V/Line - articles discussion etc

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https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/879460361874808833

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https://twitter.com/adamlcarey/status/882036924025716736

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Rail Express --> Winner announced for $518m Ballarat upgrade


Ballarat Line. Photo: Marcus Wong / Creative Commons

A preferred party has been selected from five finalists for the Andrews Government's $518 million upgrade to the Ballarat line.

Premier Daniel Andrews announced on Tuesday that a consortium of Lendlease, Coleman Rail, and SMEC had been selected as preferred bidder for the contract.

The news comes a week after Andrews claimed a victory over the Federal Government, securing $1.4 billion in Commonwealth funding for regional rail projects – half a billion of which will go towards the Ballarat upgrade.

The upgrade will duplicate 18 kilometres of track between Deer Park West and Melton, paving the way for future electrification to Melton, the premier said.

The Lendlease, Coleman Rail and SMEC consortium was one of the five shortlisted parties announced for the contract in June.

A consortium of John Holland, Arcadis and KBR; a consortium of Laing O'Rourke and AECOM; a consortium of CPB Contractors and WSP; and a consortium of McConnell Dowell, RCR O'Donnell Griffin, Arup and GHD were also shortlisted.

Along with the duplication, the project aims to deliver extra passing loops, new train stabling, better stations, and more car parking. It will also relocate stabling at Bacchus Marsh station to Maddingley.

"We're not wasting a moment upgrading the Ballarat line, and every regional passenger line in Victoria," Andrews said. "We won the fight to revive regional rail and now we're getting on with building the projects that regional Victorians need."

The state says the upgrade project will enable more trains to run more often in Melbourne's west. It says the project will create up to 400 jobs during construction.

Over 200 site investigations have been conducted and nearly 90 boreholes have been dug since February, to help the Melbourne Metro Rail Authority understand ground conditions along the Ballarat corridor.

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https://twitter.com/VicGovAu/status/888205700085800960

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https://twitter.com/VLine/status/888283656862654466

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Victorian Auditor General --> V/Line Passenger Services

Audit

V/Line offers an important service to regional communities—it provides access to services, education and employment across the state. V/Line operates and maintains a fleet of 372 passenger trains and carriages, and 3 520 kilometres of rail track used by passenger and freight services. More than 1 250 V/Line-branded coach services also operate every week, connecting the rail network with regional communities not serviced by trains.

In 2015–16, V/Line carried 17.7 million passengers—16.3 million on trains and 1.4 million on coaches—an increase of 88.3 per cent since 2006–07 and well beyond V/Line's expectations. In this audit, we assessed whether V/Line regional passenger services are efficient and meet the needs of public transport users, and whether it is adequately prepared to sustain and improve performance in the future.

We focused on V/Line's performance and how it is managing current and future challenges. We also examined Public Transport Victoria's (PTV) and the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources' (DEDJTR) roles in overseeing and monitoring V/Line's operational performance and the Department of Treasury and Finance's role in monitoring V/Line's financial performance.

We made four recommendations to V/Line and two each to PTV and DEDJTR.

More >> https://www.audit.vic.gov.au/report/vline-passenger-services

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https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/895189241344311296

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https://twitter.com/RailExpressNews/status/895337751003881474

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V/Line has a chronic rolling-stock shortfall.  This, and the lack of train paths in and out of the Melbourne network really makes it difficult.

Usual story of lack of pro-active investment by successive Governments ...

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https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/895363776177774592

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https://twitter.com/globalrailnews/status/897383396690853888

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The Courier --> Location selected for Ballan train loop

A crucial element of the state government's $518 million upgrade to the Ballarat line is one step closer after a preferred location for the Ballan loop was decided on.

The preferred design will see the loop begin west of the Ingliston Road level crossing and end about two kilometres west of the Geelong-Ballan Road.  The route was one of two locations considered by engineers.

The new track is one of three loops planned for in the line upgrade, with Warrenheip and Spreadeagle also set to house duplicated lines.   

The Spreadeagle development will replace the existing Bungaree loop, which is set to be decommissioned once its replacement is completed.

In a statement Buninyong MP Geoff Howard said the investment in the Ballarat line would be a major stimulus to the city's economy during construction and into the future.

"Passengers who use Ballan station every day will see the benefits of these upgrades with a more efficient, frequent and reliable rail service to get where they need to be," Mr Howard said.   

Geotechnical investigations for the Ballan loop began back in February, which involved engineers digging boreholes and test pits to gather soil samples.  The new loop is part of a suite of developments for the Ballan station pledged in the 2016/17 state budget, which will see the station gain an extra platform.

As well as the new 180-metre platform, a pedestrian link will also be built between the two platforms.

While the upgrade will not necessarily improve travel time of V/Line passengers, it will improve reliability as it will remove the need for trains to stop on the tracks while services coming in the opposite direction pull into the station.

