Shepparton Railway Line could shut for months affecting passenger and freight

In a new benchmark for insane behaviour from Victoria’s Transport Department a decision has been made to shut a major railway line for months. Commuters have been enduring constant shutdowns across the railway network managed poorly by V/Line this time trains will be removed for 90 days from a major freight and passenger line.

Victoria only knows one way of doing business and that is complete shutdowns for months at a time and many of those shutdowns do not provide the rail network with any real advantage.

The Hurstbridge Line for example has experienced approximately 3 months of shutdown since January 2025 without benefit to the rail network or its passengers.

How can it take 90 days of total shutdown to cary a signalling system for a major railway line? Other rail lines in the state have been upgraded with a 90 day shutdown how can this be required for Shepparton?

There is barely a day that goes by where a V/Line regional service is not stopped or suspended or delayed.

The misleading statements from Transport Victoria are designed to make passengers feel good about a shutdown when on most rail lines nationally and globally this type of shutdown length would be unnecessary and unwarranted.

The Allan Labor Government’s Shepparton Line Upgrade will undertake a ten day works blitz to deliver a new train control system – with Stage 3 of the project set to be completed later this year.

Why do we need a new train control system when colour light signalling works just fine? What is this costing the state when a signalling system is already in place and could merely be extended?

These works are far in excess of what are required to allowing for the passing of trains and I ask Transport Victoria to explain what additional benefits this new signalling system will provide over and above the current approach to signalling on the line.