Targets missed in February 2011
Metro’s performance results for February have been released, confirming its performance targets were not achieved.
Metro needed to run 52,400 services during February to meet its 98 per cent service delivery target, but fell short by 88 cancelled services, running 52,312 services (or 97.8 per cent) for the month.
Metro ran 43,809 (or 85.2 per cent) of these on-time against a target of 88 per cent.
Metro CEO Andrew Lezala said the storms at the start of February caused significant damage to trains and infrastructure.
“It’s no secret the storms knocked the network around, and it took us some weeks to fully recover,” Mr Lezala said.
“The storms and the subsequent flash flooding caused major disruptions to the network, just as they caused disruptions to most of Melbourne and parts of Victoria that weekend.”
Mr Lezala said:
- More than 500 services were cancelled during the three days of the storms;
- Ten of Metro’s 16 train lines were suspended in various sections throughout the weekend;
- Seven trains were taken out of service due to water damage, and it took a fortnight to repair; and
- Tracks and subways across the network flooded, affecting track and signalling equipment for up to two weeks.
“I realise that both during and after the storms our passengers were greatly affected, and I apologise for that,” he said.
“But I also want to thank all of our staff, including the customer service, operational and maintenance staff who did a great job in getting the network to recover as quickly and as safely as possible.
“We were in a situation where a lot of our electrical and mechanical equipment was under water. So it wasn’t just our trains and our stations that were damaged, but also points machines, track circuits and signalling equipment.
“With the safety processes and failsafe systems we have in place, there was never any danger to the travelling public, and we stopped trains from running when required.
“But in the weeks after the storms we were still seeing equipment faults due to water damage. We know our trains and infrastructure were less reliable throughout the month because of the downpour.”
Mr Lezala said February’s disappointing result comes after six months of consistent performance for Metro, including exceeding targets in September, December and January.
“Although February’s punctuality result is nearly two percentage points better than the same time last year, we know it’s not good enough and we’ll continue working towards the long-term improvement of the network.”
Metro will pay compensation for falling below its performance targets in February. Customers with a monthly, six-monthly or yearly Metcard, and customers with an eligible myki pass may apply for compensation by filling out a claim form available at premium stations or download an application form from here.
