<span class="" id="parent-fieldname-description"> Thereâs just one problem with what Victoriaâs Opposition has proposed for the Geelong V/Line, according to premier Denis Napthine: the Government is already planning on doing it. </span> <div>Victorian Labor – the opposition in the south east state – promised last week that under an Andrews Labor Government the Geelong V/Line services would be increased by 22 trips per day to have off-peak services run at least once every 20 minutes.<br /><br />Currently, the service runs around once an hour off-peak.<br /><br />“This is one of the busiest regional rail services in Australia, but it only runs once an hour,” Labor leader Daniel Andrews said. “We can do better.”<br /><br />Andrews’ party said by adding 22 services each day, students and workers using the line would have easier access to where they wanted to go.<br /><br />Vic Labor’s Jill Hennessy, shadow minister for public transport, added: “The Liberals tried to dismantle V/Line under Kennett. Now they’ve abandoned it.”<br /><br />While extra off-peak services seem like a good promise to make for the opposition, Victoria’s premier, Denis Napthine, labelled Labor’s press release “a con”. Why? Because, he said, the added services are already part of the government’s plans.<br /><br />“The state opposition is trying to sell a pale imitation of what the Victorian Coalition Government has already planned, funded and will deliver as part of the new April 2015 V/Line timetables,” he said.<br /><br />“Not only are the new trips already planned, they are already budgeted for under Regional Rail Link.”<br /><br />Napthine also said the 2015 timetable would see more on-peak trains for Geelong commuters.<br /><br />“A re-elected Victorian Coalition Government will, from April 2015, introduce an extra weekday peak period train (in the peak direction from Geelong in the mornings and to Geelong in the afternoons) along with a new 20 minute train frequency between 9am and 3pm on weekdays,” he said.<br /><br />“That’s a total of 120 extra weekly Geelong line trains under a re-elected Victorian Coalition Government from April 2015. These extra trains will move more passengers, more often.”<br /><br />The Victorian state election is slated for November 29 this year.