Construction on the Ballan loop is expected to begin early in early 2018 and should be completed by late 2019 alongside the bulk of upgrades from the $518 million investment.

The overall project is expected to generate 400 jobs during construction.

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https://twitter.com/theweeklytimes/status/915407306338086912

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https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/another-four-level-crossings-upgraded/

21 November 2017

Another Four Level Crossings Upgraded

Minister for Public Transport


Four more level crossings on the Warrnambool line have been upgraded as part of the Andrews Labor Government's $10 million investment to boost safety and make trains more reliable for local passengers.

V/Line crews have installed boom gates, bells, flashing lights and axle counters at Powers Lane in Birregurra, Cameron Street in Terang, Coombs Road in Terang and Harris Lane in Terang.

The upgrades will improve warnings for motorists approaching the railway line and the detection of V/Line trains at the level crossings, making them safer.

The completion of works at these level crossings means 14 have now been upgraded on the Warrnambool line as part of the Labor Government's $10 million investment that once complete will see 22 road level crossings on the Warrnambool line converted to fully active crossings by the end of this year.

Once works are completed, temporary speed restrictions through the crossings will be lifted.

The works are part of the Labor Government's Safer Country Crossings program, which is upgrading more than 50 high-risk regional level crossings across Victoria.

In a further boost, V/Line staff and contractors started more than $200,000 in improvement works on the Geelong and Warrnambool last weekend, helping ensure the line remains safe and reliable for local passengers.

The works on the Warrnambool section involved track resurfacing and welding, vegetation removal and testing the activation technology at level crossings along the line.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan

"Upgrading these crossings will boost safety for locals, passengers and motorists, and make trains more reliable."

"We've already upgraded 14 crossings on the Warrnambool line, and the remaining eight will be completed by the end of the year – allowing temporary speed restrictions to be progressively removed."

Quote attributable to Member for Western Victoria Gayle Tierney

"This is a big win for Warrnambool line passengers and communities throughout the south east – making them safer and delivering more reliable train services every day."

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ABC News --> Peak-hour VLine services at capacity; commuters say cramped journey like 'travelling in cattle truck'

Many of Victoria's V/Line train services are overcrowded and at capacity before they have even reached their busiest stations, just two years after a multi-billion-dollar upgrade to the state's Regional Rail Link.

In 2015 $3.65 billion was spent on building 90 kilometres of track between West Werribee and Southern Cross station in Melbourne's CBD to service an extra 54,000 people a day travelling from Melbourne's booming west.

In April this year $1.45 billion was dedicated to speeding up services in the Bendigo, Ballarat and Gippsland regions, including $110 million to establish a new Surf Coast rail project to Torquay, while 151 new services were added across the state in August.

But that has not made life easier for Chris Saunders, who has been commuting from Geelong to Southern Cross for 25 years.

He said the service is not what people would expect given the amount of money that has been spent on rolling out the new fleet of trains.

"It's uncomfortable and it's often delayed — any cancellations, any delays have a flow-on effect throughout the day," he said.

    "Most people are unhappy and uncomfortable. It's too cramped, too crowded."

Mr Saunders said the attraction of being able to get work done on the trains, which are designed for longer-haul travel, was no longer a reality.

He said the new VLocity trains also struggled with the internet.

"It's just a commute and sometimes it feels a bit like a cattle truck," he said.

V/Line statistics showed eight morning peak services on the Geelong line were at 100 per cent capacity before they had reached the busiest stations — the growth suburbs of Tarneit and Wyndham Vale on Melbourne's fringe.

Even though there are 445 seats on the Waurn Ponds service to Melbourne that leaves at 6:48am, it is at capacity by Tarneit.

In Ballarat, three morning peak services are full before they reach Caroline Springs and Deer Park.

Many afternoon peak services are also bursting at the seams.
Packed in like sardines

In a statement, V/Line chief executive James Pinder said a three-carriage train was being added to the fleet every six weeks to cater for growing demand.

"In just over two years, we've introduced more than 280 weekly services to the Geelong line, providing more choice for our passengers and catering for growing demand," he said.

"The Geelong line is our busiest, which is why the Government has continued to add extra services and carriages to the line."

Stephanie Wisely has just moved from New South Wales to Victoria and catches the train from Wyndham Vale to Southern Cross.

She is surprised how crowded it is for her morning commute.

    "The 7:48am [service] is always like this. We're like fish standing up. This is my first month or so and everyday has been like this," she said.

"I'm standing up the whole time, I just have to sit the whole day at work."

In August, the auditor-general found seats ran out on more than half of peak services on the Geelong line.

The Gippsland line is the worst in the state for getting customers to their destinations on time. Twenty per cent of trains did not arrive on time last month.

