Public Transport Victoria (PTV) has published its performance results for November 2017. The results are overall positive, with 93 per cent of metro services delivered on-time. Likewise, Yarra trams ran on time 79 per cent of the time and V/Line delivered 86 per cent of services on time. For Metro, this one of the best results of 2017 – especially as November had experience a number days of above average temperatures.
PTV acting CEO, Dean Tillotson, says: “Metro needs to maintain this level to meet the tougher expectations set out in their new contract which came into effect on 30 November,” adding that they “will be helped by the $80 million increase in annual maintenance investment in the metropolitan train network under their new contract to further improve reliability.”
“V/Line passengers can also expect to see benefits from the new Metro contract,” continues Tillotson, “through better management of shared tracks aimed at giving regional trains a more reliable pathway when travelling through the metropolitan network.” The new Metro contract came into effect at the end of November.”
However, Yarra trams service slipped on Melbourne’s tram network due to unexpected city protests. This meant that, for the first time in 3 years, Yarra trams did not hit their 98 per cent target. PTV intend to remedy this by increasing maintenance funding.
“Maintenance spending on our tram network will increase more than 57 per cent to $81.5 million annually under the new contract with Yarra Trams, improving longer term reliability,” said Tillotson. “At the same time we’re continuing to upgrade our fleet with 80 new E-class trams expected to be in service by mid-2019, providing space for more than 17,000 extra passengers,” adds Tillotson.
