The Andrews Labor Government will add 10 more train services in the peak, every week on the Werribee line from 27 August.

Member for Altona Jill Hennessy, Member for Werribee Tim Pallas and Member for Williamstown Wade Noonan today announced the timetable for the new morning and evening peak services, which will reduce waiting and crowding at the busiest times.

A new morning service will leave Werribee at 8.15am and an extra evening service will leave Flinders Street at 5.18pm – getting more people home quicker at the end of the day.

On top of this, 37 daily services that currently stop at Newport will be extended to stop at all stations between Laverton and Flinders Street, making it quicker and easier to get to and from the city.

Nineteen trains to Altona that currently originate at Newport will run from Flinders Street, while 18 services from Werribee will be extended to the city, stopping all stations between Laverton and Flinders Street.

These are the last of the remaining shuttle services introduced by the former Liberal Government, which force passengers to transfer at Newport to get to the city, and to get back home at the end of the day.

Detailed planning is also underway to duplicate around 800 metres of track on the Altona Loop, as part of removing the dangerous level crossing at Kororoit Creek Road in Williamstown North. This will improve reliability and reduce the likelihood of trains bypassing the loop due to network disruptions.

The new timetable released today adds 30 weekly peak time services across the Werribee, Craigieburn and Sunbury lines from August – creating space for around 27,000 extra trips each week.

The Labor Government has invested nearly $4 billion in new trains since it came to office, including 19 new X’Trapolis trains and 65 new High-Capacity Metro Trains.

The Labor Government is also getting on with building the Metro Tunnel, removing dangerous and congested level crossings and installing new high-tech signalling to run more trains, more often.

The timings of buses that connect with trains will be adjusted to reflect the train new timetable. The new timetables are available at ptv.vic.gov.au.

Quotes attributable to Jill Hennessy, Member for Altona District

“We promised to give Altona Loop passengers back the direct city services the Liberals took away – and that’s what we will do next month, as well as adding extra services.”

Quotes attributable to Tim Pallas, Member for Werribee District

“We’re adding new services while we get on with building the Metro Tunnel and removing dangerous level crossings so people in Werribee and across Victoria can get home safer and sooner.”

Quotes attributable to Wade Noonan, Member for Williamstown District

“These extra services will create room for more passengers in the morning and evening peak, getting more people where they need to go.”