V/Line - articles discussion etc

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> Few takers but Talbot's now on track

[ozbob]

Twitter

7NewsMelbourne ‏@7NewsMelbourne 20m

BREAKING: Emergency services on the scene of a train crash at Mt Moriac near #Geelong More to come http://t.co/KbCKYMjxvp

[ozbob]

Twitter

7NewsMelbourne ‏@7NewsMelbourne 20m

BREAKING: Emergency services on the scene of a train crash at Mt Moriac near #Geelong More to come http://t.co/KbCKYMjxvp

Not sure what has happened. Trying to chase info ...

[ozbob]

Truck has clipped a V/Liner ....

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

Twitter

Robert Dow ‏@Robert_Dow 4s

Collision disrupts V-Line services http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/collision-disrupts-vline-services-20130907-2tbhz.html ... via @theage

Victoria Police spokeswoman Senior Constable Melissa Seach said the end of the truck clipped a V/Line carriage at the level crossing on Pettavel Road, Freshwater Creek, but did not derail the train.

She said while five people were taken to Geelong Hospital for observation, the truck driver was not injured and is assisting police with inquiries.

A V/line spokesman said the incident will not affect people travelling from Melbourne to Geelong on Saturday.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/collision-disrupts-vline-services-20130907-2tbhz.html#ixzz2eAI6BSNw

[ozbob]

Myki and V/Line, latest ...

--> http://www.vline.com.au/fares-and-tickets/tickets/myki.html

[ozbob]

Twitter

V/Line ‏@VLine 1m

Grinder for Bairnsdale works arrived today. Works to begin next week. Services hopefully back at the end of Oct. http://t.co/MvEMUzCsiE

[ozbob]

And they made it ...   

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

Twitter

V/Line ‏@VLine 37s

Train services returned to Bairnsdale today! @VLine staff and @egsc CEO Steve Kozlowski welcomed the first train. http://t.co/NPoCZ7bxub

[ozbob]

Twitter

V/Line ‏@VLine 1h

Come and celebrate the 125th anniversary of trains to Bairnsdale. http://t.co/2J0pcyQHGr

[ozbob]

http://www.vline.com.au/home/news/carousel/2021780928/Article.aspx

Changes to Geelong line services

Public Transport Victoria, Regional Rail Link Authority and V/Line are working to improve your Geelong line train service. New tracks between South Kensington and Southern Cross Station will separate V/Line and Metro trains to improve service reliability.

From Sunday 22 December 2013:

    Most Geelong trains will use the new V/Line-only tracks
    Most Geelong trains will use the new platforms 15 and 16 at Southern Cross Station
    Geelong line trains will have a new timetable, with some trains departing earlier
    Geelong line trains will no longer stop at North Melbourne Station, however all Geelong line trains will connect with the metropolitan rail network at Footscray and Southern Cross stations.

[ozbob]

Twitter

Regional Rail Link ‏@rrlproject 4m

Minister for Public Transport Terry Mulder marks the opening of new platforms 15&16 @SthCrossStation, built by RRL http://t.co/GuojStc5oY

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> No trains on Ballarat, Bendigo, Sunbury lines for three weeks

[ozbob]

Good one V/Line!   

[ozbob]

http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/media-centre/media-releases/9571-coalition-to-fix-mobile-blackspots-and-deliver-free-wi-fi-on-vlocity-trains.html

Coalition to fix mobile blackspots and deliver free Wi-Fi on VLocity trains

    Tuesday, 08 April 2014

Regional Victorians are set to receive better internet connectivity, with Premier Denis Napthine today announcing $40 million to fix mobile blackspots and to deliver free Wi-Fi on a number of V/Line train services.

Joined in Geelong by Minister for Technology Gordon Rich-Phillips, Dr Napthine said a collaborative process with the Commonwealth Government and mobile infrastructure providers would soon commence.

An Expressions of Interest (EOI) process will secure Victorian Government-sponsored Wi-Fi aboard V/Line's VLocity carriages operating between Melbourne and Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Seymour and Traralgon.

"This announcement will be of enormous benefit to thousands of commuters, with more than 13 million passenger trips recorded between these regional centres and Melbourne each year," Dr Napthine said.

"Eliminating these blackspots along train lines means commuters will be able to access emails, social media and work.

"As part of the project, the Government will invest in a public Wi-Fi service on these trains to ensure that all commuters have uninterrupted access to the internet for the duration of their journey.

"Commuters travelling beyond these regional centres will also be able to access more reliable mobile services, with the Coalition Government also addressing mobile blackspots across Victoria more broadly.

