Friday 5 February 2016
5249 6700 indy@geelongindy.com.au
geelongindy.com.au
Rail fiasco to run five more months Could be more, concedes Allan By ALANA MITCHELSON
Jenny’s super effort despite MS diagnosis PAGE 5
Brilliant start for season of GPAC theatre PAGE 19 OFF THE RAILS: Jacinta Allan fronts waiting media at Geelong Railway Station yesterday. (ALANA MITCHELSON)
Arrive in Style
FORD OWNERS For servicing and repairs with manufacturer’s warranty not affected see Geelong’s Ford Specialist.
8 Maxwell Ave, Belmont 1064920-KG9-13
•Weddings•Formals•Tours
Licensed VicRoads Roadworthy Tester
6 & 10 Seater Limousines
Phone: 5277
3393 0477 663 314
www.geelongandsurfcoastlimousines.com.au
for all your automotive requirements 1185842-FA22-15
5244 3337
Geelong & Surfcoast Limousines
1215130-DJ05-16
T J B “The dealer alternative”
Geelong commuters would wait until “the middle of the year” before rail services returned to normal, Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allan said yesterday (Thursday). But a “stable” temporary timetable out Monday would give “greater certainty” about V/Line services operating normally and others replaced with buses over the next five weeks, she said at Geelong Railway Station. “This plan means people can plan their travel, their appointments and their lives with greater confidence, even if not all services are running as they should. “On the advice I’ve been given, passengers should expect to see a return to the full service timetable by June.” Wheel-wear problems have disrupted services over the few weeks and forced many rail commuters onto buses to complete their journeys. “We’ve seen a decrease in the wheel-wear rate but there’s still a way to go before it’s at a safe, acceptable level,“ Ms Allan said. But the government’s timeframe for resuming normal services was “not good enough” said Liberal South Barwon MP Andrew Katos. “We’re talking almost six months. This whole V/Line issue is still completely chaotic,“ Mr Katos said. “The concept of stability and certainty is completely contradictory. “It’s causing unacceptable disruptions to people’s daily lives - there’s still no certainty as to what’s going on. “And the June timeline is on advice from PTV and V/Line. These are the organisations who gave her incorrect advice a month ago. “I don’t think the public would have much confidence in Jacinta Allan.“ Interim V/Line chief Gary Liddle, who took over less than a week ago, said passengers could expect fewer replacement buses as Velocity trains began returning in April. A report due mid-March should “isolate the cause of the wheel-wear issues”, he said. Public Transport Users Association Geelong branch convenor Paul Westcott said commuters had yet to hear from a “key player” in the “fiasco”. Continued page 6