained trains that don’t run anywhere near often enough to cater for the number of people wanting to use them,” he said.
“Even more disturbing is that people are telling us they are afraid to use the system at all.”
However, State Government spokesman Chris Owner said statistics showed the train network was one of the safest forms of transport for Melburnians.
“Since 2000, the overall number of crimes recorded on and around public transport has declined by 21.3 per cent,” he said.
“And the recent police crime data has shown a further drop.”
Mr Owner added that safety of public transport users was a priority for the State Government.
“Every station on the metropolitan rail network now features CCTV and emergency duress buttons, while 269 car parks across 150 stations are also equipped with CCTV,” he said.
Mr Smith distributed his survey in March to 15,000 to households in the northern end of his electorate, including Pakenham, Berwick, Garfield, Nar Nar Goon, Tynong, Kooweerup and Lang Lang.
Most of the 411 who responded used the Pakenham Railway Station and city stations were the most popular destination. V/Line was generally regarded as a better and safer service.
Some rail commuters called for the construction of a third railway to address overcrowding and 62 per cent said they would use the Pakenham Line more often if weekday peak services were increased.
Mr Owner said Pakenham commuters would benefit from the Westall Rail Upgrade project, to be complete by 2011, as it would allow some train services to start and finish their journeys at Westall Station.
“This will help to ease overcrowding and reduce delays on the Pakenham line,” he said.
Other key results of the transport survey include:
•Only 29 per cent of respondents would use a railway station at Lakeside;
•Almost half of respondents (49 per cent) used a car to get to the station, while 40.5 per cent walked;
•Most were generally happy with punctuality, with 54.5 per cent of respondents saying services generally ran on time; and
•Only 14 per cent would use Officer Railway Station more often if it was upgraded.