THE Australian Rail Track Corporation and V/Line can have no doubts about the level of anger felt by Border and North East residents about the unreliable and troubled Albury to Melbourne train service.
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One might say if they didn’t know before, they certainly do now.
That’s after more than 100 people turned out to quiz ARTC boss John Fullerton and V/Line regional manager Jonathon McKeown at The Cube in Wodonga yesterday.
They were angry and who could blame them? Especially after learning current works on a ballast rehabilitation program aren’t due to be complete before the end of 2016.
The forum arranged by Cathy McGowan became heated at times, with the member for Indi appealing for the crowd to show some respect towards Mr Fullerton and Mr McKeown.
While there is no excuse for disrespect or abuse, it would have to be said that travellers have been about as patient as any reasonable person could expect in putting up with being third-class citizens when it comes to a train service.
It’s not as if we are asking for a bullet train. A reliable train service shouldn’t be such a pie in the sky idea.
Unfortunately the only thing that has been reliable about the train service we’ve had to tolerate in the past few years is that the train we expect to catch will turn into a bus.