Rapid testing urged to keep trains on track

Introduction of rapid testing for COVID-19 for public transport users and staff has been described by Victorian Nationals as “a matter of urgency”.

The call by The Nationals Shadow Minister for transport and deputy leader Steph Ryan said travellers endured record unreliability of train services last month as a result of the government failing to introduce safeguards such as rapid testing.

Had that been provided regional travellers would not have been stranded after a V/Line train driver tested positive last month.

“It could have stopped the virus in its tracks and kept Victoria’s trains on track,” Ms Ryan said.

She stated that services between Traralgon and Melbourne recorded their worst reliability figures since February 2016 with 165 services cancelled.

Train cancellations on the much less frequent long-distance Melbourne-Bairnsdale route totalled 83 services, or 50 per cent.

Ms Ryan said it was inevitable that there would be more cases of community transmission of the virus on public transport but rapid testing would give an extra layer of protection to enable commuters to get where they want.

Punctuality of trains that did run in Gippsland last month also lagged well behind the 92 per cent target.

The target for Traralgon-Melbourne trains of arriving at end destinations within six minutes of schedule was achieved by only 80.5 per cent of the services.