The Nationals Member for Lowan, Emma Kealy, has implored the Allan Labor Government to fund long-overdue upgrades to the Overland train service, with the growing service still operating without basic amenities at key regional stops.
Ms Kealy said passenger numbers had continued to steadily rise, and tourism operators and locals were increasingly relying on the Overland, yet Labor had failed to keep facilities in step with demand.
A tourism operator recently told Ms Kealy about an 80-year-old train tour guest who, during a day trip, had no access to toilets at the Horsham station and was forced to relieve themselves behind bushes. The operator said the experience was deeply distressing for the visitor and embarrassing for the region.
Ms Kealy said the incident made clear that Labor had not delivered the most basic requirements for a service that was designed to support local communities and the tourism industry.
“This is typical of Labor’s bare-minimum approach when it comes to rural and regional services. The Overland is being used more than ever, but its facilities are going backwards,” she said.
“When an elderly traveller is forced into a humiliating situation because Labor has failed to provide a toilet at a major regional station, something is seriously wrong.
“If this had happened in Melbourne there would be outrage, but in our community Labor seems to see no issue in allowing a service to grow without providing the basic infrastructure passengers deserve.”
Ms Kealy said the toilets at the Horsham station were closed in mid-2024, and Labor had been silent on a timeline or commitment to reopen them.
“People deserve a safe, dignified experience when using public transport. On that measure, Labor is failing abysmally,” she said.
“Next year is the final year of the current Overland Train Funding Agreement. This should be the moment the Allan Labor Government steps up to fix what passengers have been putting up with for years. A growing service needs proper facilities, not excuses.”