Mr Hearsch said such facilities are available on the Albury line, which VLocity trains traverse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey\u2019re a long-distance version with more space, more comfortable seating, and they\u2019ve got \u2026 what (V\/Line) calls a \u201cCaf\u00e9 Bar\u201d on those trains, and we\u2019re saying that should be standard for all trains for journeys that now exceed two-and-a-half to three hours, which includes Bairnsdale (services),\u201d Mr Hearsch said.<\/p>\n\n\n
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The Department of Transport was approached by the Gippsland Times<\/em> for comment, with a spokesperson providing the following response:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe majority of Bairnsdale services have been operated by modern, comfortable VLocity trains since 2018 and work is under way to enable these trains to operate on all services to and from East Gippsland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe worked closely with the community to provide alternative refreshment options when VLocity trains were introduced and will investigate ways to expand this offering in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the \u201calternative refreshment options\u201d offered by V\/Line is the provision of vending machines at stations along the Gippsland line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mr Hearsch described the alternative as a \u201csecond-rate service\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSome of those vending machines aren\u2019t particularly cheap, (and) they don\u2019t always work,\u201d Mr Hearsch said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019d concede it\u2019s better than nothing; (but) it doesn\u2019t really make-up for a service on a train which is provided by a real person, and with a reasonable choice of different foods, drinks, snacks, sweets and so forth that they offer currently.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Department of Transport is apprehensive about introducing catering services on the Bairnsdale line because its VLocity trains also run on the high-patronage Ballarat line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n V\/Line estimates that 42 seats would need to be removed from a three-carriage VLocity train in order to install a catering facility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mr Hearsch believes such an issue can easily be managed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe sort of thing that should be done is that the commuter trains (without catering facilities) run the shorter distances to places like Traralgon,\u201d Mr Hearsch said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe VLocitys are designed so that they can be coupled-up to \u2026 what we call a \u2018set\u2019 \u2013 another train, almost \u2013 in no time at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo, you can still have the commuter VLocitys running to and from Traralgon, and when you get to Traralgon, you simply couple onto another three-car set which can continue on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n Another solution he offered was to have Bairnsdale services continue on another route that also offers catering facilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou can organise your schedules in such a way, for example, that a train coming from Bairnsdale then goes on to Warrnambool or Swan Hill, or vice-versa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s usually part of the solution when you have two different types of trains.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n News of the Bairnsdale passenger service losing its catering facilities is yet another blow for rail commuters in the Wellington Shire, who are already undermined by a lack of trains to Rosedale, Sale and Stratford.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just three daily V\/Line services currently operate each way between Stratford and Melbourne\u2019s Southern Cross Station.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/image-32.jpeg\")