COMPOUNDING the issue of the closure of the regional V/Line office in January this year and a lack of an alternative space provided in Hamilton since is the lack of access to the toilet facilities at the Hamilton Railway Station.

Hamilton woman, Loretta Marks, initially contacted The Spectator after the office closure in January concerned that passengers who do not use online booking facilities, or only use cash, would be inconvenienced following the office’s closure, especially the elderly.

A V/Line spokesperson told The Spectator in January that the closure was only temporary and that an alternative ticketing office venue for Hamilton was being explored.

However, when using the service departing from the Hamilton Railway Station again last week, Ms Marks said she was disappointed to realise that passengers were still unable to access the building, including the toilet facilities.

“There were a number of people at the station today who commented about still not being able to get tickets online,” she said.

“But also, there is no access to the toilet facilities.

“It should be open.”

Mrs Marks said it wasn’t just the fact that passengers were unable to buy tickets in person, or use the toilet facilities, but there was nowhere for people to wait, especially for the elderly or disabled in the middle of winter when it’s freezing or raining.

“There were elderly passengers from Coleraine - who regularly use the V/Line service and they are worried about not having access to the toilet facilities or where they can wait in winter,” she said.

“There are toilets on the coaches but nobody really wants to use those.”

Lowan MP, Emma Kealy, criticised the Victorian Government after a spate of the closures of V/Line ticketing offices across the district, including Mortlake and Dunkeld.

In February Ms Kealy asked the Public Transport minister, Ben Carroll, why the Victorian Government closed the office in Hamilton and what its plans were regarding an alternative.

“What businesses have been approached to provide an opportunity to become a V/Line ticketing agent?” she asked.

Ms Marks’ complaint comes on the back of recent significant additions to travel times on some V/Line routes due to ongoing disruptions and delays and V/Line’s failure to meet key reliability and punctuality targets in March.

Ms Kealy said this week that she still had not received any advice from the minister as to an alternative venue for a Hamilton V/Line ticketing office.

“It’s disgraceful that not only was the community not asked about the closure of the V/Line ticketing office before it was closed by stealth, now the minister won’t even attempt to explain to the community why Labor made the decision to close this important service, or if they have given any local businesses the opportunity to become a ticketing agent to ensure the continued service,” she said.