All we want for Christmas…are more seats on our trains according to the people of Warrnambool and the state government and the local member for Warrnambool has sought to do the complete opposite.
As foreshadowed in previous news items the Warrnambool Service has been made a mess under the Management of V/Line. Early and unecessary withdrawal of the N set longer distance service rolling stock (caused by a deliberate lack of maintenance) has caused significant damage to what was a reliable service.
For over 18 months the local council had been calling for Vlocity Trains to grace the line without understanding or knowledge of what a backward step this was going to be. Well be careful what you wish for because now you have a very substandard service from a substandard management team running a substandard operator.
The Local State Member for Warrnambool defended what has been a disastrous change to the rolling stock on the line stating there would not be a loss of seats, that turned out to be a blatant fib.
The number of seats on each Vlocity service has fallen by over 100 seats per service where a short journey Vlocity train has replaced a longer distance comfortable N set.
The Vlocity trains should be immediately withdrawn from the Warrnambool Line and N sets with loco hauled services be restored with urgent maintenance undertaken by the operator.
There are plenty of news items on how poorly managed the Warrnambool Service has been coupled with the mismanagement of rolling stock maintenance. This change to make services less customer friendly and less appealing to passengers after the loss of similar services to Bairnsdale also met with extremely annoyed customers of long haul V/Line services has not been received well by the public.
The Management at V/Line seem incapacable of understanding the implications and impacts of their poor decision making. The CEO should be immediately questioned on the decisions currently being made and the board of directors (it would seem a very inexperienced bunch when it comes to rail service operation), should take a first hand look at the issues they have created.
The fact a shorter train with less seats, cramped seating, noisy internal engine noise, no on train catering and ironing board seats that are very uncomfortable have replaced the longer and more comfortable N sets is a disgrace. The N sets on the Warrnambool Line ran a 5 car set but a Vlocity can only be run on a 3 car set (current configuration) due to platform lengths not supporting a train longer than 5 cars. The Vlocity sets could be configured for a 3+2 setup but V/Line Management would not want to implement this arrangement and they probably could not get their head around it. In any case the change should never have been made to Bairnsdale and Warrnambool.
Why would V/Line proceed to remove the 5 car N sets from the service knowing full well this would create overcrowding and a substandard service for passengers?
This knowledge at V/line should have been enough to ensure 5 car sets remained on the Warrnambool line until a better longer distance service platform could have been tendered.
it is now clear to all concerned V/Line have no idea and no plan for longer distance services and those responsible for this terrible series of decisions should be held accountable. Further, a new long distance rolling stock plan should be immediate drafted and tenders for the carriages issued.
Photo Above: A VLocity train sprints along the Warrnambool line. Picture by Eddie Guerrero
It is truly a shambles under v/line and they do not care at all when it comes to passenger comfort and service. Standing from Warrnambool to Melbourne for 3.5 hours is deemed acceptable.
No one is standing from Warrnambool to Melbourne unless they are trying a stunt.
Book your seat as people did when the N cars were operating and the seat in the appropriate car awaits.
Mike you should know the older train which 5 Car has two non reservation cars for Myki holders….is nothing compare only 3 cars which is much shorter than the pervious train it replaced and the state is broke…if we see 3×2 like the Albury remain to seen as the platform are too short in some stations along this route and they know it!
You comments hold no weight as a person who travelling only 80 kms from Ballan berating other authors get dull…..
My comments stand. Book a seat.
Mike my comments stand don’t change the aging N set until a fit for purpose train can take it place!
Plus aren’t broke don’t fix it and make it worse!
Even those the mechanical rolling stock engineer would disagree with you!
Do we know if the seats are selling out?
I have heard from others not my experience people are standing from Waurn Ponds and seats are very hard to book for the service as the number of seats per service has been reduced by V/Line from 5 cars to 3.
You want credibility in your rant? Use your actual name, not a nom de plume.
Who do you think you are Mark Twain?
Mike is that why very reason why some people use “Pen Names” online
Who do you think you are demanding other’s people PI online?
That from my observation that’s is totally unacceptable conduct….
Hiding behind a nom de plume when the author is having an illogical rant, does nothing for the credibility of the author.
Mike you sound very unhinged….
Everything is always Illogical ranting to you when you strongly disagree with it!
Have you got something to hide?
Are you a gramophone stuck in groove?
If not, stop behaving like one by calling authors you disagree with illogical ranting WHINGERS!!!
Scroll on buddy and don’t comment!
Hold the names on Facebook are bullshit.
Play the game not the person!!!
How often do ride them?
How often u ride them?
Have you done both Train an new?
And if you going pick at my grammar it due the fact I being bounced on a Volcity ATM!!!
Can you please publish some data on how many people us the service between Warrnambool and Geelong in particular? It is value for money to be running with some many empty seats?
What would the time savings be if they could run to Velocity speeds and acceleration, particularly if we compared it to other services that only run Velocities. Could there then be a service that got into Southern Cross before 9am to make it a more commuter friendly service? Have you looked at the actual data, or are you just ranting for the sake of the old times.
If it is only for the long distance commutes, how many trains would be needed? How many spares would be needed to sit waiting in case of a train not working? How long would you be willing to wait with the turn around for this to occur?
There is a source for this data and I will try and find it for you.
I have taken the train several times over the past 10 years to visit my aunt and can say it is quite full when I took the service both there and back. That was a 5 car train and first class ticket which is very comfortable. I hear the west coast rail service was the best when it ran why better than V/Line.
V/Line don’t appear to understand customer needs and what they expect from a service.
The Vlocity trains are not fitted for longer distance services and only 3 car sets can be used. I think the idea of an express service bring a DMU with real seats and board catering between Warrnambool and Geelong/Melbourne as an additional service in the morning and the evening. Where services crossed other services would be interesting as no platform is required for an express service. I think there is merit in this.
I also think Warrnambool could be extended to Port Fairy for 2 services per day morning and evening in both directions adding services in the summer months when the town swells.
Jenny, I was on the the Velocity to Warrnambool yesterday…..the was overcrowding on the train the non reservation ticket holder on afternoon 12:10 Service……
What happened all non reservation passengers were off loaded of the train and made to travel from Warrnambool to Melbourne!
Plus the down service lunchtime from Southern Cross the same happened to non reservation passenger at Wuarn Ponds made to ride a bus all the way to Warrnambool!
Before the Velocity DMYU 3 Car took over after Dec 1st this was non event!
Unless the train had safety critical fault on route that resulted all passengers to catch a coach to continue their journey….
On the service I rode on all seat were booked out!
Plus spare seat to shuffle passenger around because limited bag storage space via conductor on board since there’s no ACN equipped with ample storage in conductors area for bigger items, bags, bikes etc.
Hi Lizzie,
here some interesting info I got from ground zero aka V/line…..
They currently have 354 Velocity railcar rolling around Vic…..
Only 70% of the fleet is reliable…. A lot of them are breaking down…..
That info I found out, is very concern for a train that seems to younger then the aging “Classic” Fleet” with loco haul carriages…..
The function on time show the Velocity rail motors are not fit for purpose and being operated beyond it’s mechanical capabilities
and stress threshold point of failure of the train it’s self!
Keep them to the shorter duration route as they were designed for!
Going to Ararat, Warrnambool, Shepparton and Albury etc requires another design of modern train fit for that type purpose in reliability and comfort for long duration trips at regular basis!
Does V/line even listen to its customers?