Melbourne’s MX newspaper has reported on the announcement of 39 additional train services that will be introduced from October this year.

Public Transport Users Association president Alex Makin gave the news a cautious welcome.

“It’s an encouraging sign but we would rather see it sooner rather than later,” Makin said. “It is good that the Transport Minister has taken steps to finally rectify the chronic overcrowding.”

The introduction of these services will assist in alleviating overcrowding and improving the frequency of Melbourne’s rail network, but further improvements are required, including the introduction of shoulder-peak express services to further cater to the needs of public transport users.