It has been put to me several times from several people V/Line are not doing the right thing when it comes to maintenance. Drivers, customer service and others in the V/Line ranks are reporting V/Line Management have stopped maintenance programs for rolling stock on key regional rail lines.
Each and every day feels like Groundhog Day for the poor suffering commuter on what everyone who uses it believes is a substandard rail network. The N class rail coaches, the workhorse of the longer distance rail network and the most comfortable rolling stock option, are not being maintained for use on the V/Line Network.
Since the withdrawal of the longer distance passenger services on the Bairnsdale Railway Line there has been much complaining and commuters are upset. Replaced with poorly designed and uncomfortable VLocity trains not suitable for the journey unrest is rising over the V/Line CEO’s captain’s calls on rolling stock.
Only in the last 24 hours we have seen yet another cancellation of services this time to Warrnambool because of rolling stock faults. This service is usually a longer distance train service with cafe onboard and first class seating, it was reduced to a short distance 25 year old Vlocity service but only as far as Geelong.
Such is the dramatic shambles that is the management of the network we have to endure failed services to places like Warrnambool even though there is an abundance of longer distance rolling stock and locomotives available for the network and many based at Southern Cross Rail Yards.
Warrnambool has already been told to expect lessor services through the introduction of the V/Locity service a position advocated for by their local council. Clearly the council have too much trust in the management of V/Line or they are clueless on what V/locity trains are or both.
Why was a second locomotive not found for the service and why could another N set not be placed immediately into the platform for use?
The answer is of course the belligerent management at V/Line. V/Line management have not been maintaining the rolling stock to the standard expected of a credible rail operator, therefore when there are issues and railways have issues to solve, they do using the bottom of the barrel bus service on a hot day. I could not have thought of anything worse than a hot bus on a hot road for 5.5 hours when the train is more comfortable and we have investment $100’s of millions on the Warrnambool Rail Line.
The same has been happening on the poor suffering Swan Hill Service. Recently this week the Swan Hill service was cancelled and replaced by a bus because V/Line could not find a replacement train despite having several sets available for service in the city. This is becoming far too regular when we already have overcrowding of services on the Bendigo Line and more cancelled trains.
As recently as yesterday Bendigo line trains had issues with failed services and buses replaced trains between Bendigo and Melbourne some taking 4 hours to get between centres. There is not a person in this state who would find this acceptable.
Why wasn’t the defective train swapped out for another like train when so many lay idle and we have so much overcrowding?
This weekend we have more lines down and not working through maintenance cycle after maintenance cycle with no real coordination between cycles and other capital works. The Warrnambool Line this year has suffered months without services running.
Enough is enough and it is time for some sackings at V/Line which given the current circumstances might improve the reliability of the network.
Where is the Minister for Public Transport when you need her?
Instead of writing and whinging in some obscure forum, have you actually written to the Minister?
Mike yes….. next question?
Short haul traveller who act like inward thinking person which not good attributes for anyone who is managing role within a public transportation system…..
You are making a fool of yourself telling people who traveller more 300km and get off a regional trains services who sometimes catch coach transfers onward to Portland and Midura etc. On a public forum…..
Brad it’s not a good look, a someone who only travels 80 kms to and from ground zero calling those people who travel. more than 200 kms to regional areas with train and coach transfers on a regular basis unquote” Whiners and Whingers”
And lectures them what sort of train designs the should put up with those newer train replace what was the acceptable standard or rail travel in that era.
Theres a big difference between plane travel and rail travel….
People can put up with the current passenger layout for planes travel cover more distance for less time on board, but trains covers less distance and with our currents newer trains layout for longer distance, it not fit purpose as people spend more time on board and need to be comfortable.
unlike a plane that people will put being cramped together for short time on board to and from states in country like AUS excluding international air travel….As different boundary conditions apply for rail travel!!!
If these aging N sets have to go something like this from Alstom in the layout is better than these not fit for purpose DMU railmotor Velocities, only thing it good for is speed for shorter distance route…
https://www.alstom.com/solutions/rolling-stock/coradia-regional-trains-accessible-solutions-move-regions
Am I right no real uplift in service frequency on the Bendigo line over the past few years?