General News
30 January, 2026
Kealy pushes for Overland upgrades
THE Member for Lowan, Emma Kealy, has urged the Allan Government to fund long-overdue upgrades to the Overland train service, with the growing service still operating without basic amenities at key regional stops. Ms Kealy said passenger numbers had continued to steadily rise, and tourism operators and locals were increasingly relying on the Overland, yet the government has failed to keep facilities in step with demand. In particular, Ms Kealy is concerned there are no operating toilet facilities at operating railway stations like Stawell and Horsham.
“Any stop where there is a toilet, it should be available for the public to use. It’s outrageous that we’re hearing stories of pregnant women having to have a bush wee because the toilets aren’t open and available for public use.”
A tourism operator recently told Ms Kealy about an 80-year-old train tour guest who, during a day trip, had no access to toilets at the Horsham station and was forced to relieve themselves behind bushes.
The operator said the experience was deeply distressing for the visitor and embarrassing for the region.
Ms Kealy said the incident made clear that Labor had not delivered the most basic requirements for a service that was designed to support local communities and the tourism industry.
“This is typical of Labor’s bare-minimum approach when it comes to rural and regional services. The Overland is being used more than ever, but its facilities are going backwards,” she said.
“When an elderly traveller is forced into a humiliating situation because Labor has failed to provide a toilet at a major regional station, something is seriously wrong.
“If this had happened in Melbourne there would be outrage, but in our community Labor seems to see no issue in allowing a service to grow without providing the basic infrastructure passengers deserve.”
“Next year is the final year of the current Overland Train Funding Agreement. This should be the moment the Allan Labor Government steps up to fix what passengers have been putting up with for years. A growing service needs proper facilities, not excuses.”
Ms Kealy has urged the government to take steps to reopen toilet facilities at stations like Stawell.
“The bottom line is when you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go. When we have the facilities at stations it makes no sense for them to be locked up,” she said.
Read More: Stawell