Reliability is also an issue, with buses often used to replace faulty trains.
More trains than ever on Geelong line: Minister

Transport Minister Jacinta Allan said the Geelong line was the busiest in the region, with 44 per cent of total trips happening on the line, and the Government was working to add more trains.

She said $110 million was being spent on studying the Wuarn Ponds area and how that line could be improved.

"I can appreciate that passengers, particularly those that are regularly passengers on the Geelong line, want to continually see improvements to their service and I share that aspiration," she said.

"Obviously during the peak period those services are the more popular ones and we know that we've got some challenges in meeting the demand for those services.

"But if you look across the timetable there are more services than ever before."

Opposition Transport spokesman David Davis said the Government had not managed the growth of the region well enough.

"The truth of the matter is that Mr Andrews admitted in 2010 that they'd failed to cope with growth, to cope with the infrastructure that's needed," he said.

[#Metro]

Not surprised.

Increased speed = reduced journey time = more passengers.

More services = less at platform waiting time = more passengers.

Want a short fix? Increase peak fares slightly. 

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Railway News --> Bombardier to Supply 27 Additional VLocity Trains for Victoria

Bombardier Transportation will build and deliver an additional 27 VLocity trains for Transport for Victoria (TfV) and the Victorian State Government, which will bring the total fleet to 264 railcars in passenger service by 2019.

The total value of the contract is approximately €95 million.

Locally Manufactured

The new diesel multiple unit railcars will achieve over 69% local content, support over 600 jobs across the rail industry and help meet the demands of the regional rail network.

As part of the Victorian Governments recently announced $18 million Regional Rail Connectivity Project, Bombardier is enhancing passenger connectivity across the regional fleet with the installation of in-train 4G signal technology following the successful completion of a pilot program this year.

VLocity Trains

Operating on V/Line's Regional Rail Network since 2005, the VLocity trains that Bombardier has been building in Dandenong for over ten years move approximately 1.2 million Victorians safely each month. The VLocity trains are designed to operate at a maximum speed of 160kph and carry over 230 passengers per train. Proven components and systems on the fleet ensure high reliability and minimize downtime during maintenance, supporting maximum availability of the fleet for passenger service.

Bombardier's Presence in Australia

Bombardier has been active in Australia for more than 60 years. Today, it has a workforce of more than 1000 employees across 21 locations and it is a complete provider of rail solutions and services.

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https://twitter.com/Xtrackka/status/950825765565681664

[Stillwater]

Meanwhile, two return trains a day beyond Nambour to Gympie North, no trains beyond Rosewood, Beaudesert residents foam at the thought of a passenger train pulling into their station anytime soon, even if we had the trains and the drivers. Q/Line fleet/plan for Queensland?
Someone in government must be working on the glossy brochure and video simulation.  We can always play the CRR video on continuous loop, I suppose.

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Melbourne Age --> Passengers trapped on trains as searing heat tests V/Line network

Panicked rail passengers forced open train doors to escape searing heat after major train signal faults sent parts of the V/Line network into meltdown during Thursday's peak-hour commute.

Passengers were trapped inside at least one train with little to no air-conditioning after Victoria's extreme temperatures caused signal faults at Lara and Corio on the Geelong V/Line track.

A train back-up on the line meant many passengers endured long delays.

Some took to Twitter to vent their frustration, with one user saying among those trapped was a pregnant woman and that commuters were "scared and panicked".

It took more than two hours for 'JP' to travel from Melbourne to Geelong on the affected train. He watched dozens of commuters escape from the train at Lara.

"They were out walking on a track with other trains and cars not far away," he said.

"At some stage, if this sort of thing continues they [V/Line] are going to have something major go wrong. There were pregnant people, elderly people. They were lucky this time."

Up to 25 trains on the Geelong line were replaced by buses on Thursday.

V/Line spokesperson Brad Vosss admitting air-conditioning on board the Warrnambool-bound train was "not the greatest".

With a predicted top of 42 degrees on Friday, the rail operator said heat-induced speed restrictions will be in force, and that passengers should factor extra time into their travel plans.

"Some services are replaced by coaches between Geelong and Waurn Ponds but passengers will travel by train for the majority of their journey between Geelong and Southern Cross."

"Trains can now run at 130 km/h when the temperature is between 36 and 39 degrees, up from 90 km/h last summer," Mr Voss said.

He said the 90km/h restriction only applies when the temperature reaches 39 degrees - as it had this week.

"We would like to thank passengers for their patience while we work to minimise disruptions during the summer months."

Passengers can check for disruptions on the Geelong line via the V/Line website, app or Twitter feed.

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Herald Sun --> V/Line training changes opposed by union despite payment 'carrot'

V/LINE staff have been ­offered a $1.8 million handout of taxpayer funds to vote in favour of new training programs opposed by the rail workers union.

V/Line chief executive James Pinder, in a letter to employees, announced the payment pledge and said no jobs would be lost by introducing what he described as "21st century training technologies".

