The passengers

RURAL commuters have maintained their rage against plans to radically change train services.

Almost 60 people gathered at a meeting in Bunyip last week to voice strong opposition to a revamp of the VLine train schedule.

Residents in rural towns were shocked recently to discover a new peakhour flagship service introduced to improve train services would not be stopping to drop off passengers at local stations.

Commuters from Nar Nar Goon, Bunyip, Tynong, Longwarry and other areas say they will be severely disadvantaged by the change.

The meeting at the Bunyip town hall followed a similar gathering at Nar Nar Goon 10 days ago.

Nar Nar Goon resident Jenni Orton said residents felt they had been forgotten.

The feeling at the meeting was very strong, it has really upset a lot of people, she said.

Cardinia Shire councillor Bill Pearson convened the meeting. State MPs Ken Smith, Peter Hall and Matt Viney joined residents and Cardinia Shire officials at the town hall gathering.

Cr Pearson said commuters biggest concern was VLines plan to make the 4.59pm train from Flinders Street nonstop between Dandenong and Drouin.

Nar Nar Goon resident Denis Doherty said the changes to the timetable would mean commuters would have to leave for work earlier and would not get home until up to an hour later than normal.

Cr Pearson said the change was an insult to rural residents who lived in one of the fastest growing municipalities in the state.

Whats that going to do for all the people who have got to get to and from work? Its crazy, Cr Pearson said.

Mr Hall, the Nationals Member for Gippsland Province, said commuters were angry and frustrated.

A great many train users will be severely inconvenienced, some to the point where they have suggested to me that they will give up using public transport services, he said.

Mr Smith, the Liberal Member for Bass, said his office had been flooded by complaints.

People are saying the trains are too early, too late and causing a great deal of inconvenience and grief so home and family life are disadvantaged.

Mr Viney, the ALP Member for Chelsea Province, agreed to take the concerns raised by residents to State Government officials including Transport Minister Peter Batchelor.

Residents are also writing letters to VLine lobbying for the services to be changed.

Ms Orton said one solution could be to have a sprinter service connecting Pakenham or Nar Nar Goon to smaller stations.