AS COMMUTER concern about violence and crime on the Sydenham train line rises, the Brimbank community has welcomed a State Opposition promise to put security officers on every station at night.

At the Sunshine railway station on 9 November, Opposition leader Ted Bailieu said all metropolitan stations would be patrolled, from 6pm at night until the last service every evening, if the Opposition is voted in at the next Victorian election.

Under the proposal, more than 900 Victoria Police Protective Services Officers (PSOs) would be placed at stations across the Melbourne area.

Mr Bailieu said the officers would go through Police Academy training and be under the control of the force’s Chief Commissioner.

He said the Coalition would fund the project with $200 million from the State Budget over four years.

President of the Sunshine Resident Ratepayers Association Darlene Reilly praised the idea.

“We’ve had bashings on the train, bashings leaving the train station and if we had a uniformed presence, people would have someone that ... they could run to,” she said.

Ms Reilly said her teenage children often had to travel on the train.

“They see stuff like robberies and bashings, they tell me they see it all the time,” she said.

When Star visited St Albans station during morning peak hour on 11 November, most commuters said putting PSOs on platforms was a good idea.

“I haven’t seen guards for years. It’s not a safe area, druggies sleep under the train station at night after 9pm,” said St Albans resident Maragida Damina.

Students James Makur and Peter Shul said they had seen people drinking, sniffing paint and kicking train carriages on weekends and at night.

Connex spokeswoman Laine Harris said the train operator had 350 authorised officers who patrolled trains and stations day and night.

Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky said the State Opposition plan was light on detail.

“We have already committed to 50 new transit police positions and an additional 22 new stations will be staffed under the new franchise agreement,” she said.