"As a demonstration of our commitment to this new approach to training, I have been authorised to make a one-off, tax-free payment of $1500 to every employee covered by the V/Line Operations Enterprise Agreement 2015-2019 should the vote return a majority yes vote," he wrote.

There are 1216 employees covered by the enterprise agreement, amounting to $1.824 million in payouts if the vote is successful.

V/Line is a government-owned corporation.

RTBU state secretary Luba Grigorovitch said the new programs could leave inexperienced drivers navigating dangerous sections of track with little more training than a computer simulator.

"V/Line think that by dangling the carrot they can buy the full roast," she said.

"This bribery is a gross use of funds that should be channelled into better services, not shortsighted visions that ­attack working conditions.

"What V/Line is claiming as a vision in training is proving to have no detail, no substance and no ongoing benefit to our members.

"This is a stealth attack by management to slash ­hard-negotiated conditions."

V/Line had negotiated the last agreement just 14 months ago, Ms Grigorovitch said.

"To try and delete pages of the EA without consultation or negotiation is atrocious."

Mr Pinder said V/Line was planning to be Australia's first rail operator to operate a more streamlined rail-training program.

"It is expected that as well as delivering state-of-the-art training and career-development opportunities for new and existing staff, it will also enable V/Line to deliver training much more effectively and efficiently," he said.

"In order to implement this important new training initiative, V/Line needs to make some amendments to the current V/Line Operations Enterprise Agreement 2015-2019.

"An incentive payment is not unusual when proposing a change to the employment agreement."

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https://twitter.com/9NewsMelb/status/970195530033766400

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https://twitter.com/DanielAndrewsMP/status/974393651840221184

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The Ararat Advertiser --> Ararat Railway Station customer satisfaction ranking falls in 2018 RACV On Track survey

Ararat Railway Station has suffered a considerable drop in customer satisfaction in the RACV's 'On Track' survey.

The station recorded a score of 8.1 out of 10 in 2015 but fell to 6.7 in 2017.

The only western Victoria regional station to fare worse in the survey was at Warrnambool, which dropped 2.28 points out of 10.

Ararat used to rank as the 13th best station in Victoria, according to the RACV's survey, but is now ranked 87th.

RACV mobility advocacy manager Dave Jones said Ararat's station needed more attention.

"Ararat station suffered one of the biggest drops in customer satisfaction in RACV's On Track survey due to the infrequency of services as well as poor bus connections," he said.

"It is clear to RACV that major improvements are required in order to rebuild confidence in this service."

A V/Line spokesperson said Ararat station would benefit from pending updates to the rail line.

"V/Line welcomes the feedback from passengers who use Ararat line services and recognises that there is always room for improvement," the spokesperson said.

"We are delivering more services than ever before on the Ararat line and the Regional Rail Revival includes $39 million for stage two of the Ballarat Line Upgrade, which will improve the reliability of Ararat trains and pave the way for more frequent services.

"V/Line and PTV will work together to use the feedback from the survey to inform future Ararat station coach connection improvements."

V/Line welcomes feedback from passengers via its website, over the phone on 1800 800 007 or in writing.

More details can be found at https://www.vline.com.au/Contact-us.

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RACV On Track Survey

> https://www.racv.com.au/membership/member-benefits/royalauto/motoring/public-transport/on-track-survey.html

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https://twitter.com/vline_gippsland/status/984338944212029440

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https://twitter.com/ptv_official/status/986402706209243138

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The Standard --> Former operator of private railway service slams V/Line's track record on the Warrnambool line

'Disgusting': A former director of the privately-run West Coast railway director Michael Menzies has spoken out about the treatment passengers have had to endure since the service went back into public ownership in 2004.

Warrnambool's passenger train service has been labelled "pathetic" by a former director of West Coast Railways which ran a privatised service on the line for 11 years from 1993.

With the reliability of the Melbourne to Warrnambool service constantly coming under fire, West Coast Railways director Michael Menzies said some of the excuses "trotted out by V/Line are pretty disingenuous".

"Particularly the last couple of years," Mr Menzies said.

"It's disgusting what's been done to Warrnambool service over the last two years and I can't believe that the Warrnambool community down there just sit back and accept it.

    I don't think anyone else in regional Victoria would have stood for it
    Michael Menzies

"There's that many suburban passengers travelling on the Warrnambool train which shouldn't be there.

"They've basically just turned the Warrnambool train into a suburban train service and lengthened the journey times by quarter of an hour and no one seems to be fussed about it.

"I don't think anyone else in regional Victoria would have stood for it."

Mr Menzies said the reliability of West Coast Railways regularly met the reliability targets – far greater than under V/Lline - during much of the decade-long privatised service which saw passenger number rise by 20 per cent.

