FESTIVAL-GOERS heading to this weekend’s Mordialloc Food, Wine and Music Festival may prefer to get there under their own steam after Metro Trains decided to carry out track upgrade works between Moorabbin and Mordialloc at the same time.
Up to 60,000 people are expected to attend the two-day festival, a major event in the City of Kingston held in March each year.
A Metro Trains spokeswoman told The News that the train operator had not been informed that the Mordialloc Food, Wine and Music Festival would be taking place on the weekend the upgrade works were scheduled.
Metro originally decided when to schedule the works in October last year, saying they “plan track works months ahead”.
“Buses will replace trains between Moorabbin and Mordialloc this weekend,” Metro’s spokewoman said.
“There will be a sufficient number of buses running between Moorabbin and Mordialloc throughout the weekend but travel times will be extended between these stations.”
“Trains will still be running between Mordialloc and Frankston.”
The News asked Metro Trains whether the track upgrades could have been switched to another weekend but was informed “it is not possible to simply reschedule them to another weekend given how much planning and preparation is involved”.
Kingston Council will also provide a free community bus service, starting at Parkdale Station and travelling along Beach Rd.
The bus will collect passengers at stops along the way to the festival.
Metro is replacing the train services between Moorabbin and Mordialloc with a bus service throughout the weekend of Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 March.
Replacement buses will operate every 10 minutes between 10.30am-7pm and then every 30 minutes outside of this time.
Visit www.kingston.vic.gov.au/mordifest for further information.
