21 April 2026
Free public transport extension leaves regional passengers standing
Statement attributable to Annabelle Cleeland MP, Member for Euroa:
“Regional passengers are already dealing with overcrowded trains, standing for hours on end on the Albury and Shepparton lines, and now the Allan Labor Government is promising more services without explaining how they’ll actually deliver them.
“If there are no new trains, no additional rolling stock, and no real investment behind this announcement, then where are these services coming from? The only logical conclusion is that capacity is being pulled from elsewhere, robbing Peter to pay Paul and leaving other regional lines worse off.
“What raises real concern is the timing. If this was a genuine increase in capacity, it would be delivered now, when cheaper fares are driving demand and people need the support. Instead, it’s been pushed out to December, right after the cheap fares end, which makes this announcement look more like a political promise than a real solution.
“People across our region have heard it all before. More services, faster trains, better reliability. Yet nothing changes for regional Victorians under the Allan Labor Government. We still have overcrowding, delays, and people left stranded on platforms.
“The response I’m hearing everywhere is, ‘I’ll believe it when I see it’, and after years of overpromising and underdelivering, no one trusts Labor anymore.
“Regional Victorians deserve safe, reliable public transport that meets demand, not hollow announcements. Because when it comes to regional rail, if it looks like a broken promise, experience tells us it usually is.”