Following a spate of complaints, Nationals’ Member for Gippsland East, Tim Bull, has called on the Allan State Government to provide the trains and buses to match its extended free public transport offer.

Mr Bull said his office had received a large number of complaints from locals who were attempting to use both train and local bus services.

“The government announced free public transport travel as a response to rising fuel costs and while that has limited benefit for rural people, it has done nothing to cater for increased patronage and caused massive overcrowding on some services.

“Even before this announcement, we had a three-carriage train turn up at Bairnsdale and around 100 people being forced to stand all the way to Melbourne.

“I have raised with the Minister the need for every Bairnsdale train to have six carriages, especially in this free travel period (noting the carriages come in sets of three). If they’re not available, they should be putting on more buses to link up with the trains leaving Traralgon.

“It is all well and good to make these announcements, but it has to be backed up with providing the rolling stock. Crowded public transport in the city may be fine for a short hop, but it is certainly not acceptable for a four-hour journey. It’s not safe to be standing on the train for four hours.

“There was even one occasion when the conductor asked passengers to consider leaving the train at Traralgon and catching a later service to Melbourne, such was the over-crowding.”

Mr Bull said buses have also been a problem.

“We have seen students who were prevented from accessing TAFE as the coach service into Bairnsdale from Lakes Entrance was overcrowded and beyond capacity.”

Caption: The Nationals’ State MP for Gippsland East, Tim Bull, is calling on the Allan Labor Government to address overcrowding on Bairnsdale V/Line services.

Monday, 20 April 2026