VLine - New train & bus timetables

[ozbob]

http://www.vline.com.au/home/news/carousel/845834201/Article.aspx

New train & bus timetables

Posted 14 April, 2011

A new statewide timetable change will come into effect from Sunday, 8 May 2011.

All V/Line train and bus schedules will change to reflect major updates to Metro's suburban train services.

Full details will be posted on this website from Thursday, 21 April, although in most cases services will leave a few minutes earlier or later than current times.

Among the more significant changes from 8 May:

    * Geelong line trains will run to a suburban-style frequency during the busiest times of the day. Weekday trains will arrive in Melbourne every 11 minutes on average from 7:25am to 9:05am (nine trains), and will depart Melbourne for Geelong every 13 minutes on average between 4pm and 6pm (nine trains) in the evening.

          o An extra Geelong train will be added to each of the morning and evening peaks to make the high-frequency service possible.  The boost will see a much-needed 664 seats added to peak Geelong trains each weekday.  See also the Geelong media release.

    * The Bendigo line will see an additional train depart Eaglehawk at 15:50 and arrive in Melbourne at 17:57 to cater for football crowds and other evening events.

          o An extra VLocity carriage (80 seats) will be added to the current 06:02 Bendigo to Melbourne (altered to depart at Eaglehawk at 05:46).
          o Gisborne residents will benefit from an extra Melbourne-bound peak service at 6:41am, closing the current 58 minute gap in services.  This is in response to long-running customer feedback for a Bendigo express train to stop at Gisborne.  See also the Bendigo media release.

    * Ballan commuters on the Ballarat line will benefit from two extra peak services.  The 07:38 Wendouree to Southern Cross train (changed to depart at 07:33) and afternoon 16:37 Southern Cross to Wendouree (changed to depart at 16:36) will both stop at Ballan.  This closes a gap of up to 95 minutes in morning peak services for Ballan in response to customer feedback.

          o A new VLocity carriage will also be added to the 16:36 Southern Cross to Wendouree express service, boosting it from three carriages to four which will add another 72 seats.  See also the Ballarat media release.

    * Gippsland line commuters will soon see a service arrive in Traralgon before 9am. Following community calls for the change, the current 06:44 Southern Cross to Traralgon train has been altered to depart earlier at 06:28 so it arrives into Traralgon at 08:51.  See also the Gippsland media release.

    * Several Seymour line trains will leave earlier during the morning peak following a major rework of Metro's suburban services in the area.  See also the Seymour media release.

Full timetables can be downloaded from this website from Thursday 21 April, and printed timetables will be available at staffed stations from 4 May.

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

15th April 2011

It's time alright ..

Good Morning,

Thought I would share this piece of timetable reality.

A long haul interurban service in Victoria (Geelong <-> Melbourne) has a better service frequency that almost the entire south-east Queensland rail network ...

Sunshine Coast commuters continue to battle for a service that is truly functional --> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=5742.0

Off peak train frequency particularly in south-east Queensland outside Darra to Northgate remains 'worlds worst practice' ..

A frequency and a fare structure that encourages public transport utilisation in other states.  Time is running out for Queensland ...

Best wishes,
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org


==================

http://www.vline.com.au/home/news/carousel/845834201/Article.aspx

New train & bus timetables

Posted 14 April, 2011

A new statewide timetable change will come into effect from Sunday, 8 May 2011.

All V/Line train and bus schedules will change to reflect major updates to Metro's suburban train services.

Full details will be posted on this website from Thursday, 21 April, although in most cases services will leave a few minutes earlier or later than current times.

Among the more significant changes from 8 May:

    * Geelong line trains will run to a suburban-style frequency during the busiest times of the day. Weekday trains will arrive in Melbourne every 11 minutes on average from 7:25am to 9:05am (nine trains), and will depart Melbourne for Geelong every 13 minutes on average between 4pm and 6pm (nine trains) in the evening.

          o An extra Geelong train will be added to each of the morning and evening peaks to make the high-frequency service possible.  The boost will see a much-needed 664 seats added to peak Geelong trains each weekday.  See also the Geelong media release.

