Open Letter to local Member of Parliament regarding electrification of railway to Sunbury (Australia)

A few days ago I received a "feel good" letter from our local Member of Parliament - trying to encourage us to feel good about the planned electrification of the railway line to Sunbury.

Below is the letter that I sent back to the member of parliament.

Dear Joanne Duncan MP, State Member for Macedon

I recently received your "feel-good" letter about the electrification of the Sydenham railway line to Sunbury.

Unfortunately, like most of the residents of Sunbury that I have spoken with (mostly whilst travelling on peak time trains) I do not believe that an unbiased, realistic and accurate study has been undertaken of the real impact such a change would have on services to Sunbury, as well as the additional pressure that would be brought to bear on the Sunbury CBD area and the Sunbury community.

You state in paragraph 3 that: "...all services will be run using six-car metropolitan trains which can carry about 500 more people per train than the V/Line trains currently in service."
And in paragraph 4 that: "It will also allow more trains to run during peak hours and passengers from Sunbury and Diggers Rest will no longer need to change trains at North Melbourne to get a City Loop service."

What you have not allowed for here are;

* the current passenger numbers already encountered by the Sydenham line trains - acknowledged recently by Connex as one of the 4 most crowded, poorly serviced train lines in Melbourne.
* the increase in travel time to all residents in Sunbury, completing journeys most of the way to the city (as most trains would, following the scheduling of other comparable lines, stop all stations - with only a select few being Express).
* the complete lack of faith in Connex experienced in general across all of Melbourne. Why expand something that already doesn't work properly. We would all much rather see the current Connex network fixed & working well - then come back to us with a proposal to expand the train line out to Sunbury (and by that time you may find you need to go much further than Sunbury.
* Currently Connex does not provide buses to replace cancelled services. At least with VLine we can be secure in the fact that if the trains are cancelled for some reason - we will get home eventually.
* The inadequate parking available currently to those passengers travelling from Sunbury.
* What "overnight" train parking facilities would be installed in Sunbury - where would these be placed?
* The increased train traffic causing increased down time & queueing of traffic at the Station Street crossing in Sunbury (one of only 2 places in Sunbury where vehicle crossing of the Railway line is possible) as well as the Melton Highway crossing, near Sydenham station.
* The increased requirements for security at the Sunbury train station & surrounds - it is evident across the entirety of the Connex network that end of the line train stations have a tendancy to attract unruly and unwanted persons and reduce the current feeling of a safe community, felt in Sunbury (especially for vulnerable women & the elderly).
* Reduced sense of security & comfort on trains that have smaller seats and leg-room as well as no conductors on board.

I disagree strongly that this would "... deliver better train services for our area..."

We, the people of Sunbury would like accurate details to be provided - not political promises.

I look forward to your response.

Regards

Simon Hoad
Resident
Sunbury