4/10/2026- After boarding VN10 with Loco 452 for Swan Hill notice a electricalfluctuation at 07:39 Spike
Shortly after PA at 07:54 rectifying a problem with loco notice several electrical spikes as what I gathered crew was busy rectifying the issue of the loco there was lag.
It seem out of the norm to have such period where the train was just sitting at Platform 3B to depart with people on board.
After a fair wait the PA advises there is problem with the line will advise as further info comes out..
Whist all this was happening I was sitting by the window looking out of BZN262 and having breakfast on board at the time
When I saw the catering truck return I thought Oh no a cancellation is on the cards!
True enough no sooner I saw it go past and shortly after just like that PA on board sounds.
Attention Customers:
Just have being informed that there broken down train on single track off Mamsbury, V/Line aplogies that this train service has being cancelled please make your way down to the coach bay and go to coach bay 56!
People got up and some rather unhappily got off in hurry a head of me as I waited for slot for me move out with them out of the train.
Before grabbing my stuff and moving out behind them I glanced briefly at the advice notifications given via V/Line and their website on my device and had a strange gut feeling that it could be to this notification that came out 06:41 this morning.
Unquote:
The 05:57 Bendigo – Southern Cross service is delayed 20 minutes.
When I checked it’s details that period reason given: train fault
This advice came out on X Vline Bendigo at 08:17
Services are delayed at Malmsbury due to a train fault.
Made my way slowly to the coach bays to see for myself the current situation the front line had to deal with.
Amongst the crowd I saw few Customer Staff awaiting further info from above. I saw people’s facial expression their vibe indicate stress and anxiety as I understand as some of them had coach connections not only to Echuca but Mildura too.
09:50 a update was given from V/Line from website at time:
Service disruptions 04/10/2026 – Northern Line Major Delay
Major delay – Bendigo line UPDATE: 09:50
Services are held due to a train fault at Malmsbury.
Passenger can board coaches between Southern Cross and Bendigo. Swan Hill Passengers: Passenger can board coaches between Southern Cross and Bendigo, then board the train from Bendigo to Swan Hill
We anticipate services to be impacted until clearance has been given with an extended journey time of up to 150 minutes.
The following service have been altered:
Service alterations :
To Southern Cross:
The 05:57 Bendigo – Southern Cross service is held at Malmsbury.
The 07:34 Bendigo – Southern Cross service will end early at Castlemaine.
The 07:25 Echuca – Southern Cross service will end early at Bendigo.
The 06:52 Swan Hill – Southern Cross service will end early at Bendigo.
From Southern Cross:
The 07:40 Southern Cross – Swan Hill service will originate at Bendigo,
The 09:01 Southern Cross – Bendigo service will not run today.
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.
Oh what a mess, what was mean relaxing day on the rails was a roug start for Snrs and other travellers first thing in the morning!
In the case after summing up the situation a bus to Bendigo due not pepared to go few hrs on coach without WC as coach with WC is hit and miss affair due avaliblity at short notice was a daunting issue the risk of people with water works issue wetting the bus and impacting the rest of the passenger was a concern.
With no refreshemants allowed due the coach’s no eating and drinking policy and I felt the 06:52 UP from Swan Hill would be halted mid route and terminated at Bendigo which happened to be N12 the short set with only 4 cars and could be a bit of squeeze on board on the way back!
No doubt the crew will all out of postion after this line disruption. Due the nature location of the train it was single track it impacted all service heading toward Bendigo and beyond and toward Melbourne.
I decide to knock it on the head and head elsewhere in the system and allowing things to settle down. Just as well I did. For hours there was mass disruption as people heading out and in were impacted it was Coaches from Southern Cross to and from Bendigo.
The Line did not resume until after 13:00 Hrs
Services have resumed following an earlier train fault at Malmsbury with delays of up to 90 minutes.
When the train resumed was returning from Wuarn Ponds and return just in time for 12:02 Echuca Service 3×2 VLocity
Closely observing the crowd I saw big crowd of travellers young and old waiting to board the service at 3A when it boarding. I noticed the train all 3×2 set was packed and overcrowded with some people standing at Southern Cross- Echuca when departing!
When I saw Shepparton and other services on other lines was having several abrupt Platform changes and I boarded another Waurn Ponds Velocity 3×2 service and head back again and call it a day.
Conclusion:
Does this warrent investigation?
How can “so called modern” train aka VLocity cause such mass disruption after breaking on route and being disabled to the point it took hrs to clear the line?
Why is most the line single line with crossing loop UP and DOWN instead of double track operation all the way and what was reasoning to remove them?
Maybe decison justifying it need to be reviewed and double track operation re evulated since there more train service in moving around in the rail corridor?
Despite the hiccups the front line workers involved in it dealt with this disruption very well and was helpful and attentive under pressure.
The locomotives will operate on a dedicated freight corridor linking Arauco’s pulp mill under construction in Inocência, Mato Grosso do Sul, to Brazil’s national railway network.