"There was only a couple of occasions where we didn't operate a train," Mr Menzies said.

"If there was a railway crossing accident or if they'd shut the railway down between Melbourne and Geelong for a weekend we'd still run trains between Warrnambool and Geelong.

"We hardly ever cancelled the train."

He said West Coast Railways had plenty of external issues affecting it, just as V/Line does, but they still managed to keep punctuality high – especially compared to V/Line.

"We put quite an effort into running a punctual service, a clean service and a reliable service because we hoped that if we did that we'd be rewarded with good patronage," Mr Menzies said.

"We'd go broke because people wouldn't use it if they didn't do that."

While April's figures show that Warrnambool had its most punctual trains in six-and-a-half years, since the figures were released last week a number of trains have been cancelled because of breakdowns or line faults.

[ozbob]

https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/new-vline-chair-announced/

New V/Line Chair Announced

Minister for Public Transport
27 June 2018


Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan today announced the appointment of a new Chair for V/Line.

Jeroen Weimar, Chief Executive Officer of the Public Transport Victoria, will take on the role of V/Line Board chairman from 1 July, in a move which will better integrate V/Line and the broader transport network.

Mr Weimar takes on the role from Jenny Dawson whose term has concluded after three years. Ms Dawson has led the organisation strongly through a time of growth and change.

Having overseen significant performance improvements at Public Transport Victoria, Mr Weimar will bring his operational expertise to the board.

A key priority will be supporting V/Line to better manage the interface with Metro Trains at the metropolitan network boundary, as part of a focus on improving the regional operator's performance at a time of unprecedented patronage growth.

His appointment coincides with record investment by the Andrews Labor Government on metropolitan and regional rail networks, with significant upgrades on every regional line as part of Regional Rail Revival, construction on the Metro Tunnel well underway and 25 dangerous level crossings now gone.

Mr Weimar's experience in service planning and network integration will be invaluable in guiding V/Line to improved performance standards, while managing the impacts of the massive investment in infrastructure across the network.

One of Mr Weimar's first priorities will be to consider how to address ongoing issues with staff availability and its impact on services.

This appointment also addresses findings made by the Victorian Auditor General about V/Line's complex governance arrangements and the need to provide better management of the interface between the regional and metropolitan networks.

Ms Dawson will finish as Chair of the V/Line Board on 30 June, with Mr Weimar's appointment to be for three years. Mr Weimar will continue in his current role as CEO of Public Transport Victoria.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan

"I'd like to thank Jenny Dawson for her commitment and dedication in guiding V/Line through a period of significant change and expansion of the rail network, and enormous patronage growth."

"Jeroen Weimar's record at PTV is clear – he has the experience and skills to drive better performance outcomes on our booming regional network and deliver the billions of dollars of upgrades currently underway."

[ozbob]

https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/level-crossing-upgrades-support-local-jobs/

Level Crossing Upgrades Support Local Jobs

Minister for Public Transport 19 July 2018

The Andrews Labor Government is transforming the regional rail network as part of the Regional Rail Revival, with the program already delivering jobs benefits in the regions as work gets underway.

Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan today joined Member for Wendouree Sharon Knight at V/Line's signalling and maintenance depot in Wendouree, where six highly-skilled signalling technicians are working to assemble location boxes required to upgrade level crossings across Victoria's regional rail network.

The crew has recently assembled seven location boxes, with more than $1 million worth of signalling equipment, for level crossing upgrades between Sale and Bairnsdale as part of work on the $530 million Gippsland Line Upgrade.

Work will begin later in the year to assemble the location boxes needed for 12 level crossing upgrades as part of the $114 million Warrnambool Line Upgrade.

The work involves technical wiring, cable installation and testing to prepare the level crossing location cases, before they are installed at level crossings.

Local electricians are also engaged where necessary, boosting opportunities for local suppliers.

The V/Line depot in Wendouree was established to centralise signalling work for level crossing upgrades across the regional rail network, under programs such as the Regional Rail Revival and the Safer Country Crossings Program upgrades and has created six permanent signalling technician jobs.

V/Line has employed two A-Grade electricians to cater for the growth in work at the Wendouree depot and they are both training to become signalling technicians over the next two years to deliver this essential work.

The $1.75 billion Regional Rail Revival is a joint initiative of the Australian and Victorian governments, which will upgrade every regional line in Victoria and create more than 1000 jobs.

It will develop industry skills and grow local economies through the Labor Government's Local Jobs First – Victorian Industry Participation Policy, and at least 10 per cent of the program's workforce will be trainees, apprentices and cadets.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan

"This is all part of our massive pipeline of investment that is not only building a public transport system to get Victorians home safer and sooner, but also boosting local economies and creating jobs."

"Building signalling equipment in Ballarat for the Gippsland line and other parts of Victoria is just one example of how we're making sure regions benefit from initiatives such as Regional Rail Revival."

