On Friday, Roy Reekie backed calls for more daily train services on the line, although the position has not been officially endorsed by the party. This is despite a commitment from the Coalition to introduce a new service that would run to Melbourne six days a week, from Sunday to Friday. It would mean four rail services would run Monday to Friday and three services would run on Sundays.

The Coalition’s announcement was met with general approval across the region and came against a backdrop of an increasingly vocal campaign by local mayors and the Great South Coast Group on the issue.

Mr Reekie did not back the Coalition as such, instead describing the pledge as a patch-up job. He thinks it is high time a long-term plan for the upgrade of infrastructure and rolling stock was put into place.

He is correct but it will be a long time before that happens, the Warrnambool line not being a priority for politicians on either side of the house because of the city’s distance from Melbourne and the level of patronage that exists on the line now.

The best we can hope for is an extra service, like the Coalition has promised.

It has to get elected first though and according to the opinion polls and the bookies that won’t happen when the vote is counted on Saturday.

If Labor wins, then passengers on the Warrnambool-Melbourne line will find themselves back at square one having to contend with the existing services.

The timing of the Coalition’s promised extra services makes a lot of sense, running later in the morning than the ridiculously early service that exists now.

In the absence of a grander announcement on a multi-million-dollar upgrade, the Labor party should at least match the Coalition’s commitment for an extra service. 

It would make Mr Reekie’s life easier as he campaigns in the final week and it would certainly be well received by rail passengers. If the Coalition can do it, then Labor can too. We’re waiting.