A

proposal for increased Rail Services for Sunbury, Victoria

by

Stephen Coughlan

Introduction:

With the extension of the Suburban Metro Train Network to Sunbury in November
2012, Sunbury was serviced by only every second Train, with every alternate Train
terminating at the previous Terminus at Watergardens Railway Station.

On Tuesday 13 July 2010, then Premier, John Brumby stated:

We have listened to the community and understand they want the option of boarding a
V/Line train or a metropolitan train. We have consulted and listened and used important
community feedback to determine the transport options for Sunbury. V/Line services will
continue at Sunbury and passengers will have the choice between a V/Line service and a
metropolitan train once the electrification project is complete.1

This arrangement made Sunbury one of only two Suburban locations where Passengers
were permitted to board a V/Line service for Metropolitan travel, with Pakenham being
the other.

Recently, Public Transport Victoria and V/Line have reversed this decision, mainly due to
a dramatically increased service frequency on the Geelong Line. This increase was due
to the Andrews State Government honouring an Election promise to provide Geelong
Residents with a 20 minute frequency of service Off-Peak, with more frequent services
during the Peak periods.

Carriage numbers have been reduced on both the Bendigo and Traralgon Lines, resulting
in both Sunbury and Pakenham Passengers being restricted from using V/Line services
all together.

No additional Metro services were provided to Sunbury, resulting in more than 200
weekly services being lost.

More trains are being provided by the Government, but with reports that Geelong
passenger numbers have increased significantly since the introduction of their improved
service, there are no guarantees that these Trains and Carriages will be reinstated on
the Bendigo and Traralgon Lines.

A focus on trying to retain the V/Line services for Sunbury only caters for those
passengers wishing to travel from Sunbury to Footscray or Southern Cross Stations. It
does not allow for passengers wishing to travel to or from any other Station on the line
to easily benefit from these services, often leaving them waiting for extended periods of
time, late at night waiting for the V/Line service.

1 http://archive.premier.vic.gov.au/2010/media-releases/2-premier/11072-choice-of-vline-or-metro-
service-for-sunbury-rail-passengers.html


Moving the focus from this retention to advocating an increase in the Metro Train
services would benefit not just some, but all Sunbury Train passengers.


Proposal:

That Sunbury be provided a full Metro Train service, bringing us into line with other
similar areas.


The Facts:

Having studied the current timetable, my findings are that Sunbury could benefit from
every service on the line continuing through to Sunbury with no net increase in the
number of Trains required for these services, and using my knowledge of Train Crew
requirements through my Employment as a Metro Train Driver, no increase in number
of Drivers required to drive these services.

Current Watergardens services take 1 hour 25 minutes round trip from Flinders Street,
35 minutes from Flinders Street to Watergardens, 14 minutes layover at Watergardens,
and 36 minutes from Watergardens to Flinders Street.

Current Sunbury services take 2 hours 5 minutes round trip from Flinders Street, 48
minutes from Flinders Street to Sunbury, 30 minutes layover at Sunbury, and 47 minutes
from Sunbury to Flinders Street.

This proposal would see all trains continue through to Sunbury, taking 1 hour 45
minutes each. Exceptions to this would be Morning services that currently enter service
at Watergardens or Calder Park, and form Flinders Street services, as well as the current
AM and PM peak services which commence or terminate at Watergardens. Trains
commencing and terminating at Intermediate Stations during the Peaks is common
practice on all other Metro Lines.

Despite the time added to a Watergardens service being 34 minutes, made up of 13
minutes extra from Watergardens to Sunbury, 10 minutes layover at Sunbury, and 11
minutes from Sunbury to Watergardens, we eliminate the current 14 minute layover at
Watergardens, delivering a net increase of 20 minutes. Conversely, the layover time at
Sunbury is reduced from 30 minutes to 10 minutes, delivering a net decrease of 20
minutes.

This results in this proposal being able to be delivered with no need for additional
Trains, being achieved within current work practices, and the additional 20 minutes and
30 kilometres added to those Drivers runs which would have terminated at

Watergardens being able be integrated within a future Roster change.

This approach would also work when applied to the transition to Evening Services,
which are currently every 30 minutes to Watergardens and every 60 minutes to
Sunbury.


Other Factors:

V/Line services from and to Bendigo are currently timetabled to cross at Sunbury. This
results in the Metro Train having to move into the Sidings, while the V/Line services take
up both of the Platforms.

As this proposal would be implemented at the time of a Timetable change, an altered
V/Line Timetable could remove this requirement by adjusting one of the services by as
little as 5 minutes, removing this requirement.

No restriction to the high speed running of V/Line Trains being disrupted by additional
Metro Trains between Sunbury and Watergardens would occur, as the extra Sunbury
Trains would be on the same schedule they currently are after departing from
Watergardens.


Conclusion:

In order for all Sunbury passengers to receive the benefit of increased service frequency,
the people of Sunbury must urge the Government to provide Sunbury with a full Metro
service.