The Craigieburn and Upfield train lines are among the worst for delayed and cancelled services in the Metro network, according to latest performance data.
Public Transport Victoria’s track record for December reveals that punctuality has fallen on the Craigieburn line, with 89.3 per cent of services on time, compared to 91.9 per cent in December, 2016.
Peak services are also regularly delayed, with 86.8 per cent of services on time.
On the Upfield line, peak services are struggling to reach their destinations on time, with close to 12 per cent delayed. Throughout December, Craigieburn and Upfield passengers faced an increased number of cancelled trains, with Metro struggling to deliver peak services in particular.
Metro spokesman Marcus Williams said that while performance on the two lines had fallen in the past year, punctuality had improved from November and December.
He said services were delayed or cancelled because of a number of factors.
“In December, we saw services across the network impacted by an increase in trespassers, extreme weather including flooding and a major police operation at Flinders Street station,” he said.
“We understand how important a reliable network is to our passengers and our dedicated teams are literally working around the clock to keep improving the service we deliver.
“We’re now delivering more than $1.3 million in maintenance every working day, an increase of more than 30 per cent. Coupled with major improvement projects across Melbourne, we’re building a more reliable network that will see performance continue to improve.”
Public Transport Victoria chief executive Jeroen Weimar said there was a need for higher service standards.
“We’ve raised the bar in the new contracts with our train and tram operators to deliver better travel experience for our passengers,” he said. “After the first full month of the new contracts, both operators still need to lift their game.”
