Standing room on V/line trains old & new on all lines I saw people left behind!

31st Mar – 30 Apr Free Travel V/Line suspend the reservation system on all services

31st Mar – 30 Apr Free Travel started Free for all on 1st of Apr on all services

including Albury, Warrnambool, Swan Hill, Ararat and Bairnsdale lines.

booked seats I understood their reservations would be honoured on the day of travel or they can get a refund!

31 st Mar day 1- riding Swan Hill service is the only remaining loco haul line left on V/Line

• 2/04/26-N467 & VN14 had 3x reservation car and 2x Non reservation cars more people on route
• Increased seats occupied beyond Bendigo in car B while getting refreshments
• Swan Hill school group all seated in car B & crowd from Mildura coach making connection from and to the station.
• Car C,D and E filled up it few delays on route ie: Police Request at Bendigo – Kangaroo Flat

Service Delay – Bendigo line

13:36 Swan Hill – Southern Cross service is delayed 36 minutes due to a earlier train fault.

We apologise for the delay to your journey. We are sorry for the delay in your journey. [17:26 02/04]

• train held at Bendigo until safe and approach those area at caution speed ie: slower speed less 90 km/h
• this section is high speed track section 130 km/h max according to blue speed sign on route.

15:02 Echuca Service VLocity rail car had issues & terminated at Sunbury!

As a result messed up the services moving up and down the line and Train Control to shuffle the services around.

1. Our train was held at Castlemaine we had a stopping all station service from Bendigo put ahead of our train
2. resulting the train from Swan Hill to arrive back a almost a hour late, speed restrictions and combination factors on route
   • 18:56 interesting arrival a rough stop, not a relaxing run for crew driving the train!

That must being a dog’s breakfast start of a shift for him as he may of got on at Bendigo!

It too messed up the services come to and from Epsom that night

Local Media outlets were reporting from 29/3 Train services were not coping with extra crowds.

https://azat.tv/en/victoria-free-transport-overcrowding-vline/

1. South Western Line: https://www.standard.net.au/story/9210405/warrnambool-line-free-travel-plan-risks-vulnerable-passengers/
2. Gippsland Line: https://news.ssbcrack.com/passengers-brace-for-overcrowding-on-regional-trains-as-free-travel-begins-in-victoria/
3. Albury Line: https://www.bordermail.com.au/story/9212643/vline-explains-end-to-reservations-for-free-travel-month/

For some odd reason the bigger Media News outlets took a while until they were reporting too the same thing!

Severe overcrowding on Swan Hill Easter Sun!

1. When arriving at Southern Cross before 06:30 there already a crowd building waiting for the Swan Hill 07:38 Service!
2. I was embedded with big crowd before boarding all crowd along the length of train some crowd at doors of each carriage. I was at car D
3. Crew shunt train VN10 approx. 07:30 and couple up Locomotive 07:34
   • Customer Staff had issue with big crowds of people boarding before ready as they wouldn’t even let them prep the train properly!
4. Doors disarmed when PA sounded for boarding and they surged forward with me amongst em!
   • Distressed passenger yelling don’t push but none listened
5. This rowdy behaviour is often experienced in more densely populated countries were transport services are limited.
   • Experienced this in Hong Kong once the people move as one!

Lucky to get a seat there were signs overcrowding two people sitting beside me.

From the window I saw still lot people and they couldn’t get on before departing as PA was made:

PA was made for those standing who wanted seat but standing in doorway to disembark and catch the coach express to Bendigo but few got off.

Go the coach bay for express coaches to Bendigo or get on next service.

5 car train departs heavily loaded people standing in aisles, vestibule areas & doorways.

1. 08:30 Footscray more people try to board few got on.
2. when train arrives Watergardens people are left behind
   • Car A had people standing in it too with Car B as PA was made by crew at Buffet for people to move along the train out way of the buffet serving area!
3. 08:56 -PA was made for people who didn’t get seat or standing on route to Gisborne there was 3x express coaches to Bendigo
   • Gisborne off loading passengers  on to Coaches some people left but still many on board when we departed
4. Train was rolling at reduced speed I am guess in caution of the people on board standing throughout the train
   • to reduce the risk of injury to those standing for over 1-2 hrs in a moving train
5. 10:05-Castlemaine VN14 from Swan Hill Pulling beside us 5 cars heavily loaded at the same time more people offload on coaches to Bendigo

Bendigo 10:30 and the crowd gets out for Easter Fair.

