V/Line - articles discussion etc

[ozbob]

V/Line 2011/12 Annual Report should be due soon.

http://www.vline.com.au/about/publications/annualreport.html

Patronage growth from 05 - 11 has been solid, quick summary http://www.vline.com.au/pdf/publications/newsletters/issue71.pdf page 2

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

V/Line chief quits as passenger figures boom

V/Line chief quits as passenger figures boom
October 10, 2012 Adam Carey



THE chief executive of V/Line resigned yesterday, hours before the regional rail operator tabled its annual report, which confirmed 2011-12 was a record year for passenger numbers.

In total, 15.55 million people travelled on V/Line's rail and coach services - a 6.2 per cent increase on the previous financial year, and more than double the passenger numbers of 2004-05.

But despite the strong growth in patronage, V/Line reported a much smaller surplus than the previous year of $1.8 million, down from $12.7 million in 2010-11.

V/Line spokeswoman Clare Steele said the reduced surplus was in line with forecasts.
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''Key factors affecting the surplus this year were costs associated with increased fleet maintenance, reintroduction of services in the north-east corridor, and infrastructure maintenance including flood damage repairs,'' Ms Steele said.

The government subsidy for each V/Line trip also dropped fractionally, from $18.36 to $18.27 per passenger.

Chief executive Rob Barnett, who announced yesterday that he will step down on Friday after more than seven years in the role, said he believed he was leaving V/Line in ''terrific shape''.

''V/Line has been the fastest-growing railway in Australia,'' Mr Barnett said.

Mr Barnett said train traffic on V/Line's freight lines had increased almost 50 per cent in 2011-12, due to bumper grain harvests. Trains also returned to Clunes on the Maryborough line in December after an 18-year absence.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/vline-chief-quits-as-passenger-figures-boom-20121009-27bde.html

[ozbob]

V/Line Annual Report --> http://www.vline.com.au/pdf/publications/annualreports/annualreport11-12.pdf

[Stillwater]

It is an easy read.  Good, simple presentation, written factually.  It is written for the people, not for politicians, and it is lacking spin.  Take note Translink and QR.

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Premier offers up V/Line to Metro

Premier offers up V/Line to Metro
November 2, 2012
Adam Carey

THE Baillieu government has approached Metro to gauge whether it is interested in running V/Line, raising the prospect of country rail services returning to private hands.

Separate sources close to the government and to Metro said the proposition was put to Metro in a discussion earlier this year, but that no agreement was reached on the potential move.

The government and Metro poured cold water on the prospect on Thursday, denying that the discussion took place.

''There are no plans to privatise V/Line,'' Public Transport Minister Terry Mulder said.

Metro chief executive Andrew Lezala agreed, but said the company would consider an offer if one were made.

''If we were approached we would consider it, but we'd have to look at the numbers,'' Mr Lezala said.

The government is said to be eager to reduce union influence within V/Line in a bid to reduce operational expenses.

Rail, Tram and Bus Union divisional organiser Grant Wainwright accused the government of being ''ideologically driven'' in its approach to V/Line and said the union would resist any move to dilute its influence among the regional rail operator's staff.

''Any move by the government to privatise V/Line will be seen by the public for what it is - ideologically driven,'' Mr Wainwright said.

''The RTBU has very high membership coverage across V/Line and if this is an attempt to undermine their conditions the government is mistaken,'' he said. ''Regardless of who is the operator we will not accept any changes to our members' conditions.''

V/Line is run by a publicly owned corporation under a franchise agreement with Public Transport Victoria. The agreement was due to expire on New Year's Day but has recently been extended until June 30.

Public Transport Victoria spokesman Matt Phelan said the six-month extension would be used ''to undertake a thorough efficiency review of the V/Line business with a view to extending V/Line's franchise by a further three years under the existing governance arrangement''.

The former Kennett government franchised the operation of V/Line to private company National Express in 1999, but V/Line returned to public ownership just three years later after the company walked away.

The state opposition's public transport spokeswoman, Fiona Richardson, said the privatisation of V/Line was ''disastrous'' for regional Victoria and should not be repeated.