    * The Bendigo line will see an additional train depart Eaglehawk at 15:50 and arrive in Melbourne at 17:57 to cater for football crowds and other evening events.

          o An extra VLocity carriage (80 seats) will be added to the current 06:02 Bendigo to Melbourne (altered to depart at Eaglehawk at 05:46).
          o Gisborne residents will benefit from an extra Melbourne-bound peak service at 6:41am, closing the current 58 minute gap in services.  This is in response to long-running customer feedback for a Bendigo express train to stop at Gisborne.  See also the Bendigo media release.

    * Ballan commuters on the Ballarat line will benefit from two extra peak services.  The 07:38 Wendouree to Southern Cross train (changed to depart at 07:33) and afternoon 16:37 Southern Cross to Wendouree (changed to depart at 16:36) will both stop at Ballan.  This closes a gap of up to 95 minutes in morning peak services for Ballan in response to customer feedback.

          o A new VLocity carriage will also be added to the 16:36 Southern Cross to Wendouree express service, boosting it from three carriages to four which will add another 72 seats.  See also the Ballarat media release.

    * Gippsland line commuters will soon see a service arrive in Traralgon before 9am. Following community calls for the change, the current 06:44 Southern Cross to Traralgon train has been altered to depart earlier at 06:28 so it arrives into Traralgon at 08:51.  See also the Gippsland media release.

    * Several Seymour line trains will leave earlier during the morning peak following a major rework of Metro's suburban services in the area.  See also the Seymour media release.

Full timetables can be downloaded from this website from Thursday 21 April, and printed timetables will be available at staffed stations from 4 May.

[ozbob]

http://www.vline.com.au/about/news/mediareleases/1417652551/Article.aspx   

High frequency peak trains for Geelong from May

Geelong trains will run to a suburban-style frequency during the busiest times of the day from early May, Minister for Public Transport Terry Mulder announced today.

Weekday trains will arrive in Melbourne every 11 minutes on average from 7:25am to 9:05am (nine trains), and will depart Melbourne for Geelong every 13 minutes on average between 4pm and 6pm (nine trains) in the evening.

An extra train will be added to each of the morning and evening peaks to make the high-frequency service possible.

The boost will see a much-needed 664 seats added to peak Geelong trains each day from May 8 when a new state-wide V/Line and Metro train timetable is introduced. The changes will also affect Warrnambool trains which will leave at different times.

Mr Mulder said the extra morning train, a six-carriage VLocity, will depart Marshall at 07:08am and arrive at Southern Cross Station at 08:22am. The extra afternoon service, a four-carriage N-Set train, will leave Melbourne at 4:47pm and arrive at Geelong at 5:53pm.

"By wiping the timetable clean, Metro and V/Line have been able to better fit their services together," Mr Mulder said.

"The Geelong line is one of Australia's busiest country train lines, growing 89% between 2005 and 2010."

"Recent counts are showing that rising petrol prices are encouraging another spike in train use, with patronage up 22% in March 2011 compared to the same time last year during peak periods," Mr Mulder said.

V/Line Regional Manager Peter Gibson said the addition of the new trains and changes to other departure times would help to better spread passenger loads.

"These changes follow several months of work with Metro and feedback from our customers," he said.

Mr Gibson said customers had also strongly emphasised the need for timetables to better reflect slower sections of the metropolitan network, so extra time had been added to some trains.

"Overwhelmingly people are telling us that the most important thing is that trains arrive when scheduled. This timetable reflects actual running times from recent months," Mr Gibson said.

"Some past timetables have not been quick enough to respond to the changing environment in Melbourne, and our customers rightly want more certainty to their travel and arrival times."

"This is the first time since 1999 that Metro or its predecessors have completely reworked the metropolitan network schedule. In the past, trains have been squeezed into busy timetables which have given us extra seats, but created punctuality problems."

"The new timetable and extra trains will be continually monitored for its punctuality and seating levels so we can keep improving as more and more Geelong people leave their cars for trains into Melbourne."

