The On Track five week survey was launched last October and attracted more than 17,800 respondents.
The results revealed regional commuters were also concerned about car park safety, trains not running on time, poor connecting bus services, a lack of staff and toilet facilities and inadequate station shelter.
The On Track survey results aim to highlight the improvements needed on the rail network and to pin point the issues that are of most concern to train travellers.
The train station to receive the best score in the On Track survey was Wyndham Vale on the Geelong train line, with an average score of 8.95 out 10. This is a new station that opened in June 2015 as part of the State Government’s Regional Rail Link Project.
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TOP 5 VLINE STATIONS |
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| STATION | TRAIN LINE | RATING |
| Wyndham Vale | Geelong | 8.95 |
| Drouin | Traralgon | 8.88 |
| Waurn Ponds | Geelong | 8.43 |
| Kangaroo Flat | Bendigo | 8.38 |
| Echuca | Bendigo | 8.19 |
The regional station that rated the lowest was at Shepparton with a score of 5.98.
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BOTTOM 5 VLINE STATIONS |
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| STATION | TRAIN LINE | RATING | TOP ISSUES |
| Shepparton | Shepparton | 5.98 |
-Car park is not safe/secure -Don’t feel safe at certain times of the day -Poor connecting bus services to and from the station |
| Trafalgar | Traralgon | 6.46 |
-Insufficient/lack of toilet facilities -Inadequate shelter -Not enough seats |
| Warrnambool | Geelong | 6.65 |
- Difficulty finding a car park at the station -Not enough seats /shelter -Insufficient/lack of toilet facilities |
| Wangaratta | Seymour | 6.83 |
- Poor connecting bus services to and from the station -Not enough staff to assist -Don’t feel safe at certain times of the day -Not enough seats/Difficult to use or purchase tickets/Poor lighting |
| Geelong | Geelong | 6.90 |
-Difficulty finding a car park at the station -Car park is not safe/secure -Don’t feel safe at certain times of the day -Not enough seats |
Ms Gunatillake said four of the lowest five ranking train services across Victoria were from V/Line stations that service the north east.
“The improvements in the west with Regional Rail Link have put some V/Line stations and services at the top of the rankings but at the same time, other parts of the state have not seen the same level of investment in the rail system overall, which is why these stations made it into the top five worst list.
“When it came to train services, the Kangaroo Flat station on the Bendigo line rated the highest scoring 8.66 – the lowest rating station for service was the Wodonga station on the Seymour line with the top complaints being late, infrequent services and dirty carriages.”
Ms Gunatillake said the provision of adequate car parking at train stations is an urgent issue and additional parking and better bus services are clearly needed.
“Many regional commuters struggle to find a spot and better alternatives for getting to the station must be provided, including better bus connections.” Ms Gunatillake said.
Ms Gunatillake said the issue of safety was a common theme across the survey results, highlighting the need for a closer look at some stations on the regional rail network. She said perceptions of safety can be influenced by a whole range of factors including lighting, station layout and the design of pedestrian paths and car parks.
“We know that almost three quarters of our 2.1 million members state wide use public transport and want to see rail services improved.
“RACV is again proposing that urgent investment in regional public transport is needed to address the key issues identified by commuters, to improve rail way stations and train services.”
Greater Shepparton City Council Mayor Dinny Adem says the survey results from the RACV only confirm what Greater Shepparton rail users have known for decades.
“The Shepparton station is a reflection of the neglect and disregard that successive Governments have maintained for rail services to Greater Shepparton,” said Cr Adem.
“We will continue to lobby the State Government in the hope they may realise the real potential of the Greater Shepparton region as Victoria's premier economic, and cultural powerhouse regional city,” he said.
For the full survey results go to: racv.com.au/ontracksurvey
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BOTTOM 5 VLINE SERVICES FROM STATIONS |
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STATION |
TRAIN LINE |
RATING |
TOP ISSUES |
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Wodonga |
NE Line (Albury) |
3.68 |
· trains not being on time, · services too infrequent · dirty carriages. |
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Wangaratta |
Seymour |
4.30 |
· Not enough seating · Services too infrequent · Poor air condition, ventilation / too crowded |
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Shepparton |
Shepparton |
4.80 |
· services infrequent · too slow · dirty carriages |
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Albury |
NE Line (Albury) |
5.24 |
· trains not on time · too slow · too infrequent |
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Benalla |
Seymour |
5.81 |
· services too infrequent · trains not on time · too slow |
