Sun 16/2/25 on the rails: from rolling stock shortages and odd train movements

I when to ride the 07:40 Swan Hill loco haul for the day when due to rolling stock shortage not train fault as stated on V/line app it was 3×1 Car VLocity!

The 18:29 Bendigo – Southern Cross service will terminate at Sunbury and no longer run to Southern Cross.
More information at https://t.co/MJNRgC0bxC pic.twitter.com/D5b8FYeVXu

— V/Line Bendigo Line (@vline_bendigo) February 15, 2025

This service was reduced from a 5 car loco haul to 3 car VLocity and buses from onwards Bendigo to Swan Hill

I made it a normal to check the vline app for emerging events and noticed it first thing in the morning before heading to the station at the 06:00 time and put on X the question to V/line.

What this? Why the Swan Hill 07:40 which is tabled as loco haul service replaced with a 3×1 car VoLcity DMU VLine?

Mechanical or Operational? Maybe it not wise to retire older rolling stock during a rolling stock shortage! Always have enough standbys to cover them!

After arriving I started to gather a food and drinks for the trip and decided to go to Castlemaine to meet up with the returning service from Swan Hill and observe the train movements for the day.

I boarded the 3 car VLocity service 07:40 to Swan Hill and noticed alot of people boarding some with rather big bags. Most were caught out due the change of rolling stock as no buffet and the seats were non reservation like most VLocity services. Crew made their usual PA advice but the one that stood out was.

Due to the lack of rolling stock and faults the with the usual rolling stock we have a different train layout today there are no reservation seat please feel free to seat anywhere you want in the 3 cars of the train

If two the sets were faulty and waiting to shunted in the workshop for repairs the questions to be raised could be:

Why did they allow it to reach this point?

I thought it would be common sense for management to keep enough substitute sets to cover those that suffered intermittent faults or operation issue on route

For this example the scenario from info of the past operational procedures may apply to this issue as I was enlighten of how in the past years how the Workshop managers oversee the train fleet availability Metro train in it time was the PTC and Met

1. The old rail operator would have 600 6 car trains available for use
2. 90 6 car trains on standby ready to roll for unforeseen events to account for operational train movements etc.

The riding conditions on board

• There was a lot people on board people with luggage I was sitting near the window in 2×2 seating the seat are narrow and quite cramped for trying eat a light meal on board when you store in a backpacks on the floor like most commuter do on top of other items carried on board.
• Had another person sitting beside me, but he seem uncomfortable as I couldn’t cram myself against the wall to allow more space for him to seat better due the poor design of the seats fixed armrest that doesn’t allow me to pull it up so I can sit closer to the window unlike the one separating the seat next to him.
• Some people had to cram their bag next to the wall next them or in front of them because of lack of storage space in the train and too big to put in overhead racks and most available luggage storage areas before the seating areas were already used
• So I saw people few sleeping on each other shoulders and some seating in the most uncomfortable manner on board due to lack of leg room where they were seated along with other items they bought on board.
• During the trip one out the two toilets on board was defective as advised via crew, which mean out 3 cars of passengers only on toilet was operational!

Arrived Castlemaine 09:15 train left 09:28 and waited for 09:48 return to Southern Cross ex Swan Hill which 4 Cars FN9

I boarded BZN261 for nice relaxing run to Southern Cross very loaded from Castlemaine and from Gisbourne An apology came about overcrowding from the crew at  Gisborne as they only seemed to realise they were one car short! As I noticed a change of crew after Kyneton.

I had bit of snooze onboard and those seat are more comfortable than those VoLcity seats earlier!

• Was bemused to see the 10:12 Warrnambool VLocity 3 car shuffling past my window at Footscray 11:19
• Whist on the fly over I noticed a light engine movement of N Class locomotive passing at 11:26

Then I shuffled off to see the 13:10 Warrnambool 3×1 VLocity after lunch and decided to observe things on site in the train it self.