"This funding will improve mobile coverage for regional towns affected by mobile blackspots. Around 40,000 Victorians live in areas where mobile coverage is poor or non-existent."

Mr Rich-Phillips said the Coalition Government was committed to ensuring that more regional Victorians were connected and mobile in the digital age.

"There is more than 620 kilometres of track between Melbourne and these five regional centres, with commuters currently facing little or no mobile data coverage along approximately 40 per cent of this network," Mr Rich-Phillips said.

"This announcement will see the construction of new towers to provide better coverage around the state."

The Government will consider rolling out Wi-Fi services across the V/Line network more broadly following the successful implementation of these five initial services.

[Fares_Fair]

20 Mb anyone?

I had the joy of retweeting a Tweet of this news story from Channel 9 Melbourne, via @QueenslandRail 's Wi-Fi.   

Here's hoping that the NGR trains come with Wi-Fi suitable for 2 hour train trip commuters - 20Mb (or around 20 minutes use - this can vary greatly) really doesn't cut it.
My 'Words with Friends' scrabble game used to give it a hernia (along with illegal use warnings).

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> Caroline Springs' wait for a station finally ends

[ozbob]

Twitter

Vicsig @vicsig  · 

VL40 is the first train in the V/Line version of the PTV livery.

[ozbob]

http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/media-centre/media-releases/10353-8-6-million-in-v-line-ararat-line-trackworks-benefits-western-victoria.html

$8.6 million in V/Line Ararat line trackworks benefits western Victoria

Wednesday, 02 July 2014

V/Line's $8.6 million worth of trackworks on the Ararat line will benefit Beaufort and Ararat travellers, V/Line connecting coach patrons to and from Stawell, Horsham, Dimboola, Nhill and Halls Gap, Minister for Public Transport Terry Mulder said today.

"The Victorian Coalition Government continues to heavily invest in Victoria's rural rail network," Mr Mulder said.

Mr Mulder said that V/Line was installing 13,600 new concrete sleepers and 22,400 new timber sleepers on the 90 kilometre line.

"The project also includes $1.5 million in renewal works at 14 level crossings to improve the rail line and road condition.

"I would like to thank the 52 V/Line staff and contractors who have worked on autumn and winter nights between 8pm and 6am to rehabilitate the Ararat line."

The Ararat line's upgrade commenced on 24 May 2014 and will be complete by mid-July. Up to 1,200 sleepers a night have been installed.

Liberal Candidate for Ripon Louise Staley welcomed the works.

"The Napthine Coalition Government continues to heavily invest in Victoria's rural rail network," Ms Staley said.

"The Ararat line's rehabilitation will ensure it carries the 19 weekly V/Line trains."

Nationals Candidate for Ripon Scott Turner said that the Ararat trains provided a vital link for much of Western Victoria.

"The Coalition Government is committed to investing in the rail line given Ararat's employment growth," Mr Turner said.

The concrete sleepers are being installed on curves to improve track stability and reduce the need for temporary speed restrictions that have slowed VLocity railcars down to 80 or 90km/h instead of the normal 130km/h.

V/Line's track gang has also removed fouled ballast and repaired mud holes affecting 1.5 kilometres of track, while 16 bridges and culverts are having new concrete sleepers installed.

The works program includes clearing vegetation from drains to improve drainage alongside the line.

"We have already reopened the Dimboola to Rainbow line for grain trains, while the Regional Rail Link project for Ballarat, Ararat and Maryborough passengers is ahead of schedule and well below budget," Mr Mulder said.

At a glance, the upgrade involves:

    22,400 timber sleepers;
    12,600 concrete sleepers on curves;
    1,000 concrete sleepers on bridges;
    9,000 tonnes of ballast;
    14 level crossings renewed (10 gravel and 4 sealed crossings); and
    16 bridges upgraded to concrete sleepers.

[Stillwater]

Melbourne-Ararat roughly the same distance as Brisbane to Tiaro (between Gympie and Maryborough)

[ozbob]

Railway Gazette --> Solar powered level crossing for remote locations

[ozbob]

Weekly Times --> V/Line have been left red faced and facing safety questions after a train driver failed to stop at Trafalgar with a train full of school children two days in a row

[ozbob]

The Border Mail -->V/Line operates a lean, hungry service as buffet service shut down

[Fares_Fair]

The Border Mail -->V/Line operates a lean, hungry service as buffet service shut down

nooooooo   

[ozbob]

The Border Mail -->V/Line operates a lean, hungry service as buffet service shut down

nooooooo   

^ staff issues due to shortage due to winter chills and ills ... not canned ..  temporary issue ..

