Staff for station

By Casey Neill
FERNTREE Gully Railway Station will soon be staffed from first train to last each day, after a long awaited upgrade was announced last week.
Monbulk MP James Merlino announced the promotion to premium status last Tuesday (11 November) following years of community pressure.
The new status will see the station staffed throughout the day and evening seven days a week.
The overhaul will include improved CCTV cameras, lighting, upgraded toilet facilitates and an enclosed waiting room. The multi-million dollar upgrade is part of a State Government plan to boost public transport safety.
“Having staff on hand at the station from first to last train isn’t just important for ticket sales and information, it will also provide a significant boost to passenger safety,” Mr Merlino said.
The fight for safety improvements at the station dates back almost eight years.
A 2004 Knox youth forum identified the station as unsafe for young people because it lacked lighting and staff. Knox Council nominated the station upgrade as a top priority in its transport advocacy program in 2003.
Knox councillor Karin Orpen said the announcement ended years of campaigning and would improve station safety.
“It’s one of the Belgrave line’s most utilised stations and it’s great we’ll finally have the facilities to reflect that,” Cr Orpen said.
Ferntree Gully MP Nick Wakeling said the State Government had dragged its feet on requests for the improvements. Mr Wakeling last month told Parliament some residents refused to use the station because they feared crime at the unmanned post.
“I had been swamped by responses from constituents urging me to continue to fight for this upgrade,” he said.
“This is a victory for commuters in Ferntree Gully.”
The upgrade will begin early next year and will be completed by December.