DIESEL trains will not return to the Stony Point rail line as a quick fix to get passenger services back up and running.
Metro Trains had said diesels could have been a short-term solution while work continues to install axle counters along the Stony Point line to stop boom gates malfunctioning (‘Line here to stay: Metro’, The News 28/4/15).
The track was originally designed for diesel trains and in recent months boom gates at level crossings have failed to open in some instances when trains approach level crossings.
“We were unable to find suitable [diesel trains] rolling stock for the line, so buses will continue to replace trains until the axle installation is complete,” Metro spokeswoman Larisa Tait said.
“We are anticipating reopening the line at the end of June.”
Liberal Hastings MP Neale Burgess said he had been in contact with Metro and Public Transport Victoria “on a daily basis” to push for passenger services to resume.
Buses are ferrying passengers to stations between Stony Point and Frankston while engineering works along the rail track are complete.
“Buses are not a substitute for our trains, they are slower and miss connecting services,” Mr Burgess said.
“However safety is the number one priority and we need absolute assurance that every level crossing gate will activate in exactly the way it is intended to.”
Both Metro and Mr Burgess have said the axle counters will be “a permanent fix” to the boom gate glitches.
First published in the Western Port News – 12 May 2015
