Premier Statement: 100TH VLOCITY READY TO ROLL ON REGIONAL RAIL NETWORK

[ozbob]

Media release

From the Premier of Victoria

Friday, 4 December, 2009

100TH VLOCITY READY TO ROLL ON REGIONAL RAIL NETWORK

The 100th VLocity rail car was today added to Victoria's booming regional rail network, bringing the total number of extra seats to 7200 seats in the past four years.

In Ballarat today, the Premier John Brumby and Transport Minister Lynne Kosky today welcomed the 100th VLocity rail car ahead of its first passenger service from Ballarat to Melbourne's Southern Cross Station.

Mr Brumby said the first VLocity rail car entered service in December 2005 as the first of the upgraded Regional Fast Rail lines opened, with the fleet since carrying millions of passengers.

"We understand that quality transport connections are crucial to the liveability of our regions, which is why our Government has been making unprecedented investments in the regional rail network," Mr Brumby said.

"Fast and efficient rail links help drive growth and generate investment in our regional centres like Ballarat, Bendigo and Geelong and are part of what attracts people to live, work and raise families in regional and rural Victoria.

"The introduction of our 100th VLocity carriage comes at a time of record patronage on the V/Line network with a record 12 million trips made on the system in the past financial year, a significant increase of 9.5 per cent on the previous year.

"Today is a great milestone in the continued delivery of regional rolling stock for Victoria. The $38 billion Victorian Transport Plan allocated funding for 54 more VLocity rail carriages, 20 of which are already in service. This will bring the total number of VLocity carriages to 134 by the end of 2014."
 
Ms Kosky said with the 100th new VLocity carriage now in service, people in regional Victoria were now benefiting from more than 7,200 extra seats across the network.

"An extra 7,200 seats is terrific news for regional travellers and even better news is that there are more carriages on the way," she said.

"So far we've seen 20 carriages delivered over the past 16 months - well ahead of the initial plan to introduce an average of one more carriage per month to the network."

Each new VLocity carriage runs on up to six V/Line services each weekday, including at least one morning and evening peak service and up to four during the off-peak.

"The VLocity fleet has dramatically modernised country train services over the past four years and are very popular with V/Line customers for their speed, comfort and reliability," she said.

People may see the 100th VLocity carriage may be seen across the state as V/Line rotates the carriage around the network as part of normal fleet movements.

V/Line patronage figures are attached.

Regional Rail patronage increases:

2008-09   2007-08   2006-07   2005-06   2004-05   4 year growth increase
Geelong line passenger trips   
3.38 million (+9.5%)   3.08 million  2.57 million   2.03 million*   1.84 million*   Up 83.6%
Bendigo line passenger trips   3.06 million (+9.8%)   .78 million 2.20 million   1.47 million*   1.32 million   Up 132.3%
Ballarat line passenger trips   2.68 million (+12%)   2.39 million 1.88 million   1.37 million*   1.35 million   Up 98.8%
Gippsland line passenger trips   1.77 million (+15%)   1.54 million 1.05 million   0.82 million*   0.85 million   Up 107.4%
Seymour line passenger trips

^ Craigieburn Station transferred to Connex in 2008 and Albury line closed due to NERRPS works from Nov 2008   
1.17 million* (-3.6%)   1.21 million   1.15 million   1.05 million   0.99 million   Up 17.7%

TOTAL   12.05 million (+9.5%)   11.01 million   8.85 million 6.74 million   6.35 million   Up 89.8%

* Periods of major track upgrades (coaches replacing most or all trains)

[rob2144]

Here's a pic of the carriage taken by my friend in Melbourne

http://www.vicsig.net/photo.php?filename=20091205-1321-100th-scs-ig.jpg