Labor’s secret timetable change leaves Seymour students stranded before the school gates open

28 August 2026

Labor’s secret timetable changeleaves Seymour students stranded before the school gates open

The Nationals Member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland MP is calling on Labor toreview a V/Line timetable change after affected families contacted her officeto raise concerns about the impact on students and commuters, with the changemade without any community consultation.

Students travelling from HeathcoteJunction and Wandong to Seymour have now been forced to use a replacement busservice, following the timetable change that sees a key morning service nowarrive after the school day has started.

Under the previous timetable, themorning service arrived in Seymour at 8:36am, giving students enough time tomake their way to school and work before the school day began.

That service is now scheduled toarrive at 8:57am.

The alternative earlier servicearrives at approximately 7:46am, meaning school students can be left waitingoutside school well before the gates open.

“This is a basic question ofwhether the timetable works for the people who actually rely on it,” MsCleeland said.

“Students should be able to catcha train from Heathcote Junction or Wandong and arrive in Seymour in time forschool.

“Instead, families are now beingasked to choose between sending their children to school late or having themarrive more than an hour before the school day starts.

“No parent should have their childwaiting outside a locked school gate, and not every family can afford to drivetheir kids to school every day because of the cost of fuel.

“One parent, Gabriel, contacted meafter his daughter started at St Mary’s College Seymour. The availability ofthis V/Line service was an important part of the family’s decision to choosethe school.

“What makes this even harder toaccept is that regional families are already paying more for public transportthrough Labor’s secret Suburban Rail Loop tax, which is expected to raisearound $8 billion from passengers through to 2062; for a project regionalVictorians will never use.

Ms Cleeland said Victorians cannottrust a government that taxes them in secret.

“Ben Carroll and Labor havefundamentally broken the trust of the Victorian community,” she said.

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“I have asked Labor to review thistimetable change and work with V/Line and affected schools to find a solutionthat gets students to Seymour safely and on time.

“It’s time for a fresh start.”