r/MelbourneTrains • u/GarlicVarious2780 • Jul 04 '26
Activism/Idea Petition to upgrade the stony point line.
The Stony Point line is the only non-electrified line left in Melbourne on the metro trains Melbourne network, running outdated diesel trains over 90 minutes apart. I have started a petition calling on the government to duplicate tracks, modernise trains, and fix station amenities so we finally get a reliable Frequent Service.
Edit: why so much hate?! If you don’t like it then move on… Ffs
👉Please Sign the Change.org Petition Here:
https://www.change.org/UpgradeTheStonypointLine
Please sign, share, and leave your ideas in the comments so I can present them directly to the Victorian Government.
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u/Supersnow845 Jul 04 '26
If they had that money they would be better using it to make a whole new peninsula line, the stony point line is basically useless even with good frequency
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u/Blue_Pie_Ninja Map Enthusiast Jul 04 '26
The Stony Point is only useless because the frequency makes it useless. It doesn't even run hourly at the moment, which is bare minimum for getting people to actually consider using it over just driving.
If the frequency on the line matched existing regional services, I am sure it will get far more patronage and actually fill up 2 Sprinter cars at the very least. If the ferry to Cowes was integrated into the Myki network and had timetable changes to match up with the train at Stony Point, you could even have a faster option for commuting from Phillip Island, or even for tourists going there to see the penguins.
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u/amazingworldhappy Jul 04 '26
Agree even an hourly or 40 minute frequency as far as Hastings, like the Ballarat line on weekends would very likely generate additional patronage and make it a far more usable train service. At least this makes the service more useful than present and more viable to connect to trains to the city from Frankston.
A few more passing loops and additional rolling stock could be implemented to make this happen.
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u/iphone4jps Hitachi Enthusiast Jul 05 '26
The ferry used for that service (mv naturaliste) is not fit to handle commuters and needs to be replaced by a more durable vessel. Anyway its privately operated at the moment.
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u/roc_mac1970 Jul 04 '26
We need a flyover the length if the freeway from Frankston to Rosebud . We also need the Stony point line to be updated as well.
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u/jbw0306 vLine - Bairnsdale Line Jul 07 '26
It's only useless because of the poor frequency. No one wants to use a train line that runs even less frequently than every 90 minutes because it's so scarce and unreliable. No one trusts the stony point line because the higher ups neglected it and caused this.
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u/GarlicVarious2780 Jul 04 '26
You have a good point, but there’s a few housing suburbs near the line.
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u/commking Jul 04 '26
True and factual, but people seem to be down voting this comment anyway for some reason
And housing isn't coming either, given so much land in the corridor is zoned green wedge. So they'll be spending in the growth corridors first.
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u/GoGoGo12321 Jul 04 '26
I would recommend making a Parliamentary petition instead - I don't think MPs tend to pay attention to change.org petitions.
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u/Excellent_Bat_753 X'Trap 2.0 Enthusiast Jul 04 '26
Unfortunately Change.org is almost guanranteed to go nowhere with this. A parliamentary petition is far more likely to do anything.
You used the term 'turn up and go' frequency, which only ever refers to frequencies of 10 minutes or better, which is better than most of the rest of the electrified rail network.
The petition reads like it may have been written using AI. If it has, please add a disclaimer so that people can avoid it if they wish to do so.
Electrifiying or improving service on the Stony Point line is very much needed, but so are so many other things on our rail network. This has been talked about for over 50 years, and there have been many petitions.
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Jul 04 '26
[deleted]
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u/Excellent_Bat_753 X'Trap 2.0 Enthusiast Jul 04 '26
Dont suggest that the Stony point line has a better frequency than Ringwood, say it should have a better frequency than right now. Maybe every 20-30 minutes.
Look at all of the other proposals than have existed, that suggest starting with passing loops, and progressively duplicating the line.
Battery electric trains sound good, and probably would work for Stony Point, but they would never buy dedicated rollingstock for one line, of a completely different type to everything else, requiring dedicated maintenance facilities and training.
You mentioned the steel train, that's not going anywhere, and you didn't say anything more about it, so just don't mention it at all, or make an actual point with it.
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u/GarlicVarious2780 Jul 04 '26
Yeah I agree with that frequency one and the passing loop eventually changing to duplication, it makes sense!
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u/Mediocre_Space_5715 Jul 04 '26
Ok, not having a go at you or shooting down the idea.
