Article: Fare go for our country trains

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From the Herald Sun click here!

Fare go for our country trains

Fare go for our country trains
Article from: Herald Sun

John Ferguson

November 10, 2008 12:00am

CUT-price train fares to rural Victoria during off-peak times will be promoted to shore up tourism in country areas.

V/Line is planning an advertising blitz to encourage Melbourne families to take advantage of cheaper fares to places including Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo and Echuca.

The campaign, See Things Differently, was launched yesterday by Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky.

It comes as Connex today launches 277 new services and 51 extended services a week on the overcrowded Melbourne train network.

In the V/Line deal, commuters will save $5.30 for every child that travels to regional and country Victoria.

Under the fare scheme, it will cost a family of up to six $24.80 to travel return to Geelong, $40 to Ballarat, $60 to Bendigo and $77.60 to Echuca.

This will cover two adults and up to four children.

V/Line chief executive Rob Barnett said off-peak outbound trains were much less patronised than peak Melbourne-bound services.

"Regional commuters have been a major force behind patronage records (being broken) four times this year already and as a result we have some busy peak trains," he said.

"But this boom is largely one-way traffic, so there's big potential to grow passenger numbers on off-peak and weekend trains."

The Connex extra peak services in the city, announced last month, include the 7.17am and 8am from Epping, the 7.01am and 8.23am from Werribee, and the 7.25am and 8.13am from Sydenham.

The extra services come as Epping and Hurstbridge lines change to run permanently clockwise to Flinders St, rather than travel around the loop. Werribee line trains will run direct to and from Flinders St.

Campaign here --> http://www.vline.com.au/home/news/en/46/1541/article.aspx