11/3-A dog’s breakfast,A disabled train at Swan Hill stuffs up the next day’s service!!!
Dozed off past Water Garden until abruptly shaken awake at Kyneton whist pulling out
As be fair to them maybe the driver’s tired , he or she hard day day before. As train operation is mentally and physically intensive profession.
- track congestion causing the train to a be a tad late it was running well
- Castlemaine – VN14 ex Swan Hill passes by
- 5 cars again two BZNs last I rode her it only had one BZN and 3 N cars.
Train arrives at Bendigo 10:22 from this point onward things got a bit disjointed!
- the train had longer dwell then usual before departing Bendigo was something emerging?
- I saw Southern Cross VLocity depart at platform 2 at Bendigo while the train was waiting to depart Bendigo
- At Eaglehawk the train held on departure longer then normal ie: more then 2-3 mins
- Had refreshments at BRN and I noticed started the train starting to make it’s departure
Later info came out train crew was having radio comm issues on board.
10:59 Delayed at Eaglehawk train radio problems now resolved…. For nowRaywood more radio hiccups!
I am aware train communications on board via radio PA on train or between the driver and crew on board is a safety critical item in train operations.
From my observation these on going radio issues on board is going drive the train crew nuts!!!
A cancelled train service is on the cards when all avenue of rectifying the faults has being exhusted.
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- At Kerang I saw a crowd of Rail Enthusiasts & crew standing at the platform waiting for my train to roll in.
- A heritage train roll beside the train I was one I apparently ran into that heritage tour charter Seymour Rail Heritage Center had operated to Piangil!
- Swan Hill was a part of a freight line and Piangil had silos which lay ahead beyond Swan Hill Station returning hauled by A66 and their T class
- Onwards toward the short platform on route door flag are placed to indicate passenger to move to certain carriages to get off ie:B-A ie: Dingee, Pyramid and Kerang
- Noticed the conductor coming in the carriages D-E to advise the passengers what doors to alight more often then usual
- these events on board seems to pointing out to me the train itself had PA issues too!
It was disjointed as not only the train comm issue was with crew and driver but it seem the PA on board the train was impacted too!
- As car D-E the PA was so faint a lot of people missed some of PA coming out from crew
- Wasn’t sure about PA about a bus to Southern Cross was making it way to Kerang or not if so the PA must so shot it was came out the advice came out gabbled!
12:41 V/line put out it’s advice:
13:36 Swan Hill -Southern Cross will not run today due to train fault
Rail Replacement buses to Southern Cross
- Some people including myself found out we had missed the bus on arriving at Swan Hill -Southerb Cross as we arrived late the 1st Bus that left was full.
- A 2nd bus from Swan Hill was arranged it came shortly after 14:00 hrs
- Bus to Bendigo 17:25 VLocity back to Southern Cross a good load of people on board
Evening Service Swan Hill 18:08 was too impacted
- VLocity and bus to Swan Hill, that service is often very busy due to evening peak people going home after work etc.
- 9:47 arrival back at 15 A Southern Cross, sighted the heritage train at 3 B at Southern Cross waiting to return to Seymour.
12/3/26- N452 with assisting Loco had crew delays and was still at Swan Hill & morning service was cancelled!!!
Had a plan B that day as when I got off another train that evening from Stawall I was aware that train from Swan Hill had being being finally retrieved from Swan Hill by mid afternoon back to Southern Cross!
I don’t understand why did it take so long for them to retrieve the train from Swan Hill?
A failed ICE radio in locomotive and suspected faulty PA on board can a train inoperable and why was it allowed to reach this point?
Questions to considered:
- Was there a delay in the work order to the service provider to arrange assisting Locomotive?
- Was there a shortage of drivers or staff? l
- Was there a lag in the chain of command when arranging a train order for the empty car movement?
- I don’t understand, why wasn’t this done on the quieter hours during the night?
- why at did this take place near the beginning of afternoon – evening peak when more services are put on to accommodate the people travelling in and out CBD to regional areas?
Announcement of the new CEO of the Regional rail operator from our premier is correct and includes his background unquote:
Mr Tieppo brings more than two decades of transport sector experience to the role, including the Victorian Department of Transport and Planning’s Deputy Secretary for Network Development and his most recent role as Deputy Secretary for Network Design and Integration.
https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/new-vline-ceo-announced
It seem a very disjointed way to manage things as impacted the morning train service to Swan Hill!!!
CEO has Vic Road background but when a former ex CEO of V/Line with rail operations background starts questioning his methods to me this indicating that big problems that has come to ahead with past decisions made on longer distances rolling stock on longer routes!
Does this event serves as strong indicator to the new CEO that there’s big difference in managing roads operations as most vehicles are third party managed unlike rail operations when fleet availability & maintenance of the fleet is part of the equation?
I don’t understand the Bus and Train from 9-18th Mar 2026 their temporay timetable state that Swan Hill Train are operating!
https://www.vline.com.au/Timetable/Service-changes
Does it look like Service Change advice of working timetable ie:train and bus replacmeants on the Swan Hill Line are conflicting each other?
I wonder could some people on the other side of the specturm may see it as misleading and dececptive in anyway?
