2016-01-16
Victorian Greens leader Greg Barber says the public transport Minister must explain how V/line services across Victoria have become crippled by a series of safety and maintenance issues.
"If V/line didn't know these problems could arise, it's a major stuff up. If they did know that it could happen, it's negligence," Mr Barber said.
"We've seen the Bairnsdale line closed for months due to rust on the tracks. Now Ballarat trains have been cancelled because of worn wheels. Reportedly, on Friday night, boom gates weren't triggered by an approaching V/line train, leading to most services across the state being halted.
"This proves what the Greens have been saying all along: Melbourne's 19th Century train signalling system needs upgrading to modern standards.
"It's not beyond the ability of rail managers to anticipate these issues and deal with them before they lead to cancellations. When you're running a rail system that tens of thousands of people depend on, there's no such thing as 'oops'," Greg Barber said.