Seaford Rail Line

Mr WINGARD (Mitchell) (15:15): My question is to the Minister for Transport. Will the minister confirm that, despite spending more than half a billion dollars upgrading and extending the Seaford train line, fewer people caught the Seaford train in the past year than in 2009-10?

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee—Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Minister Assisting the Minister for Planning, Minister Assisting the Minister for Housing and Urban Development) (15:15): Can I thank the member for Mitchell for his question. I know that he's been keenly interested in the success of the Seaford train line since it commenced its operations with electric trains approximately a year ago.

Indeed, I had the pleasure to report publicly to the media yesterday the success of the newly electrified Seaford train line; in fact, I announced that there had been a significant increase in patronage on the electrified Seaford rail line compared to the last full year of operation which we had, from February 2012 to January 2013.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader is warned and the member for Mitchell I call to order.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: I'm pleased to report that, even excluding the Footy Express passengers, the Seaford rail line carried over four million visitors in the previous 12 months, an increase of 33 per cent, or 999,109 passengers.