''It took Labor years to undo the damage caused by the Kennett government's privatisation of V/Line and it has taken the current Liberal government less than two years to return to its failed ideology,'' she said.

''Rural and regional commuters will need no reminding that the last time the Liberal government privatised V/Line entire train lines were closed and services were slashed to within an inch of their life.''

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/premier-offers-up-vline-to-metro-20121101-28mw0.html

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!


The company currently has 134 VLocity carriages. Photo: Craig Abraham

New carriages for V/Line services

New carriages for V/Line services
November 3, 2012 Alana Schetzer

SUFFERING V/Line commuters may be able to travel in a little more comfort after a leaked state report revealed dozens of new train carriages are to be ordered for the fast-growing regional train service.

It was reported yesterday that Public Transport Minister Terry Mulder had written to Treasurer Kim Wells stating the department would spend $174 million to purchase 34 Melbourne-made VLocity carriages.

Mr Mulder's spokeswoman, Larissa Garvin, said no contract had been signed and that negotiations were still continuing. She said the government would make an announcement once the negotiations are completed.

The news comes as V/Line continues to struggle with record patronage growth, which last financial grew by 6.9 per cent.
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Patrons have been complaining for years about squashed conditions as more and more people travel between Melbourne and the state's major regional centres.

In May, then-Public Transport Users Association president Daniel Bowen said extra carriages were desperately needed.

"Passengers unable to find a seat, forced to sit in the aisles or stand for long periods of time, have become a regular occurrence on V/Line services," he said.

It is not known whether the carriages will be used for new services or to relieve packed existing services.

V/Line spokeswoman Claire Steele said: "We're thrilled about the extra carriages because we're in desperate need of them. Our patronage is once again at a record high."

She declined to comment when asked if more carriages would be needed.

According to V/Line's 2011-12 annual report, patronage has grown at an increasing pace since 2004-04, when 7.25 million trips were taken; last financial year, a staggering 15.55 million trips were taken.

In May, Premier Ted Baillieu announced funding for extra V/Line services.

The company currently has 134 VLocity carriages.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/new-carriages-for-vline-services-20121102-28q7d.html

[ozbob]

Twitter

V/Line ‏@VLine

V/Line took out the coveted Major Tour/Transport Operator award at the RACV Victorian Tourism Awards. #vline #VTA2012 pic.twitter.com/bTJllNvD

[ozbob]

Twitter

19m Frances Bell Frances Bell ‏@bellfrances

Premier confirming Bombardier will build 40 new Vline carriages for approx $200m. Will be delivered 2014-16 #springst http://t.co/zUFi2ZrG

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> More train carriages on way for V/Line

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Stopping all stations: Bendigo line commuters forced back to their cars

Stopping all stations: Bendigo line commuters forced back to their cars
January 1, 2013 Adam Carey

WHEN Richard Cooper moved from St Kilda to Kyneton six years ago he did so confident the fast V/Line train would help him get to his South Melbourne graphic design job with ease.

But a few weeks ago Mr Cooper ditched the train and started driving to work along the Calder Freeway, no longer willing to spend hours commuting on a rail service that has become progressively slower since he started using it.

''I drive now, which I think is really terrible,'' he says. ''I kind of feel like I've been forced on the road.''

Mr Cooper says many in Kyneton falsely hoped the $270 million Sunbury electrification project would lead to a faster commute, not slower. But when Metro services were extended to Sunbury on November 18, travellers further along the Bendigo line in towns such as Kyneton and Castlemaine also saw their journeys extended, by more than 10 minutes on some peak services.

Sunbury, a growing suburb on Melbourne's north-western fringe, saw its services boosted by more than a third, but at the expense of travellers further along the line. Each change to the Bendigo line timetable in recent years has padded out the journey, particularly on peak services.

In 2009, the 5pm weekday train from Southern Cross Station to Kyneton took an hour and 13 minutes. Today it takes an hour and 40 minutes - 27 more than three years ago.

The flagship morning express from Bendigo and Castlemaine to the city takes 18 minutes longer, partly because it now stops at Gisborne.