Printed timetables will be available from 4 May at staffed stations. Copies can be downloaded from vline.com.au from Thursday 21 April.

[ozbob]

New VLine timetables available online --> http://www.vline.com.au/timetables/timetables/upcomingtt.html

[ozbob]

From The Courier click here!

Ballarat commuter anger: V/Line drops express

Ballarat commuter anger: V/Line drops express
BY TOM MCILROY
24 Apr, 2011 10:30 PM

BALLARAT train commuters are angry after new V/Line timetables show increased travel times to and from Melbourne, and the loss of a 64-minute service to Southern Cross Station.

The new timetable on the Wendouree-Ballarat-Melbourne line will add a further five minutes to travel time, as a morning and evening express service is lost due to a new stop at Ballan.

The timetable, released on Friday and due to come into effect on May 8, has left passengers like Ballarat resident Craig Bridgman disappointed.

"It's fine if you live in Ballan, but what about the Ballarat passengers who moved to the area because of the so-called 'flagship' express train? They haven't made the right decision on this one," Mr Bridgman said.

Analysis by The Courier has found that travel times on all Melbourne-bound morning trains will increase between three and five minutes from a year ago.

Travel times on evening services from Melbourne to Ballarat will also increase by as much as five minutes.

V/Line said the changes were necessary to provide better services for Ballan commuters.

Spokeswoman Clare Steele said the morning 7:38am service will be moved forward by five minutes but will still arrive into Melbourne at 8:50am.

"Therefore, it's changed from a 72-minute service to a 77-minute service to account for the Ballan stop," she said.

"This closes a 95-minute gap for Ballan people.

"And so, it's only a few extra minutes each way, and we know people would prefer the timetable to reflect travel times as accurately as possible."

An extra carriage will also be added to the 4:36pm Southern Cross to Wendouree service, boosting it from three carriages to four and add another 72 seats.

Mr Bridgman welcomed the extra carriage but laughed at claims that the service was "an express."

"Stopping at Ballan just adds extra time for those of us who just want to get home and there are already enough people on those carriages," he said.

Public Transport Users Association president Daniel Bowen said a better balance had to be found for train services.

"Obviously the new stops are a plus for passengers who live in Ballan, but the disappointment is understandable from Ballarat's perspective.

"Hopefully V/Line will resolve the issues on the Ballarat line and fix punctuality issues that have existed for a long time there," he said.

He said the passengers had the right to be skeptical about times listed in V/Line timetables.

"On paper the times are one thing, but passengers onboard every day will know of significant delays."

He called for a solution to the problem of delays between North Melbourne and Southern Cross and for more trains across the network.

"It's a crawling pace in that area, and it slows down the whole trip.

V/Line needs to get that sorted out," Mr Bowen said.

"Each of these towns needs more services if we are to rely on trains for reliable travel," he

said.

Mr Bridgman said he knew of Ballarat-based real estate agencies who used the 64-minute train service as a selling point for local house sales and rentals.

"This kind of change to the timetable makes the term 'fast rail' a bit of a joke for all of us here in Ballarat," he said.

[ozbob]

From the Herald Sun click here!

V/Line users fear longer travel times after timetable revamp

V/Line users fear longer travel times after timetable revamp

    Anne Wright
    From: Herald Sun
    April 27, 2011 6:16AM

A REVAMP of V/Line's regional timetable has angered commuters across Victoria, who say their travel times will be longer as a result.

The new timetables for trains across Victoria, reveal an overhaul that extends the travelling time on some services on the Geelong and Ballarat lines, and changes of departure times on others.

The new schedules are the evidence of broken promises from the former Labor Government, with none of the four major routes close to the promised travel routes.

In 1999 it was promised that commuters travelling from Melbourne would reach Ballarat in 60 minutes, Bendigo in 80, Geelong in 45 and Traralgon in 90.

Geelong's fastest service takes 58 minutes to reach Southern Cross station, where express services from Melbourne to Ballarat average at 87 minutes.

