An acknowledgement that the North East rail line is more disadvantaged than others in Victoria was the start of a positive working relationship between state Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allan and Indi MP Cathy McGowan.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
But it will not become truly friendly until a decent amount of funding appears in the budget, to be handed down on May 2.
The two politicians met in Bendigo on Wednesday to discuss how federal and state governments could work together to fix the reliability and punctuality of trains.
“We had a really productive meeting with the minister and there was an agreement there is a lack of equity in our service,” Ms McGowan said.
Refurbished train carriages would be ready within weeks, but they agreed a long-term solution needed commitment from both state and federal sides.
Federal Transport Minister Darren Chester made similar comments during his visit to the North East on Monday.
“(Ms Allan) said there’s no point fixing up the rolling stock if the government doesn’t fix the track,” Ms McGowan said. “They have the solution and we just need to fund it now … It’ll be budget night when we’ll really see.”
Ms Allan told The Border Mail the trains had been neglected by the previous Labor government and the federal government.
"It was great to catch up with Cathy,” she said.
"We're doing our bit – upgrading carriages to improve comfort and reliability, while we plan for the next generation of trains for the North East line. But without the Federal Government ensuring the track is properly looked after, local passengers will continue to suffer."
Senator Bridget McKenzie put the pressure on Ms Allan this week, saying the economic benefits of a quality train service were clear in Bendigo and Ballarat.
“I would be calling on state members to actually get real about regional Victoria – it doesn’t just include the seats that they hold and it’s absolutely appalling that they choose to play politics on this,” she said.
Ms McGowan dismissed the suggestion of Labor favouritism, saying the North East was left disadvantaged by the rail line’s separate contract for the Australian Rail Track Corporation.
“The delivery of refurbished rolling stock needs to be part of a joint plan to fast-track improvements to provide the level of service enjoyed by other Victorians,” she said.
“People in Indi are looking for a solid commitment from the Victorian government to fund more trains more often.
“For that to make a difference, the federal government needs to commit to fix the track.
“In the meantime, I call on the state government to make a good-faith commitment given that $2 million has already been spent planning for new trains.”
