Services delayed for hours, services cancelled and replaced by buses and constant overcrowding have resulted in a constant migraine for commuters.

For those living in Ballarat but commuting to Melbourne for employment, university or appointments, it has meant regular explaining late arrivals.

Yes, the state government has committed a whopping $500 million in this year’s budget for a major upgrade of services on the Ballarat-Melbourne line, but is that money being geared into the right directions?

Yes, the upgrades will result in extra passing opportunities on the line, track duplications at Warrenheip and between Deer Park and Melbourne, as well as passing loops.

But now the Committee for Ballarat is voicing its concern that it’s not enough. The committee wants a full duplication of the line between Ballarat and Melbourne, increased capacity and more frequent services.

They also believe a 59-minute service is more than achievable.

In an opinion piece in The Courier today, Committee for Ballarat chair Janet Dore believes recent investments on the line, including the completion of the of the Regional Rail Link in 2014, have really done nothing to improve the travel experience for commuters.

Ms Dore said travel times were slower, trains still ran late and were still overcrowded due to too few peak time services. She said while the $500 million investment would see a time decrease on some non-peak services, a fall in fault delays and overcrowding reduce in the short-term, only full line duplication would result in meaningful improvement.

“… Committee for Ballarat won’t stop advocating until we get 59 minutes maximum travel time for express services, more frequent and reliable services, and additional capacity that meets the rapidly increasing number of passengers using the service,” Ms Dore wrote.

Regular Ballarat commuters must be applauding the stance taken by the Committee for Ballarat. Those who are regularly late for work or appointments, those who have to sit on the floor of trains during the commute, must get behind the Committee for Ballarat if they want services to improve.