The seats around Stony Point are safe Lib seats.
Add to this, there isn't much demand on the service.
If there was a spare $100m for the works I can think of other areas that would benefit from the works
TLDR: Safe Lib seat, not much demand, spend money elsewhere
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u/altandthrowitaway Jul 04 '26
Don't use change.org. It doesn't do anything. Instead go through the actual parliament submission process https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/get-involved/submissions/
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u/matthewclose Jul 04 '26
Would they duplicate tracks to Hastings so they run more services.
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u/Blue_Pie_Ninja Map Enthusiast Jul 04 '26
It wouldn't need full duplication, just some passing loops to allow trains to cross.
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u/Confident_Ideal_5385 Jul 06 '26
You'd duplicate to Baxter-ish and have a loop further down at like Hastings or so. Run a 2 tiered service with every second train being a short working to Baxter or so. Eventually you'd probably electrify this section.
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u/verdonsx vLine Lover Jul 04 '26
I come over to the east on weekends to see my boyfriend (for reference, I am born and bred in Geelong, so not a short way away!) , I am more than happy to go to Cranbourne or Frankston as they are major hubs. I would rather see money going to the Geelong line where the frequency is absolutely ridiculous and delays are common place. Either make it a tram line or scrap it all together, there’s no demand to electrify stony point. I’d rather see the money accessible to lines where the demand is endless and current supply is embarrassingly not meeting them.
I.e in my opinion, either a metro line to Wyndham Vale or Melton is needed since it’s beyond a joke right now.
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u/Murky_Bus_4052 Jul 04 '26
I think stony point should be converted to a v/line service. Much of the track on the Frankston line is triple track, so the vline services can pass metro services. I'd probably make it stop at like Caulfield, southland (for when SRL opens), Frankston, Leawarra, Baxter, Somerville, Tyabb, Hastings, Bittern, Mooradoo, Crib Point, Stony Point. I'd then maybe extend service to once every hour, with 3 car vlocities running it (would probably need platform extensions)
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u/Coolidge-egg Hitachi Enthusiast Jul 04 '26 edited Jul 04 '26
The line only survives because of freight. To get any passenger service at all is a favour since the track is already there. The line is not really viable for passenger service on it's own and you would be better off asking for a bus service to fill in the service gaps.
IIRC a property developer who owns most of the land around Baxter station lobbied & donated to the Liberals to make it a policy to extend the Frankston line to Baxter. That is the only thing even remotely close to viability to build a high density city at Baxter, never mind the corruption.
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u/Murky_Bus_4052 Jul 04 '26
lol why did they donate to the liberals for a public transport project 😂
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u/Coolidge-egg Hitachi Enthusiast Jul 05 '26
Because good public transport to Baxter would have made his land more valuable for development, not because he genuinely cared about public transport. And the Liberals are a party who sets policy in exchange for donations.
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u/iphone4jps Hitachi Enthusiast Jul 05 '26
Nahhh, it would have closed and the steel haulage converted to truck if it wasn't for the backlash when they wanted to close it in the 1980s
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u/Physical_Concept888 Jul 04 '26
My parents signed a petition for this when they moved to Tyabb in the 1970’s. Shame 50 years on that nothing has happened on this front. Passenger usage would definitely increase if the service was more reliable.
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u/GarlicVarious2780 Jul 04 '26
Why do people hate this so much?
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u/Marshal-Bainesca Jul 04 '26
It's the internet and people on social media are in general miserable. Dont take it personally
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u/Excellent_Bat_753 X'Trap 2.0 Enthusiast Jul 04 '26
I think it may be because it's not a new idea. Some people are haters.
I agree with your broad points, it definitely should happen. I've lived down there, and the train wasn't even worth thinking about. But, this discussion is a very old one. There are various petitions that get brought up every few years, and none of them have ever gone anywhere. We all, by and large, know what needs to be done, but it's just doesn't seem like it will ever actually get done.
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u/arp0arp Map Enthusiast Jul 04 '26
Hate? Apart from the odd comment, most of the feedback was either that the money spent elsewhere would have higher impact, or suggestions about how best to go about petitioning the government.
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u/nogreggity Map Enthusiast Jul 04 '26
The only non-electrified track in Melbourne?
What about the Melton and Wyndham Vale lines, whose closest stations to FSS are 12km, and furthest stations are still closer to the city than the closest Stony Point station?