One Castlemaine resident, Heather Holst, has watched her 6.21am express train turn into a 6.15am and now 6.02am service, without getting her to work any earlier. The housing services worker says she is now seriously considering renting in Melbourne mid-week rather than commute each day.

The former Bracks government spent $750 million upgrading Victoria's Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat and Traralgon lines into fast-rail services. Completed in 2006, the travel improvements have been credited with helping to drive a regional boom that has turned Kyneton and Castlemaine into thriving commuter towns.

Kyneton resident Graeme McLindin worries some of the progress enjoyed by towns on the Bendigo line could be lost if they again become less accessible by rail.

''Ten years ago when I came up here there weren't many people commuting and suddenly there's hundreds of people commuting and you've got cafes now and employment opportunities,'' Mr McLindin says.

''All that has come about because it was made into a commuter town. It has created a fantastic mix of people who have come up here and have similar sorts of lifestyle aspirations. But suddenly it has become quite a difficult commute.''

A spokeswoman for Public Transport Minister Terry Mulder said some train journeys had become longer because more than 1000 services had been added to the network since May 2011, creating ''greater interaction between regional and metropolitan trains''.

''This highlights the importance of the Regional Rail Link project, which will remove major bottlenecks and create extra capacity for both networks in Melbourne's west and regional areas,'' she said.

Journey times would speed up again once the regional rail link opened, expected in 2016.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/stopping-all-stations-bendigo-line-commuters-forced-back-to-their-cars-20121231-2c2ov.html

[#Metro]

^ Shows clearly that more freeways isn't the sole driver of urban sprawl. Any form of transport that makes it easier to live further away can have that effect.

[Stillwater]

Exactly.

Quote: ''Ten years ago when I came up here there weren't many people commuting and suddenly there's hundreds of people commuting and you've got cafes now and employment opportunities,'' Mr McLindin says.  ''All that has come about because it was made into a commuter town. It has created a fantastic mix of people who have come up here and have similar sorts of lifestyle aspirations." Unquote

The people of the Sunshine Coast's railway towns have similar aspirations and their railway line is no-where near as efficient or fast as the V-Line operations to Bendigo and Ballarat.  Things will only get worse with the development of the Caloundra South and Glenview developments.  The state government is likely to put extra lanes on the Bruce Highway before biting the bullet and duplicating the railway line to Nambour.

Queensland has a strategy to decentralise population to areas outside Brisbane, yet fails to allocate the resources, or commit to a realistic construction timeframe, to build the public transport services to serve those people, where it wants them to live.

Bendigo-Melbourne by road is approx. 150km – about the distance from Brisbane to Cooran.

[#Metro]

It is possible to build the lines but also raise the fares for long distance so that containment occurs. Both the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast do not have well defined CBD areas - which I suspect may inadvertently prevent larger businesses locating there.

Fares analysis in other threads suggest that short trips are well and truly hugely overpriced, while longer distances are about right.

[Stillwater]

Duplication to Nambour justified on the basis of freight traffic alone.  Re lack of a 'Sunshine Coast CBD', town plan is based around the concept of a 'city of villages and towns'.  Nonetheless, SC will have a new CBD: http://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/sitePage.cfm?code=mpac-sp-psp

Remember, more than 508,000 people living on the SC in 20 years time - that's the plan.

[SurfRail]

It is possible to build the lines but also raise the fares for long distance so that containment occurs. Both the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast do not have well defined CBD areas - which I suspect may inadvertently prevent larger businesses locating there.

Proximity to Brisbane is the main factor really.  Why bother distributing your facilities around when you can just centralise?  Of the biggest law firms in Brisbane for instance, only one (Minter Ellison) has a Gold Coast office, and that is (presumably) because they do a lot of work for GCCC which justifies their presence.  Even then, it's only small compared to the main one.

The Gold Coast has plenty of business and industrial hubs at places like Bundall and Varsity Lakes (office) and Yatala (enterprise/light industry), just that the big boys will prefer to be in the state capital unless there is some other advantage.  The previous councils on both coasts weren't the most business friendly.

[somebody]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Stopping all stations: Bendigo line commuters forced back to their cars

Will the RRL help this situation much or at all?