[ozbob]

Ooops ...

Twitter

Dean Felton ‏@DeanFelton7

V Line train rear ends Metro service at Laverton. No word of injuries. Major delays. @7NewsMelbourne

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> Train crash at Altona leaves nine injured

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> Altona train crash under investigation

[Fares_Fair]

The Border Mail -->V/Line operates a lean, hungry service as buffet service shut down

nooooooo   

^ staff issues due to shortage due to winter chills and ills ... not canned ..  temporary issue ..

[ozbob]

http://www.vline.com.au/home/news/carousel/913827136/Article.aspx

New timetables

    New station at Waurn Ponds
    New station at Epsom

New stations are opening at Waurn Ponds on the Geelong line and at Epsom on the Bendigo line on Sunday 12 October.

New timetables will apply for the Geelong and Bendigo lines from Sunday 12 October which will see the introduction of train services from these stations.

A new Shepparton train service is also being added which will see new timetables introduced for the Seymour and Shepparton lines.

There will also be a new timetable for the Ballarat line.

Community celebrations are being held at Epsom on Saturday 11 October and at Waurn Ponds on Sunday 12 October.

[ozbob]

http://www.vline.com.au/home/news/carousel/1365011120/Article.aspx

Epsom and Waurn Ponds station openings

Community celebrations will be held this weekend to acknowledge the openings of the new Epsom and Waurn Ponds stations.

Come along to join the festivities, have a piece of cake and witness the official openings of new additions to the V/Line network.

Epsom Station community day

When: Saturday 11 October
Time: 10:00am – 12 noon
Where: Epsom Railway Station, corner of Howard and Station streets, Epsom
About the station: the new, fully accessible Epsom Station is located on the Echuca line. The station features 100 parking spaces and will service four trains each weekday. The people of Epsom will have a rail connection for the first time in 40 years, giving them an alternative to using their car.

Although the community celebration will take place on the Saturday, the first train to leave from Epsom Station will be at 10:10am on Sunday 12 October.

--

Waurn Ponds Station community day

When: Sunday 12 October
Time: 10:00am – 12 noon
Where: Waurn Ponds Railway Station, Sugargum Drive, Waurn Ponds
About the station: the new Waurn Ponds Station is built on the existing Geelong-Warrnambool line and will provide easy access to the Surf Coast, Torquay and Geelong's fast-expanding southern suburbs. It will also give customers an alternative to using Marshall Station.

The station has a car park with 292 spaces, a bus bay and taxi rank, CCTV cameras, a V/Line booking office, fully accessible facilities as well as a secure Parkiteer bicycle cage.

Waurn Ponds will be serviced by more than 100 return services a week including four trains in the morning peak and three in the afternoon peak.

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

Great to see the rural rail recovery happening down south ... 

[ozbob]

Weekly Times --> Gippsland train disruption blow to government re-election hopes

UPDATE: Gippsland train services will be thrown into disarray during the height of next month's Victorian election.

Engineers have recommended major work on the line, to begin tomorrow, for up to two months after the discovery a fault at the Morwell River Bridge.

It's understood V/Line and the Victorian Government were informed of the discovery yesterday.

Trains to and from Southern Cross station from Traralgon were running as scheduled today.

The disruption to cervices could prove a major blow to the Premier Denis Napthine's re-election hopes who would face the disruption during campaigning for the November 29 poll.

Nationals MP and Energy Minister Russell Northe is already under pressure to hold his Latrobe Valley seat of Morwell amid the fallout from the Hazelwood mine fire.

Commuters in the adjacent electorate of Gippsland South, held Nationals leader Peter Ryan, would also be affected.

V/Line today said it would offer free trains and coaches to passengers on the Gippsland and Bairnsdale lines until further notice.

Coaches will replace trains between Moe and Traralgon for "a few weeks" while V/Line carried out planned replacement of under-track pipes at the Morwell River, 141km from Melbourne.

The company said corrosion of the four corrugated steel pipes had brought forward the need for the works, which would require temporary closure of a short section of track.

V/Line chief executive Theo Taifalos said that once works were completed, the current 30km-an-hour-train speed restrictions would be lifted and the line speed of 160km/h could be resumed.

Mr Taifalos said he had hoped the bridge renewal works could be done in December, but the safety of customers and staff came first.

"The uniform thickness of the corrugated steel has deteriorated and the culverts should be replaced before there is any safety risk," Mr Taifalos said.

