July 4, 2006 marked the seventh anniversary of large Sunday service increases across Melbourne's train and tram networks. The boost removed the need for passengers to meticulously plan their trips and slashed waiting times across the network.
Though timetable and service improvements such as this are often overshadowed by other things their importance cannot be over-stressed. The Sunday increase occurred a few years after off-peak weekday train services in the eastern and southern suburbs went from 20 to 15 minute headways. Both increases, which occurred under the Kennett government, did more than anything else to make public transport more practical for the complex travel needs of a seven-day city.
1 comment:
Peter,
It is amazing that just how little progress has been made for frequency improvements over the past seven years with Peter Batchelor as Transport Minister and Steve Bracks as Premier.
Belgrave and Lilydale line passengers still have 40 minute services on Sunday evenings and Pakenham and Cranbourne passengers have to make do with hourly services.
Even more disheartening is the fact that the Transport and Liveability appears to foresee no frequency improvements on the rail network in the coming years.
Seven years ago we were finally provided with Sunday improvements, seven years later we're still waiting for further improvements.
It is little wonder why the current government appears unable to achieve its own goal of 20% public transport modal share by 2020.
Alex Makin
www.alexmakin.com.au
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