By KATHRYN BERMINGHAM
BEACONSFIELD train station has ranked among Victoria’s worst while Drouin was one of the best, according to data released by the RACV.
More than 17,800 commuters participated in the 2015 News on Track survey, which asked passengers about their biggest problems with train travel.
Beaconsfield, on the Metro Trains network’s Pakenham line, was rated the 10th worst station in Victoria, returning a score of just 5.70 out of 10.
Hallam, another station on the Pakenham line, rated second worse with a score of 5.40.
Fifty-three per cent of passengers said they had difficulty finding a station carpark, 33 per cent said they were concerned about toilet facilities and 30 per cent said they felt unsafe at the station at certain times of day.
Forty-nine per cent of respondents said lack of seating was a concern, 47 per cent said the trains are overcrowded and 46 per cent had issues with trains not running on time.
However V/Line’s Drouin station won high praise from its commuters, rating 8.88 out of 10.
RACV’s Manager of Public Transport and Mobility Thanuja Gunatillake said it was alarming to note that passengers’ concerns about train station parking, toilets and safety had not shown any signs of diminishing.
“While there have been improvements on the inaugural On Track survey two years ago, and we are hearing from happy commuters at stations like Wyndham Vale, it is clear that more action is required to deal with these top three irritants,” she said.
“Improvements like the Metro Rail tunnel, the program of level crossing removals and longer trains can’t come quickly enough to provide relief to the congestion problems on the rail network.”
The top three stations were Wyndham Vale, Drouin and Waurn Ponds – all stations servicing V/Line passengers.
