Connex left trains out of the Loop
Ashley Gardiner August 19, 2009 12:00am
CONNEX has diverted hundreds of trains out of the City Loop, leaving tens of thousands of commuters fuming.
The rail operator made sudden service changes 941 times in 10 months, most in the afternoon.
Last-minute decisions to run trains directly to or from Flinders St cost Connex about $675,000 in penalties.
Opposition transport spokesman Terry Mulder said the diversions had caused significant delays for thousands of passengers.
He said every line that ran City Loop trains had been affected. Diversions could lead to dangerous crowding on narrow platforms such as Parliament station.
They could also cause massive disruption for commuters who missed connecting trains.
"Passengers must wait up to 20 minutes in peak hour on lines like Upfield for the next train," he said.
Connex spokesman John Rees said there were several reasons trains were diverted out of the City Loop.
These included faulty trains and unplanned events such as an incident last week when a passenger's leg was caught between the train and the platform.
"Whatever reason it is, it is relatively rare, and it's taken because, operationally, it enables us to reduce any impacts on the rest of the network," Mr Rees said.
The new rail operator, Metro Trains Melbourne, takes over the system on November 30. It is unable to comment according to an agreement with the Government.
