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Public Transport | January 28, 2020

Hopes for passenger rail announcement

In a rare visit by a Labor MP, the Wimmera will see Hon. Melissa Horne, Minister for Public Transport in Horsham tomorrow.

The Nationals Member for Lowan, Emma Kealy said the Minister’s visit will be an ideal opportunity for her to see and hear just how important it is our region has access to passenger rail.

“Many local residents regularly travel to larger city centres for education, health and specialist appointments and I truly hope the Minister listens to locals and uses her visit positively to announce our region will finally get the passenger rail services we so desperately need,” Ms Kealy said.

The Overland is currently the only passenger rail service to Western Victoria and is at risk of closing at the end of March, with no future funding commitments received from Labor.

“Just three months funding security for The Overland, which only runs twice a week, is simply not good enough,” Ms Kealy said.

“The Minister must match the election commitment made by The Nationals that local people emphatically voted for and fund the return of passenger rail services with multiple daily links to Melbourne for Horsham and Hamilton.

“I continue to call on Daniel Andrews and his Labor Minister’s to make good on their commitment to ‘deliver for all Victorians’ by giving local residents the public transport connections they are entitled to and deserve.”