By KATHRYN BERMINGHAM
FEWER than 90 per cent of Pakenham line trains ran on time last year, making the line one of the worst three in Melbourne for punctuality.
Metro data reveals that 89.3 per cent of Pakenham trains departing on schedule in 2015, higher only than the Cranbourne line and on par with Frankston.
But the figure is an improvement on the 2014 average of 88.3 per cent, which staked Pakenham as the worst Metro line for punctuality that year.
Overall, the Metro network recorded a 0.3 per cent punctuality decrease in 2015 with the average rate across all lines sitting at 92.5 per cent.
The statistics come as the State Government considers drastic action to improve the line, including the possibility of converting parts of the track into an elevated ‘sky rail’.
The Labor government has committed to removing 12 level crossings on the Cranbourne-Pakenham line, however construction has not yet begun on any of them.
Metro performance thresholds require that at least 88 per cent of its services be punctual – defined by the proportion of services which arrive no later than five minutes after their scheduled time.
