FRUSTRATED Ballarat commuters are demanding Bendigo MP Jacinta Allan join them on a morning trip to experience first-hand how terrible their V/LINE service has become.
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After years of being promised a first class service as a result of the Regional Rail Link project, commuters have instead had another week of delayed, slow and overcrowded trains.
The Ballarat Courier spoke to a number of commuters who are demanding answers as to how a project which was so promising could have gone so wrong.
Travellers are now demanding Public Transport Minister and Member for Bendigo East Jacinta Allan join them on the morning trip to Melbourne.
Daily commuter Joseph Van Dyk is one of many who said he had been forced to stand on trains that arrived late on a daily basis.
"I would support any member of the government to hop on the service," he said.
"It would have been a pleasant surprise to see her (Ms Allan) on the 6.20am service.
"She would have paid $20 to sit on a train that was overcrowded and late."
Mr Van Dyk said passengers were disillusioned by the promises and upset by the problems that now existed.
Mr Van Dyk moved to Ballarat after living in London because he was sold on the idea of living in a regional city that was only a short trip away from Melbourne.
"I promote the city to others, I promote the lifestyle and the commute... at least up until this week," he said.
"We are all optimistic it will improve, but right now you cannot plan anything because no-one knows what will go on."
Nora Tchekmeyan commutes daily to a school in the Western suburbs of Melbourne where she works as a teacher.
"I would not have complained until last week's debacle, it just sent me into a tailspin and I am getting to work grumpy," she said.
"You talk to someone different each time (about the problems), and everyone passes the buck, everyone says it is someone else's issue."
Joseph Voros is another commuter who has seen the service deteriorate before his eyes.
He has been commuting for six and a half years.
"It has always been pretty good, the evening transport was comfortable and it was actually possible to work on the train," he said.
"Now it is late every night and in the morning it is an earlier start. Geelong gets a train every 20 minutes and we are 20 minutes late on every train."
Ms Allan did not comment as to when she would be able to take the train with frustrated Ballarat commuters but hoped to extra two extra carriages would alleviate some of the problem.
"I know that the Ballarat community care deeply about their train services and I am disappointed that the new timetable is not meeting their expectations," Ms Allan said.