FRUSTRATED Frankston line commuters are facing ten peak time train cancellations on average per week according to information requested from Metro Trains.
March seemed to be a particularly bad month for cancellations and delays along the Frankston line with commuters taking to online social media to express their anger at being left high and dry at train stations during peak times.
Metro advised The Times that 81 train services were cancelled during March and 42 of those cancellations were during peak periods.
Reasons for cancelled services included vandalism, infrastructure faults, a fatality, trespassers on lines, police requests and anti-social behaviour.
Metro spokeswoman Pauline O’Connor said “it is important to note that incidents on other lines can also affect Frankston line services”.
“Services on Werribee and Williamstown lines regularly become Frankston-bound services once they reach the city, meaning incidents on these lines can impact Frankston services, due to trains and drivers being out of position,” she said.
There were 6,333 scheduled services on the Frankston line during the month of March.
Late last month The Age reported Metro sometimes stopped train services before they reach their final destination in an alleged effort to meet state government targets.
The train operator is paid bonuses by the government if performance targets are met.
Figures leaked to The Age suggested “short arrivals” – whereby trains stop short of their destination – and “short departures” – when train services begin partway along a line – are not counted as “cancelled” services to meet performance targets.
Ms O’Connor said there were 239 “planned short arrivals” along the Frankston line in March due to planned project works and these services ran late at night or on weekends, with prior notice beforehand.
There were 52 “unplanned short arrivals” and nine of those occurred in peak time. Three out of 19 “unplanned short departures” took place during peak periods.
Commuter frustration at cancelled and delayed train services along the Frankston line has long been a headache for both major political parties with the seats of Frankston, Carrum, Mordialloc and Bentleigh swinging from Liberal to Labor and back again amid discontent at public transport.