The 16.52 express train from Melbourne to Bendigo takes 87 minutes, while travellers on the 12.25pm train from Southern Cross to Traralgon will arrive in 126 minutes.An extra stop at Ballan on the Ballarat express line to Melbourne means commuters will have to leave five minutes earlier on the flagship 7.38am service but will arrive in the city the same time as usual.

V/Line Regional Manager Peter Gibson said he hoped Ballarat commuters would be understanding of "the need to provide an equally good service for Ballan residents".

But it is not just Ballarat commuters who are peeved about the timetables, Geelong commuters are also seething over the changes.

In Geelong, changes to the timetable reveal between three and five extra minutes on many morning peak services.

In Ballarat, the addition of the Ballan stop will see the express service blown out by three or four minutes.

And in Bendigo, an extra stop at Gisborne will see the travel time of 5.46am express extended by a few minutes.

V/Line Regional Manager for that area, James Edmiston, said Bendigo commuters would experience a few minutes extra travel time and needed to be understanding of needs of other commuters on the Gisborne stop.

Public Transport Users Association president Daniel Bowen said the shake-up of the timetable was needed and commuters must be patient if their services had been extended to allow for an extra stop.

"The timetable changes reflect what actually is happening," he said.

"Certainly commuters are not happy in places like Ballarat and Geelong."

Mr Bowen urged passengers to check the timetables as changes to departure times might cause some to miss trains when the new schedules are implemented on May 8.

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Timetable retune to fit train delays

Timetable retune to fit train delays
Clay Lucas
May 10, 2011

HOW does a rail operator avoid running its trains late? If you are V/Line, the answer is simple: just add between three and six minutes to the timetable.

While most attention focused yesterday on Metro's new timetable for Melbourne, V/Line also brought in a new regional schedule.

With approval from the Department of Transport, V/Line management has added between three and six minutes to the scheduled times of most country services.

In the most extreme cases - such as the 5.50pm from Bairnsdale to Melbourne - up to 10 minutes have been added to train travel times.

''It's about making sure the timetables reflect the travelling times that passengers have been experiencing,'' V/Line spokesman James Kelly said.

It was important travellers had a reliable timetable, and the operator had found it very difficult to meet the old schedule, he said.

While it is government-owned, V/Line must still hand over penalty payments if it fails to meet its punctuality targets. Over the past five years, V/Line has repeatedly failed to meet them.

''It's not about trying to avoid any form of government penalties for meeting our punctuality targets,'' Mr Kelly said. ''By putting in extra time we are hoping people will have a more reliable journey.''

V/Line trains encounter their worst delays on entering the suburban areas, where they share tracks with Metro services. And, since 2004, there has been an increase in V/Line patronage of 97 per cent, slowing services as more passengers get on and off at each stop.

The Public Transport Users Association's regional members said V/Line had taken the easy option of changing the timetables, instead of working harder to run trains on time.

''People prefer it to be predictable, so I guess being honest about it is preferable,'' said Paul Westcott, the association's Geelong branch convener.

The previous government's expenditure on the Regional Fast Rail project, which tried to speed up V/Line services, meant they could never have got away with slackening off the timetable, Mr Westcott said.

V/Line's performance for running the trains punctually will now be measured against the new timetable, a spokeswoman for the Department of Transport, Jo Davie, confirmed.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/timetable-retune-to-fit-train-delays-20110509-1efsg.html#ixzz1LvPGNEqA

[#Metro]

Maybe we should just add 1 hour to cover all eventualities....

[Stillwater]

Its the logic that says we can cut the road toll by making every vehicle run at 25 km/hr.  Somewhere there is a group of government officials who can debate an issue to that point.

[ozbob]

VLine services are regularly impacted by Metro issues, and the lack of train paths through the 'burbs.  For example on Dandenong line the VLiners often get caught behind a sparks.  They crawl along.  Same on the other side of Melbourne, hence the RRL ...  I think a tunnel is  the go from Caulfield to Clayton.