After the carriage emptied out I whipped out my pre packed meal of spuds and pumpkin.As more people were boarding from Bendigo on route!

Train arrives at Swan Hill 12:54.

Train arrived with a good load of people making coach transfers to Robinvale and Mildura and Bendigo however a few people missed out on coaches as they were fully booked!

After few hour at Swan Hill I went the train departs at 16:35 for the return with bus load from Mildura. A quite relax run I felt it might be crowded from Bendigo onward.

19:21 from Bendigo train was once again packed standing room only!

1. There was people standing aisles and vestibule areas.
   • Elderly and small children were amongst the people forced to stand
   • Some sat on the floor whist some stood or swapped seats with each other
2. 20:32 – V/Line put out travelling advice:
   • The 16:36 Swan Hill is delayed 22 Minutes
     • Train rolling lower speed on route due to the overcrowding
3. Car E was so packed it was hard to get to the WC when required, in my case I had to due having few refreshment beforehand.
4. A person who just used it told was stinky, as to me that’s normal I never known a WC that smelt nice after it being used!
   • Oh joy, just found out the WC had failed and the sight was not pleasant!
5. On exiting a person was waiting to access it which I cautioned her.

The WC in this carriage is unserviceable and she is stuffed!!!

And they need to pump it out! Please use the next car.

• Train remain full most the trip for some odd reason there no coaches to off load passengers on route excluding car A after Kyneton
• Some people didn’t leave until we hit the CBD Watergardens, Footscray areas.
  • The bulk of travellers got off at terminating point Southern Cross.

21:55 on arrival the Crew apologised for the Overcrowding due to Easter Fair

weekday of Free Travel

With no reservation system in place and not enough seats on all lines it was such a mess few even eventually MSM was lighting up the internet with this saga!

I went for ride on VN14 behind N458 7/3/2026 less people then Easter Sunday but went smoothly BUT next day on 8/3/26 on VN10 behind Loco N452 on the return Standing room again from Bendigo to Melb, Got info that Easter V/Line got swamped!

Obeservations:

I am seeing unfold is the results of the failure of the V/Line’s and DOT poor policy of a “One Size Fits All” train design policy on those mid – short distance rail 3 car set aka VLocity that has emerged in time of great need ie: Fuel Crisis/Holidays

1. Does look like they hastily withdrew all the older classic fleet and gave away too many locomotives?
   • They knew when they forced the VLocity to take over the longer route ie: Warrnambool teething is issues of accessibility issues ie luggage storage, scooters etc and overcrowding were a major concern with crew and users why did they seem it swept under the carpet?
   • This issue being plaguing the longer distance routes long before the fuel crisis took place and still is big issue despite a reservation system in place.
   • The VLocity’s design limitations emerges when they want to increase capacity.
     • the cab at the ends of 3 cars hinders the crew movements ie: Albury’s VLocity with buffet module that was modified for that line.
   • The buffet Module crew can serve passenger 3x cars and conductor can account for all travellers in 3x cars!
   • buffet crew ie: Seymour has toclose the buffet to change set mid route and change set.
2. They have to set up the buffet for passengers in the next set!
   • Whist the older buffet in BRN is they set up and it covers all the passengers in the full length of the train all the trip
3. Do they need a extra conductor for the next set of cars or do they have to change mid route too?
4. Why did they suspend the booking system during the Free Travel Period from 31 st Mar to 30 Apr?
   • as I saw that several people at Swan Hill want make train seat booking and I saw the look of debrief when they said it’s non reserve and just turn up to get a seat!
5. Who should be accountable for this seemly lack of judgment in the withdrawal of older rolling stock?
   • Why not limit the VLocity to the routes they were design for short to mid distance routes as it may reduce duration on their wear and tear on them?
     • as there 3 Classic carriages near Castlemaine that are looking very run down paint peeling and hasn’t turn a wheel since they got them!
6. What wrong with refurbishing the older carriages, reconditioning the old locomotives to fill the rolling stock shortage until things stabilise with the state finances?

All I can say is what a mess and what a dog’s breakfast!!!

I don’t know how they going sort this out…..