City of Greater Shepparton Mayor Shane Sali is frustrated that Shepparton was not included in the announcement of more than 1200 new train services in Victoria.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
“Enough is enough.”
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Those were the words of City of Greater Shepparton Mayor Shane Sali about Shepparton not being included in the most recent round of new train services for Victoria.
The Victorian Government announced the launch of more than 1200 new train services in the state on Sunday, February 1, as part of the ‘Big Switch’ that saw the opening of Melbourne Metro Tunnel.
While many of those services were in Melbourne, they also included additional services in regional areas, including 18 on the Traralgon line, 10 on the Seymour line and four on the Echuca line.
Cr Sali, state Member for Shepparton Kim O’Keeffe, state Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell and Federal Member for Nicholls Sam Birrell have all voiced their dismay that no extra train services have been announced for Shepparton, despite a government promise that city would receive more services.
In 2021, the government promised an increase to nine daily train services on weekdays between Shepparton and Melbourne once work was done to have lines and signalling updated.
The Federal Government gave $320 million in funding to do this work, which was supposed to have been completed by the end of 2023.
That work was finished at the end of 2025, with a new signalling system, close to 40km of track upgrades, and improved train detection at 59 level crossings, and a stabling upgrade that allowed VLocity trains to operate on the line for the first time.
Now the work has been done, Cr Sali and the three MPs say Shepparton should have its services increased.
“We are not asking for anything new,” Cr Sali said.
“This isn’t a project where we are trying to get it off the ground.
“We are just asking for what was promised.
“It’s got to this point where enough is enough.”
Cr Sali said if the more than 1200 services launched on the weekend were only for metropolitan trains, then maybe he could understand, but the announcement of the increase in some regional trains, but not Shepparton’s, was frustrating.
Shepparton has five train services every weekday, with an increase to nine promised.
By comparison, Bendigo has 20 weekday services each day.
Ms Lovell described the Victorian Government’s Big Switch as “another big letdown for Shepparton”.
“Back in 2021 (then Minister for Transport Infrastructure and now Premier) Jacinta Allan promised that by 2023 there would be nine return train services every weekday for passengers travelling between Shepparton and Melbourne, but failed to meet her own deadline and new services are now two years overdue.
“If the signalling works have been completed, there are no excuses left and Premier Jacinta Allan must now fulfil her promise by delivering in full the nine weekday return services on the Shepparton line.
“However, a change in Labor’s language — from saying it would ‘deliver’ nine weekday return services, to saying the Shepparton line will have ‘capacity’ for nine weekday V/Line return services, raises serious concerns about whether the full nine weekday services will actually start running any time soon.
City of Greater Shepparton Mayor Shane Sali says Shepparton is “just asking for what was promised“ when it comes to extra train services.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
“‘Capacity’ for new services won’t get people to work, medical appointments or home from the footy.”
Ms O’Keeffe also wants to know where Shepparton’s new services are, after the release of a new Shepparton line timetable on February 1 that sees the retention of the five weekday services from Shepparton to Melbourne.
“It is simply not good enough that the Shepparton line upgrade continues to be delayed and the promised nine return daily services remains to be unseen,” Ms O’Keeffe said.
“The people of the Goulburn Valley are sick and tired of the Allan Labor Government’s constant delays of this important infrastructure project for the region.”
Mr Birrell said the majority of the funding for the upgrade was provided by the then Coalition Federal Government, with the expectation that the nine daily return services could be delivered.
“The additional services are already years overdue, and the Victorian Government needs to explain why they were not included in this latest announcement when it is already crowing that the project has been completed,” he said.
"The Victorian premier needs to be honest with the community and announce when the promised extra services will be timetabled and operating.”
When questioned about when the additional services might be delivered, there was no straight answer from the Department of Transport and Planning.
A department spokesperson said “planning work is progressing for the delivery of the additional services and we will keep passengers informed ahead of any changes”.
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