Observations as follows on board:

1. The train was heavily crowded at Southern Cross Station not all seat taken up yet but fully booked as customer staff advised more boarding later
2. A lot of traveller had those big pull along bag as well as bagpacks
3. A few mobility access passengers were boarding
4. Luggage racks in above seats mostly utilised
5. People had cram bags in the same areas as their legs were in what little space there was.

All backed by PA advice from crew:

This is your 13:10 Warrnambool service is full reservation seat service to and the train is fully booked please check your seat no. seat in your allocated seats….

After observing the condition on site I figured those people with big luggage with them along side theme would have fairly cramped ride for 3-4 to Warrnambool!

I shuffled off and decided to go Waurn Ponds on the VLocity 3×2 13:50 when I noticed VN10 with loco attached in Geelong Yard.

16:31 I shuffled past Melb yard and noticed BTN253 and BZN273 around I haven’t noticed those carriage around for while lately it seemed to pop out of nowhere we pulled in 15A!

For some odd reason I don’t like it current location, I guess it because when some traveller need to go the restroom you got long walk through the metro train area ,to walk to the other side of the station and escalators or stairs 2 levels down to goto the main area of Southern Cross main entrance near the barrier of the near end 2-3 platform toward the shops around that area to access them!

After seeing the Albury service evening service reduced to BG 3×1 service with bus transfer to Albury as the SG VLocity was taken out out of service that evening non reservation people to ride coach to Seymour and beyond.

Settled on N13 19:02 Warrnambool to have dinner end a good day out.

Here the reply from the Ben Phyland the man of the DOT who oversee V/line rolling stock ie: Head Of Rolling Stock and Ticketing toward a traveller of v/line

I noticed he put in writing unquote:

VLocity trains have one engine at each end of a three-car set, and as a result can be louder than some carriages on a Classic Fleet N set. Each three-car set requires an engine at each end to operate.

The three-car sets, which can be paired into six and nine car sets, allow for operation that is responsive to passenger demand and has the flexibility to maintain service levels around maintenance activities.

Questions for the professional MSM Investigative journalist ask to try get some understanding of his thinking and reasoning behind those decisions.

1. Now has seemly admitted they are louder than older train that are withdrawing does this seem like admission he KNEW it was not fit for purpose for longer duration travel on board of trips longer than 2.5 hrs one way?
2. Why they rely one type of DMU layout which only 3 car when other train designs could be considered as via his website in Bombardier ?
3. Interestingly Ben is from Bombardier company based in Europe and has overseen SA, WA train design framework for their trains and now in Vic doing the same thing for V/line Regional Rolling stock, In my curiously it if he seemly was so good in his judgment and profession why did he leave Europe if he seemly so well versed in his field?

https://www.railway-technology.com/sector/rolling-stock/?cf-view

https://au.linkedin.com/in/ben-phyland-52b48313?trk=public_post_feed-actor-image

I understand those states in Australia that Ben has overseen before coming to Vic to oversee the Regional Railway system are smaller rail networks for passenger than NSW Railway System

I have sampled recently SA railway system and their newer EMUs and DMU not bad for a rail system you can cover most lines in under 1-2 hours one way to terminating stations if one stays all the way and back again.

Their system is slowly growing in time they might have consider other train designs for shorter routes metro under 1-2 hrs, mid distance routes interurban 2-3 hrs min and the lengthy one intercity exceeding over 4-5 hours to terminating stations like NSW has….

When Ben quotes this in his response:

VLocity trains are mechanically suitable to operate on lines and there no safety concerns, maintenance or longevity associated with running VLocity trains in this manner.

Does this statement apply for “Regional Victorian Railway Operating conditions“ or “Victorian Metro Railway Operating Conditions?

What he states in writing might be true in theory but is technically true in the function of time?

Is Ben the right person for this important role for v/Line rolling stock design framework for our Regional Rail services you decide…..