Metro's new timetable makes train drivers wait

METRO'S new train timetable has throttled traffic flow in Cheltenham, as train drivers wait at the station for minutes at a time to keep pace with the slower schedule, forcing the boom gates on the nearby main road to stay shut until after they move on.

Drivers say the enforced delay has created a public hazard, as they regularly watch pedestrians dart across the level crossing on busy Charman Road rather than wait for the boom gates to reopen.

''Pedestrians see a train that's not moving and they tend to nip across - it's a problem if there's another train coming the other way,'' said Rail Tram and Bus Union divisional secretary Marc Marotta.
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Metro is aware of the problem, but says that when trains run ahead of schedule on the Frankston line its drivers are told to wait at Cheltenham, which is a so-called premium station, so they can check the train's internal timer against the platform clock.

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Mr Marotta said among drivers it was ''a cardinal sin to leave early'', however, Frankston line passengers have told The Age they have in recent months observed trains leaving Cheltenham well ahead of time.

Under Metro's agreement with the state government, trains can leave a station up to 59 seconds ahead of schedule.

Metro's Daniel Hoare said the train operator had a policy ''to avoid holding trains to meet a timetable at stations where boom gates are operating, but sometimes, slightly longer delays are unavoidable''.