Quotes attributable to Member for Wendouree Sharon Knight

"We're not only getting on with the Ballarat Line Upgrade, but we're creating and supporting jobs in Wendouree as part of our once-in-a-generation investment to upgrade the regional rail network."

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/9NewsWesternVIC/status/1019865738268610563

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https://twitter.com/VLine/status/1021159055073644544

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The Standard --> No delays expected as work begins on Warrnambool line level crossing upgrades

Passengers on the Warrnambool train line won't experience longer journey times as 12 level crossings are upgraded between Moriac and Garvoc, says V/Line.

Works have begun to turn the 12 passive level crossings, from Hunts Road in Moriac through to Station Road in Garvoc, into active level crossings, with boom-gates, bells and flashing lights.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Michael McCormack said crews were completing surveys of the crossings in readiness for the start of the construction phase of the project.

The upgrades are part of the $114 million Warrnambool Rail Line Upgrade project announced last April.

Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan said that, following the completion of surveying works at each crossing, crews would connect each to the power grid before embarking on trenching works early next year.

"These works will build on the 22 level crossing upgrades completed on the line last year under the Victorian Government's Safer Country Crossings Program," Ms Allan said.

A V/Line spokesman said the transport operator was not expecting any temporary speed restrictions or longer journey times associated with the level crossing upgrade. He said the works were expected to be completed by September 2019.

Ms Allan said work was also underway on detailed planning and design work for a crossing loop and stabling upgrade.

The upgraded train stabling facilities are expected to house VLocity trains, while the crossing loop will enable trains to pass each other more easily, reducing the impact of unexpected delays and providing the capacity for a fifth daily return service.

[ozbob]

https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/doing-the-work-for-more-regional-trains-more-often/

Doing The Work For More Regional Trains More Often

Minister for Public Transport

26 September 2018

The Andrews Labor Government will build a new train stabling yard in Melbourne's west to free up an existing facility and pave the way for more trains, more often on the regional rail network.

The new facility will be hosted to the north of Wyndham Vale Station and will help replace existing stabling at the E-Gate facility near Footscray – making way for an extension of Wurundjeri Way as part of the West Gate Tunnel Project.

It will help meet interpeak stabling needs for V/Line trains on the regional rail network and boost capacity to house additional trains in the future, while enabling more train services for Wyndham.

The project will involve construction of a stabling yard, driver facilities and a bypass track connected to the Geelong line, which will allow trains to access the facility without delaying passenger services.

The stabling yard will have the capacity to house up to six V/Line 'VLocity' trains and has been designed to cater for a further stabling expansion and a maintenance facility if required in the future.

Stabling areas provide secure places for trains to be stored and refuelled, with similar facilities existing elsewhere across the metropolitan and regional rail networks.

The new stabling facility was initially flagged as part of the Regional Rail Link project, which was completed in 2015 and included the construction of new stations at Wyndham Vale and Tarneit.

Extensive consultation has addressed the use and development of the proposed Wyndham Vale stabling site and will continue with council and the community. With relevant State and Commonwealth planning approvals obtained, the project is expected to start later this year and be completed by early 2020.

It will be delivered by the Level Crossing Removal Authority who are well-placed to undertake the works, with its project portfolio including stabling facilities built at Mernda and planned at Kananook.

Visit levelcrossings.vic.gov.au for information about the project.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan

"We're investing in rail for regional Victoria. We've ordered 87 new 'VLocity' carriages, we're putting on more services and we're continuing to build the infrastructure Victorians need."

"This stabling facility was planned for as part of the Regional Rail Link, which has improved capacity on the metropolitan network and reduced bottlenecks that once plagued regional lines."

Quote attributable to Member for Werribee Tim Pallas

"This will pave the way for more trains, more often for Wyndham Vale and Tarneit passengers as well as creating local jobs during construction."   

Quote attributable to Acting Mayor of Wyndham, Cr Walter Villagonzalo

"The presence of this infrastructure in our City means that much-needed, additional train services will be provided for commuters using the Wyndham Vale and Tarneit stations. The priority for Council will be to work with the State Government to ensure the visual amenity of the site is given due consideration whilst prioritising the new services."   

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/BrendanDonohoe7/status/1051631675656949760

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> Leaked rail plan shows few extra services for regional commuters

Most of Victoria's biggest regional cities could see no more than three trains an hour in future, even after promised multibillion-dollar upgrades to the state's rail network have been delivered.

A leaked long-term rail plan for Victoria, developed by the Andrews government's lead transport planning authority, Transport for Victoria, suggests the cities of Ballarat, Bendigo, Traralgon and Seymour would be serviced by a train every 20 minutes at best in future years.

Geelong would be serviced by six trains an hour, or one every 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, most suburban lines will receive a major boost to frequencies, sometimes more than double current service levels, in the years after the Metro rail tunnel opens in 2025, if the plan materialises.

