Rollingstock shortages impacts Swan Hill Line as VN10, VN14 has subtle indicators that something was was not right.
VN10– 6th on May electrical spikes fluro tube & train electrical current was it a indicator intermittent issues could be emerging?
Have maintenance funding on them scaled back further due to free Travel?
7th of May things took a weird turn after VN10 was coupled to the loco.
A good no. people was waiting at the platform, late boarding I settled in the carriage BZN262.
- Few electrical fluctuation spikes prior to departure in which distracted me from peering out the window at platform 4
- as they locked the door noted by green light indictor in the passenger areas
- afterward I noticed one go out on then platform side
PA advises Swan Hill 07:38 Service is delayed 35 mins due to some technical issue.
We will update is more info becomes available
I settled in and started eating my breakfast on board whist watching the train movement beside me on other platforms….
- Noticed not many train moved for while after 07:38 whist waiting as our train was held at the platform
- Was there a track issue present as well?
PA on board advise the train was waiting for a safety inspector to look at the train aprox.15mins
It indicates a serious issues had occurred and saw him walking along the train from the window non platform side
- safety inspector on his advice if the train is deemed serviceable or not after a safety critical fault[s] is rectified
- In this case we cleared to depart 08:20 from Southern cross Station
Notification flashed up on V/Line Website and X
The 07:38 Southern Cross – Swan Hill service is delayed by 42 minutes.
Reason: Train Fault
That could explain the series of electrical spikes in fluorescent lights in the train before departure time!
late arrival 13:15 at Swan Hill and on the journey electrical power supply start spiking at intervals again intermittently on the return.
To add to it, I had unpleasant surprise on entering a WC to find a blocked up sink full of bio biological waste ,which had to isolated via train crew!
These issues resulted the whole set being taken off for long period and still is not back in service as of yet!!!
I understand the mess that occurred is bio hazard concern and located in close proximity of water supply of the train maybe problematic to rectify via maintenance staff.
Things got a bit messy as for fleet availability for the V/Line front line from then on.
- N12 was out for repairs at the time with VN10
- VN14 took it’s place and had rode that set 5 times during that period for early morning service
- VN17 quietly returns from storage and put in use for the night service during that period
Why is the Swan Hill Service is operating with only 2 set and handful of locos?
It is only matter of time…
It takes only one set or loco to have intermittent faults and other issues on route and they may have issues with fleet availability!!!
- 12-7-2026–VN10 made the return that day and taken out for service and wasn’t available on time for the evening run
- 12/7/26 -VN17 was being shunted around the yard that day
- I could hear and feel the carriage being jostled more than usual I felt something was not right
- Two day before the train I was on VN14 had locomotive problems mid route and was checked out at Bendigo.
- I felt it this was a indicator the train was suffering some intermittent issue as when the driver step up down the notches in his locomotive and applying the brakes to reduce speed of the train.
VN14 and same locomotive N458 to take evening service after I got off on the morning service that just arrived at Souther Cross!
Reason: Lack of Carriages.
The V/Line advice 19:12 website link reason was due to Train Fault!
Then strangely reason was changed to Police Operation at 20:31!
Fast forward 3 days re: Travelling advice from V/Line
14/7/2026 15:17 -18:02 Swan Hill Evening service was changed from a normal loco haul train service all the way to messy VLocity 3×1 IMU and coach service!
It look VN14 had issues that day whist VN17 was in use.
That Night on 15/06/2026 it looked they ran out of trains and due to mulitple faults happening all at once!
Time line of the advice given to the public pending the Swan Hill 18:02 evening service
- 16:25– Was to operate train to Bendigo and Coach to Swan Hill
- 17:16 -They reinstalled it and schedule it to run a train all the way.
- 18:19 – it was cancelled and it was reverted back the advice given at 16:25
Southern Cross after 19:00 I saw end results of the issues with the 18:02 Swan Hill Service. please click arrow to see details.
- Middle road between 2 & 3 : sat a incomplete set of N12 with BZN252 & BZN258 missing!