[SurfRail]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Stopping all stations: Bendigo line commuters forced back to their cars

Will the RRL help this situation much or at all?

It should.  The delays would be coming from occupying the same tracks as Metro services inbound of Sunshine.

[ozbob]

Twitter

V/Line ‏@VLine

Regional Rail works, buses will replace trains between SCS - Ballarat/Ararat from 4 - 13 January. Further info: http://www.vline.com.au/home/news/ballaratservicechanges/1303503735/article.aspx ... #vline

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

V/Line fares peak too soon

V/Line fares peak too soon
January 4, 2013 Adam Carey

TRAVELLERS in about a dozen Victorian towns have been slugged with a new fare increase for V/Line travel after off-peak tickets were abolished without warning.

The cheaper off-peak fares were removed because of an administrative error, and are expected to be reinstated today.

But their return will be temporary as the discount will be scrapped again once V/Line switches to myki later this year. Eventually, most off-peak fares will disappear.

The discount was scrapped on January 1, the same day V/Line travellers were hit with a 6.8 per cent average fare increase. The off-peak discount is about 10 per cent in the affected towns, making V/Line travel from there almost 20 per cent more costly than it was last year.

The towns that lost the off-peak fare this week are Bacchus Marsh, Clarkefield, Donnybrook, Heathcote Junction, Lara, Little River, Riddells Creek, Wallan, Wandong, Kinglake West, Five Ways and Tooradin.

All of those towns are a relatively short distance outside Melbourne's metropolitan boundary, and have a special ''zone B'' fare structure. But zone B is being absorbed into outer Melbourne's zone two, ahead of the transition from V/Line tickets to the myki system later this year.

A spokesman for Public Transport Victoria said scrapping off-peak fares was a ''mistake''.

''There was no intention to remove daily off-peak fares on January 1,'' he said.

Public Transport Victoria will consider refunding passengers who paid an off-peak fare due to the error.

But off-peak fares will go for good later this year. The spokesman said myki would make peak fares and weekend fares cheaper for V/Line travellers.

Off-peak fares have long been a feature of V/Line travel, and are designed to encourage people to travel at quieter times of the day. The discount is as high as 30 per cent on some longer trips.

Paul Westcott, regional spokesman for the Public Transport Users Association, said removing the discount without warning people was appalling.

''It's one thing to take away a fare concession, that's bad enough,'' Mr Westcott said. ''But then to not announce it until after it's happened - what sort of show are they running?''

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/vline-fares-peak-too-soon-20130103-2c79s.html

[ozbob]

V/LINE WARNS GOVERNMENT ON REGIONAL RAIL LINK OVERCROWDING

--> http://vicmps.greens.org.au/content/vline-warns-government-regional-rail-link-overcrowding

[somebody]

And these clowns are better than here or NSW?

[ozbob]

From Sky News click here!

Quiet carriages for V Line travellers

Quiet carriages for V Line travellers
Updated: 05:10, Wednesday January 30, 2013

Loud mobile phone conversations and tinny noise coming from earphones may soon be a thing of the past for commuters on Victoria's V-Line trains, as a trial of quiet carriages gets underway.

Passengers boarding the 10.08 train to Ballarat from Southern Cross this morning, can travel in silence in the last carriage.

The six-month trial is being conducted on the new Velocity trains to-and-from the commuter belts of Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, Seymour and Traralgon.

[ozbob]

Weekly Times --> V/Line rolls out quiet carriage trial

[ozbob]

Twitter

10m V/Line Media ‏@VlineMedia

V/Line customers to try quiet carriages: V/Line media release. http://www.vline.com.au/about/news/mediareleases/1936972807/Article.aspx ... #vline

[ozbob]

Twitter

V/Line ‏@VLine

This morning we launched our Quiet carriage trial. Find out more about the trial here: http://www.vline.com.au/quietcarriages  #vline
http://t.co/AmtemhKK

[ozbob]

http://www.vline.com.au/about/news/mediareleases/1350753462/article.aspx

V/Line to remove Z carriages for inspection

30 January 2013

Public Transport Victoria said today that V/Line had decided to immediately remove 22 of its older carriages from service for testing and repairs.

