Seema Abdullah: I will lobby for a decent train network in Greater Shepparton

Recent investments in the Goulburn Valley Health redevelopment, the new Shepparton Art Museum and the Museum of Vehicle Evolution, improving opportunities for secondary and tertiary education, a proud history of welcoming and celebrating multicultural communities, and a wealth of community-minded people with passion for volunteering — all enhance the livability of our region.

However, there are barriers to making our region better and one of the key factors is the presence of a decent train network that is modern, reliable and fast, providing more frequent trains between Greater Shepparton and Melbourne.

Currently the train fleet is old and needs a major overhaul, and line upgrades are essential.

I acknowledge the hard work put in by the state MP Suzanna Sheed in attracting $356 million from the Victorian Government for stages 1 and 2 of the Shepparton line upgrade.

The project is now in stage 2, and once this work is completed we will have the first lot of five daily VLocity trains between Shepparton and Melbourne, which will offer a more reliable service and a more comfortable journey for passengers.

However, we need more than five — the likes of Bendigo and Ballarat already have more than 20 return services a day.

The Victorian Government has committed to nine daily return VLocity services for Shepparton in stage 3.

I have been advocating strongly at all forums for these nine services and, if elected, will ensure that this target remains on the priority agenda.

I will continue to lobby with the Victorian Government for Shepparton to get these extra trains at the earliest possible date.

In the meantime, I’d like to see train services from Shepparton to Seymour increase, to take advantage of the existing Seymour to Melbourne timetable.

We’ve waited long enough to unlock the potential of Greater Shepparton.

We need these train services as soon as possible.

Seema Abdullah

Candidate for Greater Shepparton City Council