- Whist 5B sat VN17 5 Car complete set
To me is is possible they had few locomotive issue & safety critical issues and WC pumbing issues on the two remaining sets as with my pervious rides on these two sets the WC sometime failed mid trip by running out of water needing someone to refill the tanks or repairs elsewhere and it was out of use!
As VN10 & N12 reduced to 3 cars both still out of action at the time.
Being a Friday beginning of a weekend and possibly a footy night and people coming in from Regional areas to wind down and a have night out as there was a lot people moving around that night.
Was it a combination of reasons or something else?
It seem to look as very reactive way to manage things in relating to fleet maintenance and availability doesn’t it?
Wait until it all goes down a in big way and then step in and try and arrest the fall out!
- Does this look like result of frontline under the pump?
- As I understand with no work order from the operator to third party service provider SSR or Alstom no work or maintenance may get done unless processed and approved from above.
- With SOME clerks some their work is measured by the amount papers piled up in their inbox.
- Unless the situation is safety critical which causes mass disruption it waits for processing
- until someone above in a responsible role steps in and fast track the work order & jobs listed as a priority & work is to be carried out as soon as possible.
- Could this be remedied by more clerks employed to process the work order more efficiency from the operator to the service provider to pass on to the workers doing the maintenance, cleaning etc on the trains it’s self?
From my understanding a series of factors has emerged the lead to the Overcrowding before the push of Free Travel:
A growing usage of PT due fuel shortage etc. the exposing Lack of carriages, Lack of Motive power at a events of unforeseen intermittent faults on route during Free Travel that end two week time.
After a lengthy absence 19th May 26 VN10 was returned to service.
- The mess in the WC was cleaned up in BZN262 she operated as normal beside a external door fault in the down end of the carraige isolated by the conductor on route.
- On return 13:13 at Swan Hill the train lost power indicated by the loss of lighting and air condtioning!
- the crew had to shut down the Loco and restart the HEP and do a the safety checks before boarding, train procced back to Southern Cross.
- The train electrical current start to spike intermittermently on route to Melbourne indicated via flickering in the light of the carriages.
- 21/7/26- VN14 took it place for the morning service BUT evening 18:02 Swan Hill was replaced via VLocity and coach despite VN17 was operating a few hrs before on the return service that arrived 11:38 on the same day.
Conclusion:
It seems to me this could of being prevented if the top managers and execs of V/Line who are seemly aware of how many carriage and locomotive they have retired pushed back against those MP’s and DOT pushing free travel at all cost to buy votes because a state elections coming this Nov!
Now they are no longer ordering VLoctiy IMU for Alstom as the contract and order is nearing completion how is the chronic overcrowding going to managed?
- From observation it was bad idea to push free travel with lack of rolling stock:
- As quality control could goes down as lack of rolling stock means shorter time frame to do a through diagnostic of faults, rectification and repairs of issues on both classic and VLocity fleets
- pressure on maintenance staff to get repair jobs done as I was taught when you rush things the risk of costly mistakes increases and Quality Control is comprimised.
- As a a good number of VLocity Rail Cars, carriage stuck in the yard or workshop means less capacity and limited services! [Same can apply to Locomotives]
- VLocity fleet are fixed set of 3 cars or 6 car. Issues is that one defective carriage in a set can knock out 3 cars at time as technically they are Rail Motors!
- Classic fleet are able have carriages swapped around to various sets.
- Until they decided to retire so many of them that now they are not enough to cover the carriage that out for repairs or maintenance!
- Locomotive they had good no. on stand by to roate around as periodically locomotives has to be taken out for repairs etc.
- Spare loco can be used and prepped to cover a loco used for service that has a safety critical intermittate fault at short notice
What a mess!!!
This look like the results of years of cutting back rolling stock & Rail Infrastructure led by the Uni Party who are mostly air & road transport users!!
What should future decision makers do arrest the issue?
A. close the AUS borders pausing migration for now until our AUS infrastructure in all areas can catch up?
B. pump more $$$ in expanding the system?
C. Or do BOTH A&B?
