On arrival at Southern Cross all seem normal 3B N12 was standing waiting but at 06:55 it all went South from there!
Unquote from website:
Line suspension – Bendigo line
UPDATE: 0635
Coaches are replacing trains between Castlemaine and Gisborne due to a track fault at Kyneton.
Passengers are advised to board the replacement coaches between Gisborne and Castlemaine with trains continue to operate between Southern Cross and Gisborne and Bendigo to Castlemaine.
Service alterations:
To Southern Cross:
The 05:09 Bendigo – Southern Cross service will end early at Castlemaine
The 06:01 Epsom – Southern Cross service will end early at Castlemaine
The 06:32 Kyneton – Southern Cross service will not run today
The 06:20 Eaglehawk – Southern Cross service will end early at Castlemaine
The 07:53 Kyneton – Southern Cross service will originate at Gisborne
From Southern Cross:
The 06:22 Southern Cross – Bendigo service will end early at Gisborne
An alternate travel plan will follow within 10 minutes.
We are assessing the situation and will advise when trains will resume.
General information
In Melbourne, coaches will arrive and depart from the Southern Cross Station coach terminal located on Spencer Street, opposite Little Bourke Street.
No pets allowed on replacement coaches.
There is limited space for bikes on V/Line trains and coach replacement services.
Customers needing special assistance please call 1800 800 007 before travelling.
For the latest up-to-date information, download the V/Line app, follow us on Twitter @vline_bendigo or speak to a V/Line team member.
” From 3B where N12 was meant depart shortly after PA advise the 07:38 Swan Hill Service has a platform change and will be departing 16B!“
I grumbled 16 B a VLocity and bus from Gisborne to Bendigo!!!
- This advice meant travellers from 3B had to walk to the bridge go up the lifts or escalators at the closest and from Main Terminus and walk across the bridge at Marvel.
- The crew/travellers had mingle with the Metro Travel heading off to work streaming in from the suburban areas during peak hour whist crossing over the Metro Train Service Platforms 9-14
“It is very user unfriendly layout for commuters particularly the elderly and immobile.“
This seems to look as though it was applied the same manner as airport or coach terminus.
- Staff & Traveller with their luggage etc. had to go across the bridge go into the Barriers mingle with peak hr commuters going to work etc. from Metro Services.
- Had to go from main terminus Platform 1-8 across the Metro Platforms 9-14 across the whole station a V/Line platform 15-16!
Who were the planners & design the station and what was the reasoning for designing the station in this manner?
The tight bottle neck areas exiting and entering Southern Cross Station.
- Fly Over areas to the Mainline
- Behind Nth Melb & Sth Kensington route toward Footscray
- Flinder St Bridge to FLinders Street Station serving Metro/V/Line
In this case airport and bus depots don’t have 6 min breaks between managing trains moving in and out the station out of 2 sections ie:
Do they realise the Queuing theory applies in Railway Operations?
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0968090X24002250
Due to the advice given via V/Line of the Rail equipment fault it was was serious issue and impacted both directions
I felt that it was not crossing loop rail impacted but either a single track areas impacted as it suspended the line for hours.
One my past ride I had occasion of a broken rail on that route on the Bendigo route and due it being a crossing loop service were able to move both direction despite one line out resulting delays.
On 3/8/2025 was a example of such issues with rail equipment faults I got tangled up with and nearly put on a buses but manage to get train from Bendigo to Southern Cross late at night!
Rather then subject myself to the early morning dash to 16B for buses at the time of the line suspension took place I decided to go Waurn Ponds to for ride to get my breakfast down and observe that route whist waiting for them to straighten out the problem on the Bendigo Line or make other plans if required.
Ride was uneventful on the 07:31 Waurn Ponds return on the same train
The other services had few issues and return via V/Line notice service on the line both ways were starting to get altered mid route!
All from started from this notification on their website:
“The 07:41 Waurn Ponds -Southern Cross delayed 35 min due to safety incident”
From V/Line 09:55 Service Resumed between Bendigo and Castlemaine
We are sorry for the delay to your Journey
Found out that some people coming back had to get out at Sunbury and ride a metro service back to the CBD or Southern Cross. It seem to look lots of people got caught in this disruption.
According to the V/Line travelling advice that day.
- The early return Swan Hill that left 06:52 was terminated at Bendigo and turned back again to Swan Hill for passengers.
- I presume that they got off the buses at Bendigo whist the line was suspended to continue to Swan Hill.
I caught the 11:02 Echuca Service VL to see for myself what going on
I noticed it was 3×2 VLocity and lots people waiting to board some cycles and a number of traveller on walkers.
- All seem normal on the down and when we past Kyneton the VLocity I felt it was going slower then normal, maybe due to the repairs that took place earlier was speed restrictions placed?
- On the crossing loop after Castlemaine the train was slowed down as it look they were still sorting out the back log of services moving up and down the line and it look like the trains were out of position!
On arrival at Bendigo I shuffled off for short break and return to observe what going on.
On returning found via V/Line the returning service from 11:17 Echuca had problem on route delayed 27 mins reason: Train Fault.
And the train I got off that was to arrive at Echuca 15:02 was reduced to 3 cars.
Plus a interesting alterations at 13:05 of 12:02 Southern Cross -Bendigo to end at Kangaroo Flat and reinstalled shortly after at 13:43!
“I was happy to see the Swan Hill run as Loco Haul 16:02 as tabled which was Loco N467 with VN14“
A good end to hectic day on the system !
Observation:
Later on Thurs morning the advice changed from VLocity 16B to Gisborne& Coach to Bendigo
- to Coaches from Swan Hill Passenger to Bendigo to connect on ward to Swan Hill.
- As no trains could get through both directions!
This was a very messy day for the frontline who did their best despite the short notice of the advice from above.
It look that not only rolling stock availability is suffering the lack of funds.
It looks the Way and Works dept to is impacted too who manages the maintenance permeant way and their facilities of the railway system in Regional Vic!
I am amazed there is someone who is on the network daily making observations that we could not rely on from V/Line or the government. V/Line feels like it is in a state of chaos each and every day.