Both sides of politics have pitched major regional rail upgrades to woo voters ahead of the November 24 election, and to promote regional population growth as a way to ease Melbourne's growing pains.

The Andrews government announced plans on Tuesday to link Geelong and Ballarat to Melbourne via fast trains running at speeds of up to 250 km/h, with work beginning in 2022 and taking a decade to complete.

It followed a Coalition promise earlier this month to slash rail travel times between Melbourne and Geelong from 58 to 32 minutes within four years, with travel times to every other regional city to be cut within about 10 years.

But Transport for Victoria's leaked six-stage plan proposes only modest boosts to current service frequencies.

At peak periods, there are two services an hour to Melbourne from Ballarat and Bendigo.

David Davis, the Coalition's public transport spokesman, said the plan revealed regional commuters could again be made to wait in line behind Melbourne commuters for service improvements.

"You need quality connections to country Victoria now and you need to get on with it," Mr Davis said.

"I'm in no way diminishing the importance of those city projects in the long run, but country Victorians should not be forced to wait in line, begging."

Other key aspects of TfV's "Victorian Rail Plan" include:

    A new tunnel to Chadstone, in stage six. The Cranbourne line would branch off from the congested Dandenong rail corridor at Caulfield, run underground to Chadstone, then rejoin the Dandenong corridor at Huntingdale station.
    Altona and Williamstown services would be separated from the Werribee line in stage four. The Werribee line would be connected to Southern Cross Station and Flagstaff via a new tunnel beneath Fishermans Bend.
    The Craigieburn and Frankston lines would no longer run via Flinders Street or Southern Cross stations, requiring many passengers to switch trains at Flinders Street or Southern Cross.
    The Upfield and Glen Waverley lines would be cut from the City Loop, requiring passengers to switch trains at Flinders Street or Southern Cross stations. These changes would be made at stage three, shortly after the Metro rail tunnel opens, to free up capacity in the loop for other lines.
    Warrnambool line passengers would be required to change trains at Geelong, as part of stage five.

Transport for Victoria's plan also reveals that as recently as mid-August, state transport planners had yet to work out how to link Melbourne Airport to Southern Cross Station without cutting services to the western suburbs, such is the level of congestion on those lines.

The government said on Tuesday it was now considering building a tunnel between Southern Cross Station and Sunshine to connect to the airport.

A government spokeswoman said the Victorian Rail Plan was an internal working document, not government policy.

"Transport for Victoria conduct a range of modelling on potential works that could get Victorians home safer and sooner," the spokeswoman said.

The Andrews government launched Transport for Victoria in late 2016 as the central authority to plan for the future of Victoria's transport system, but locked it out of any role in planning the $50 billion suburban rail loop.

But Daniel Bowen, Public Transport Users Association spokesman, said the authority's plan made a lot of sense.

"The continued morphing of Melbourne's suburban rail network into a metro system, with dedicated lines, is just what is needed as the city continues to grow," he said.

But he criticised Victorian politicians' habit of announcing big-picture rail upgrades like the suburban rail loop and high-speed services in isolation from the transport planning bureaucracy.

"Presumably straight after the election, the bureaucrats will be hurriedly revising their plans to take into account the plans of whichever party wins on November 24th," Mr Bowen said.

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Rail Express --> Designs revealed for new Cobblebank station

Designs have been revealed for a new station at Cobblebank, as part of the Victorian Government's Ballarat Line Upgrade.

Cobblebank station will be built between Rockbank and Melton on the Ballarat line.

It will include:

    two platforms connected by an accessible pedestrian link with ramps and lifts
    sealed car parking
    drop-off zones, taxi spaces and secure bicycle storage
    bus interchange and shelters
    CCTV cameras and lighting
    a waiting room with toilets
    covered seating on platforms

State minister for public transport Jacinta Allan said the Government expects the station to one day service a community of 55,000 people, up substantially from the current population of roughly 1,000.

Cobblebank station will be built at the intersection of the Ballarat line and Ferris Road.

It will be built as a central feature of a planned town centre including community facilities and retail, Allan said.

"The Ballarat Line Upgrade will deliver more frequent and reliable services for growing communities along the line, including Cobblebank," the minister said.

"Public transport options are critical to helping create liveable suburbs for Melbourne, now and into the future."

Construction is expected to begin on Cobblebank later this year, with preparatory works already underway.

Elsewhere, the Ballarat Line Upgrade includes duplicating 18 kilometres of track between Deer Park West and Melton, delivering extra services and boosting reliability on the line.

The project, which is part of the Regional Rail Revival program, will be complete in late 2019, and also includes station upgrades at Ballan, Bacchus Marsh and Wendouree, the rebuilding of Rockbank Station, new passing loops at Millbrook and Ballan and new stabling at Maddingley.

