NEWS DESK
Trains not stopping all stations Neil Walker neil@baysidenews.com.au METRO Trains has denied trains skipping stations on the Frankston line is a regular occurrence. Melbourne’s rail operator was criticised last week after it was revealed an average of 15 trains skipped scheduled stops at stations in an apparent effort to meet punctuality quotas. A Metro spokeswoman said there were 19,127 scheduled train services on the Frankston line from October to December and just 60 were “altered to run express”. “Altering a service to run express is only used to assist when recovering from a major disruption, or to avoid a knock-on effect that will ultimately lead to a major delay,” the spokeswoman said. “When we alter a service, we ensure that our drivers and station staff are made aware of the changes to make announcements, and aim to express services running in the off-peak direction, impacting only the minority of customers.” Public transport reliability along the Frankston line is regarded as a pivotal concern for state election voters. Both parties have suffered the wrath of electorates along the train line at the past two state elections. Labor won back the seats of Frankston, Carrum, Mordialloc and Bentleigh from Liberal MPs last November, contributing to the Coalition government’s demise after one term in power. At the 2010 state election, the
Station masters: Labor Frankston MP Paul Edbrooke and Transport Minister Jacinta Allan want Metro Trains to stop skipping stations on the Frankston line. Picture: Gary Sissons
Liberals won Labor seats along the Frankston line. Labor Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allan blamed the previous Coalition government for trains skipping stations. “The previous Liberal Government built their punctuality figures off the back of station skipping and timetable manipulation,” she said. “The Andrews Labor government is awaiting detailed advice from Public Transport Victoria as to the
most effective way to reduce station skipping and deliver more services to the public.” Liberal opposition public transport spokesman David Hodgett said a previous Labor government “signed a contract with Metro to allow station skipping, now they blame everyone else.” He said Labor should stop making excuses and “fix it”. Metro advised it monitors “how often and which services are altered to
run express and resort to the practice as infrequently as possible... we are actively trying to reduce how often it occurs.” Metro told The Times that, on average, 20 out of 6365 train services on the Frankston line each month are switched to an express service. Ms Allan said: “Ultimately, we want trains stopping where they should stop, so the public can plan their journey with confidence.”
Hear Together support for deaf children HEAR Together Mornington Peninsula is a new support group for parents of children with a hearing impairment. The group is an initiative of the Frankston Toy Library. It welcomes the entire family, including the children and their siblings, to its informal and fun bimonthly meetings. “Having a child diagnosed with a hearing loss can be a difficult experience for many parents,” founder Sandi Walters said. “When my daughter was diagnosed I felt like the only parent on the planet dealing with such issues, and my daughter felt like the only child on the planet with hearing aids.” Ms Walters started the group to ensure that no other families in the area felt the same isolation. “Everyone is welcome - from those worried about grommets to those with hearing aids and cochlear implants,” she said. Meetings are held at the Frankston Toy Library – of which Ms Walters in president - which also has Victoria’s largest collection of resources. These can be borrowed for children with a range of special needs, including deafness, blindness, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and autism. A new Auslan playgroup has been launched as part of the Hear Together program for parents wanting to learn and practise sign language. Families interested in finding out more can visit the Facebook page Hear Together Mornington Peninsula. Email heartogether@hotmail.com
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