Train station intended to ease growing pains already bursting at seams
A train station in Melbourne's booming outer west that opened less than a month ago is already bursting at the seams, with commuters having to start work earlier to secure a car park.
West Tarneit train station, on the busy Geelong V/Line service, opened last month with 400 car parking spaces.
When the ABC visited — during the school holidays when fewer people might be commuting to work — the car park was already full just after 8am.
Commuter Deshan Vyas says more car parks are needed at West Tarneit railway station, after managing to find one of the few remaining spaces. (ABC News: Margaret Paul)
Commuter Dershan Vyas works in the CBD, and got to the station about 40 minutes earlier than usual.
"Just for the parking, I came early, and there was a few spots left," he said.
He said the government needed to provide more car parks.
Calls for more parks, better buses
Commuter Abdul Majid agreed there needed to be more car parks, but also wants to see bus services improve.
"We need sufficient car parking there is no doubt, but this is a growing suburb, there will never be enough," he said.
Abdul Majid says both car and bus facilities need to be improved in outer western Melbourne. (ABC News: Margaret Paul)
Mr Majid said he had to walk more than a kilometre to get to the bus stop. When he gets there, he can wait up to 30 minutes for the bus to arrive.
"It has to be more frequent — that would get me to shift from my car to bus,"
he said.
He added the trains were often crowded, with commuters having to stand in the aisles for the journey to the CBD.
The ABC spoke to several people who had caught the bus to the station or walked. All agreed more car parking spaces were needed.
The car park at West Tarneit station fills up quickly on weekdays. (ABC News: Billy Draper)
Minister for Public Transport Vicki Ward said Labor had invested record amounts in Melbourne's west, "including the newly-opened West Tarneit station, longer trains for more passengers and 1,100 new bus services connecting these growing communities".
The new station has a four-bay bus interchange.
Last month, Labor said the existing 182 bus would run more often and travel via the new station, and that a new route 186 would run between Tarnet and West Tarneit stations.
Tarneit Labor MP Dylan Wight posted on social media that land had been set aside to the north of the station for more parking, but developers needed to build access roads.
Public Transport Users Association spokesman Daniel Bowen said car parking near train stations was an issue across Melbourne, particularly in growth zones.
But he said improving bus services was a better option than simply adding more car parking spaces.
"That turns out to be incredibly expensive — often $100,000 per space,"
he said.
"The government really needs to look at more efficient ways of getting people to train stations."
Other stations struggling with population growth
Tarneit station opened in 2015, and is the second busiest V/Line in metropolitan Melbourne, behind Southern Cross.
It has 1,500 car parking spaces, which locals say are regularly full before 7am.
Commuter Mnya Bhatia works in Deer Park, and catches the bus to West Tarneit station.
Tarneit commuter Mnya Bhatia was surprised to see how quickly the car park at the new station hit capacity. (ABC News: Margaret Paul)
She said she was "very grateful" the new station was operating, but when she visited just days after it opened, she noticed the car park was already full.
"I was like, 'Oh god, it's getting like Tarneit again'," she said.
"I don't like Tarneit station, it's very crowded, and being a person who feels suffocated very easily, I hate it."
According to Wyndham City Council, the area's population will pass 500,000 people by 2050.
The council is calling on both sides of politics to build new train stations at Truganina, Sayers Road and Black Forest Road, redevelop the Werribee railway station precinct and fund an electrification of the Regional Rail Link with a connection to the Werribee line.
"Transport remains one of Wyndham's most pressing challenges, with growing demand placing increasing pressure on rail services and road networks across the municipality," Wyndham Mayor Mia Shaw said.
Labor MP Dylan Wight says land has been set aside to the north of West Tarneit station for more parking. (Supplied: Victorian government)
The opposition's spokesperson on transport infrastructure, Evan Mulholland, said the opposition would consider building more car parks at West Tarneit.
He said the government had fallen behind on planning for growth areas, particularly in Melbourne's west and north.
"If you're going to plan a new train station, you want to have everything ready by the time it opens, not leaving people scrambling for car parks or having to drive into the city because they couldn't get one," he said.
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