Call to explain Clunes' omission from rail plan

By Kim Stephens
Updated November 2 2012 - 12:39pm, first published October 7 2009 - 12:27pm
MEETING: Clunes resident Richard Gilbert addresses last night's meeting concerning passenger rail services.
MEETING: Clunes resident Richard Gilbert addresses last night's meeting concerning passenger rail services.

IT was just 5C outside and not much more inside the Clunes Town Hall last night, but residents were not deterred from venturing out to show their support for the re-opening of the town's railway station.Nearly 100 people from a population of about 1000 attended the public meeting, in which they heard the recently announced re-opening of the railway line between Ballarat and Maryborough had omitted Clunes as a stop, despite a platform existing in the town.WHAT DO YOU THINK: Have your say by posting a comment belowClunes resident Richard Gilbert said despite writing countless letters in two months, he has not received any explanation about the omission from the State Government or Ripon MLA Joe Helper."There has been no consultation and no consideration," he said."The people of Creswick have been told they are getting a stop and we have been told we are not."The figures must stack up that the train will stop here."We have a platform, unlike Creswick, where they have to build a new one."Mr Helper did not attend last night's meeting, sending his apologies to organisers.Mr Gilbert, who led the meeting with fellow resident John Sayers, said the decision not to have a passenger train service return to Clunes perplexed them.The pair both said they believed as many as 20 extra passengers could use the service each day should it stop there."I can't see why they would not have it," Mr Gilbert said."The government has reopened Beaufort station, which has the same population as Clunes and had a platform upgrade that is the mirror image of the one needed here," he said."Elmore's station has reopened, they have a population of 1000 and so has Rochester's, which has about 1800 people."The minister (for Transport, Lynne Kosky) also announced last month they are looking at reopening Harcourt, which has a population of 440, according to the 2006 census. We just want an explanation."

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