Risk on rails, but is it real?

By Melissa Meehan
THE State Government has hit back at Opposition claims the Pakenham railway line is at risk of catastrophic collisions and derailments.
Opposition Public Transport spokesman Terry Mulder said documents released under Freedom of Information have Melbourne’s metropolitan train operator Metro warning of risk of “catastrophic” derailment of trains or collisions with structures or other trains.
He said the document, which was prepared for Metro’s successful bid to obtain the contract to operate Melbourne’s rail system, singled out the Pakenham line as well as Belgrave, Frankston and Hurstbridge.
“John Brumby and his government have been warned of the risks and failed to act,” Mr Mulder said.
“It is a complete dereliction of responsibility.”
He said incidents may arisefrom broken rails due to the high number of rail defects on the Pakenhamline.
“People are riding these train lines everyday without any knowledge of the potentially catastrophic dangers they are facing,” he said.
A government spokesman saidthat the opposition was running a “blatant scare campaign” that was “undermining all of the hardworkingpeople who help maintain the rail network”.
“The safety of the rail network is overseen by the independent rail safety regulator Public Transport Safety Victoria,” he said.
“Works are continually carried out to upgrade all of Melbourne’s train lines including the Pakenham line.”
He said all tracks are regularly checked and there had been no major incidents of track buckling on the Pakenham line and upgrades would occur through Metro’s annual works program.