FRANKSTON line commuters suffered through more train cancellations than any other rail users in the state last year.
Public Transport Victoria published their final performance figures for 2019 last week. Those statistics revealed that over 1500 trains on the Frankston line were cancelled last year.
Frankston line travellers were hit with over 400 more cancellations than the next worst performing train line.
The PTV performance report showed that a little over 2.1 per cent of Frankston line trains were cancelled last year. Only the Stony Point line had a higher percentage of cancelled trains.
Trains on the Frankston line also ran late just over 13 per cent of the time in 2019. Only trains on the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines were less punctual throughout the year. The Frankston line’s 86.8 per cent on time rate is a long way from the 95.8 per cent achieved on the Glen Waverley line.
April was the worst month for Frankston line commuters, with nearly three per cent of trains cancelled.
PTV’s latest figures were published shortly after the announcement that Frankston line travellers will face two months of replacement bus services starting from May.
Public transport users will have to catch connecting buses between Moorabbin and Mordialloc train stations from mid-May to mid-July while work is done to excavate rail trenches.
Construction began late last year to dig rail trenches in Cheltenham and Mentone. Those works have continued into 2020, forcing the closure of the line between Frankston and Moorabbin from 2 February to 16 February.
Mentone and Cheltenham Stations will close again in March and April respectively. Trains will run express through those stations after they are temporarily shut down (“Rail users face more bus pain”, The Times, 13/1/20).