Allan said crews have so far worked more than 400,000 hours on the project, with Maddingley stabling and the Toolern Creek rail bridge progressing well, track duplication underway and the Ballan and Rockbank station upgrades taking shape.

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Melbourne Age --> Trains on some regional lines rarely on time, data shows

Just 50 per cent of trains on some V/Line routes arrive on time, an analysis of the regional rail service's punctuality data has revealed.

As Labor and the Coalition take competing regional rail plans to the election this Saturday, the figures show V/Line services remain plagued by faults, cancellations and delays.

An analysis by The Age of Public Transport Victoria datashows V/Line has not met its punctuality targets for the past six years: the last time it did so was in December 2012.

For most of this year, V/Line's overall punctuality has hovered between 80 and 85 per cent — well below its 92 per cent target.

The Bairnsdale line had the most delays: just 56.3 per cent of its trains have arrived on time so far this year.

More than 1000 trains have been cancelled on the busy Geelong and Ballarat lines this year. Overall, V/Line train cancellations have risen to 3.7 per cent this year — up from 1.9 per cent in 2015.

Public Transport Users Association regional spokesman Paul Westcott said train faults were rife across the network, which meant that trains that should have six carriages were in many cases running with just three cars, even in peak hour.

The service's older trains ran at painfully low speeds, which affected timetabling, because a longer gap was needed between trains sharing the same section of track, Mr Westcott said.

"V/Line is still back in the 20th century ... they haven't caught up even though they are running at a very high intensity," he said.

"And it's disappointing that there is a 'near enough is good enough' approach to the services ... there is a lack of urgency."

Huge patronage growth on the network prompted the Victorian Auditor General to call earlier this year for new high-capacity trains, bigger stations and new electrified track to Melton, but the upgrades have been slow to come.

However, in the lead-up to the election, both major parties have pledged to build major regional rail projects if elected.

The Andrews government has promised to build separate tracks for regional trains to Wyndham Vale and Melton, and possibly electrify the entire stretch of track from Melbourne to Geelong and from the city to Ballarat, slashing journey times.

The Coalition has promised to spend up to $19 billion over 10 years to build separate V/Line tracks to cut journey times to six regional centres including Ballarat, Bendigo and Geelong.

Both parties have also promised new trains - Labor said it would buy 18 three-car V/Line trains and the Coalition promised to order 16 new six-carriage trains.

Questioned about V/Line's performance, Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allan said Labor was "rebuilding V/Line" after the Liberals' "cuts" to the service.

"We've added hundreds of regional services, delivered 87 new V/Locity carriages and funded V/Line to do more maintenance than ever before to improve performance and reduce delays," Ms Allan said.

Nicki Lee heads up a lobby group calling for urgent improvements to the Seymour line, where she said more trains were cancelled or delayed than ran on time.

Commuters on the Seymour line, which services growth areas including Wallan and Beveridge, are forced to use V/Line's oldest and slowest diesel-hauled trains, which run roughly every 45 minutes in the morning peak.

Some older stations can'taccommodate the full length of a six-carriage train, so commuters for those stops are forced to squeeze into the three cars that fit at the platform.

A V/Line spokesman acknowledged that the rail service's performance was "below the standard that our passengers expect, which is why we have a long-term plan to improve our performance through new infrastructure, new trains and providing more front-line staff."

Punctuality on Melbourne's suburban train network has also been weak since the government signed tougher new contracts with Metro Trains and Yarra Trams, which took effect on November 30 last year.

Since then, Metro Trains has failed to reach the tougher punctuality or reliability benchmarks in six of the past 11 months and has been denied $7 million in bonus payments.

The Age has approached the Coalition for comment.

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V/Line Travel Update
   
Travel will be free whilst coaches will replace all Traralgon and Bairnsdale trains for the entire journey from Saturday 1 December until Sunday 23 December.

Coaches are replacing trains due to works on the Pakenham and Gippsland lines.

Special coaches will run on weekdays direct from Warragul to Drouin and then to Parliament Station during the morning peak returning from Parliament to Drouin and Warragul in the afternoon peak.

There are limited services to Melbourne which pick up customers at Pakenham and limited services from Melbourne which drop off customers at Pakenham. Customers traveling solely between Pakenham and Melbourne please use a metropolitan service. Services will still be available for customers travelling between Pakenham and Gippsland.

Services will be replaced by a mix of express, semi-express and stopping all stations coaches and temporary timetables will be available closer to the date. Please check this page for service times before your travel and arrive in time for your service as it is displayed on the temporary timetable.

Test trains and track machinery will still run along the Traralgon and Bairnsdale lines so always obey the warning signs at level crossings and stay safe around trains

Please allow an extra 90 minutes for journeys during peak times and 60 minutes for trips during off peak times.

Thank you for your patience during this time.