"The replacement of these pipes is part of an ongoing maintenance program to ensure our rail infrastructure continues to meet or exceed safety standards.

"Work crews will be on site from this weekend to prepare the site for construction, including making space for a 600 tonne mobile crane to lift 23 metre bridge spans into place."

The new section will be supported by 32 metre concrete piles on either side of the culverts, with reinforced abutments and spans to ensure a sturdy independent structure.

"Rest assured we have a comprehensive coach plan in place to get our customers to their destinations. Our trains will run between Melbourne and Moe and between Traralgon and Bairnsdale in both directions.

"The $4 million works will create a strong, long term solution to this crossing of the Morwell River."

Regional train services were at the heart of Jeff Kennett's Coalition Government being thrown out of after the 1999 poll following the election of three key independents.

Gippsland East's Craig Ingram backed Labor leader Steve Bracks after he promised to return train services to Bairnsdale.

The Gippsland line has been plagued by problem during the past two years.

The track between Morwell and Moe was damaged in late August 2012 when heavy rains weakened its structure and caused it to sink.

Services were suspended between March and October last year because of level crossing safety concerns east of Traralgon.

It was discovered that 32 level crossings on the line between Traralgon and Sale were failing to consistently detect approaching trains in time to activate boom gates.

Government figures released earlier this year showed the Gippsland line had consistently recorded the worst punctuality the state.

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> V/Line train chaos around Morwell during election

[ozbob]

Twitter

V/Line GippslandLine @vline_gippsland

The Morwell bridge is up and will be ready for the return of #vline services from monday 17th November



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

Good, hope to travel over it in December ... 

[ozbob]

Twitter

V/Line GippslandLine ‏@vline_gippsland

The Morwell bridge is up and will be ready for the return of #vline services from Monday 17th November

[red dragin]

Amazing how quickly work can be done with a little "election" encouragement.

[ozbob]

Twitter

V/Line GippslandLine ‏@vline_gippsland

Train services have resumed between Moe and Traralgon on Monday 17 November. Info: http://www.vline.com.au/home/news/carousel/406956012/Article.aspx ... #vline

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> Years of under-funding has left country rail in poor state: V/Line

[Stillwater]

"The Napthine government has made several funding announcements for regional rail in this election campaign. Last week, it promised 50 extra weekly train trips to Ballarat and the duplication of part of the Gippsland line as part of a $178 million boost to V/Line train services."



It is interesting that governments talk about spending by the blue team is $xx million more than spending by the red team, when common sense says it should be to take account of inflation.  Also, as maintenance is curtailed below optimum levels, the more money (over and above inflation) is required as deterioration accelerates.  It follows that even more money is needed to catch up.

For instance, is $211 million an appropriate amount for annual maintenance and upgrades on the NCL?  Forget Morwell Bridge, what about Burnett River rail bridge where train speed restrictions of 15 km/hr apply and for how long can all trains pass down a city street in the middle of Rockhampton?

There are a couple of pubs in the street and one declares 'happy hour' prices for the duration of time it takes  a train to pass by the main bar.

[ozbob]

http://www.vline.com.au/home/news/alllinesservicechanges/888178975/
   
Travel during 2014-15 holiday season

Travel will be free on Christmas Day and for all services departing after 6pm on New Year's Eve.

Free travel is also available on the first service leaving Melbourne to every regional destination
on 1 January 2015.

If you are travelling with myki please do not touch on/off during the free travel period.

Free travel on Christmas Day has been very popular in previous years and trains are expected
to fill quickly.

While trains to Geelong, Ballarat, Maryborough, Ararat, Echuca, Bendigo, Seymour
and Traralgon do not require bookings, people are encouraged to travel early (before 10am
where possible).

V/Line long distance services to Warrnambool, Bairnsdale, Swan Hill, Shepparton and Albury require reservations.

Please call 1800 800 007 to make a booking.

Customers who have pre-purchased tickets to travel on Christmas Day or New Year's Eve are entitled to a refund. No refunds or extensions will be given on multi-trip tickets such as Weekly, Monthly and Date to Date tickets or myki pass. Customers who touch on their myki on free travel days are not entitled to a refund.

Free travel is offered on a first-come first-served basis and due to public holiday constraints, back-up coaches will not be available to carry additional customers once trains are full.

We wish you a very Merry Christmas and a happy and safe 2015.

[pandmaster]

Why not turn the Myki readers off?

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> Heat prompts V/Line to slow trains for safety