V/Line decided to remove the carriages from service following a safety audit which revealed fatigue cracks in some critical areas of the 'bogies' or undercarriages of 'Z' class carriages.

PTV CEO and Chair Ian Dobbs said: "V/line has advised that safety and maintenance inspections have raised concerns about the condition of the bogies that support the Z carriages. As a result, V/Line has announced that the carriages will be withdrawn from service for further testing and repairs starting immediately.

"We support V/Line's decision to withdraw the carriages for testing and, where necessary, to address any critical issues with the bogies.

"Our priority is to ensure that V/Line continues to run a safe network.

"Once thorough testing has been completed on each bogie, V/Line will be in a better position to determine the next steps and decide when the carriages can be returned to service. Experience would indicate that this may take some months to achieve."

Mr Dobbs said that PTV and V/Line were working to organise replacement coach services to minimise the extent of any disruption.

Shepparton, Warrnambool, Swan Hill, Bairnsdale, and a small number of Geelong and Traralgon trains will have fewer seats while this essential work is carried out, so road coaches will be made available when necessary.

V/Line trains have a total of 70,000 seats each weekday and the withdrawal of these carriages involves less than 10 per cent of seats, not all of which are occupied. Most of the affected trains will operate with four carriages instead of five.

V/Line Acting CEO Ross Pedley said: "With safety as our number one priority in the operation of Victoria's regional train service, V/Line is withdrawing these carriages to allow for a thorough examination by our fleet experts."

"While the reduction in capacity will cause some inconvenience we want to ensure that there is no risk to the safety of our passengers and staff. We will maintain passenger services, supplemented by road coaches where needed."

"V/Line apologises for any inconvenience caused to our customers while we undergo this safety check, but I am sure that everyone shares our view that safety is paramount."

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

--> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z_type_carriage

[ozbob]

From the Next Station click here!

V/Line to trial quiet carriages

V/Line to trial quiet carriages

By Matthew Crawford, January 30, 2013

SHHH! Switch mobile devices to silent, turn down electronic devices, and speak quietly. V/Line has started a six-month trial of "quiet carriages" on seven of its VLocity trains.

"V/Line has listened to its customers and taken action to give this idea a try," says the Minister for Public Transport, Terry Mulder.

"This is about creating some space that encourages fellow passengers to further respect each other's journey."

If you want to have a chat, you can use the rest of the train. But one car will be clearly labelled with signs, both inside and outside, requesting a quiet environment.

V/Line will not enforce a "quiet carriage". Instead, customers will be left to self-regulate the policy.
Transport users approve

The Public Transport Users Association has told The Next Station that it welcomes the trial.

One of its committee members, Paul Westcott, says that his organisation suggested the concept to V/Line a couple of years ago, "but it wasn't on their agenda at the time".

"People have experienced quiet carriages overseas and they've been wondering when it would happen here," he says.

Westcott, however, is concerned about Victoria's peak services. He points out that, in an over-crowded train, people won't have the option to choose a carriage – they'll take whatever seat is available.
Quiet carriages in Queensland

V/Line points to Queensland, where it says quiet carriages have been "successfully adopted".

For just over two years, Queensland Rail trains running into or out of Brisbane have had one or two cars marked as a quiet zone.

"Initially, there was some scepticism," says Robert Dow, spokesperson for the Queensland advocacy group Back on Track. "But it settled down and it's since become an attractive feature for most passengers."

Dow is "really pleased" to see V/Line taking up the concept. "It's a good initiative and it's well suited to V/Line's network," he says.
"We'll know by mid-year..."

V/Line is allowing six months to judge whether its customers will embrace the quiet carriages.
   

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> Shhh! Trains keep the peace with 'quiet carriages' trial

[ozbob]

Twitter

V/Line ‏@VLine

Our online consultation for the Ballarat & Ararat line begins at 12pm. Jump on and submit your questions. http://www.vline.com.au/journey/onboard/consultations.html ... #vline

[SurfRail]

I observed one of the Velos at Southern Cross this morning with the quiet carriage signage applied.  It's been stickered onto the windows of the designated car with contravision, same as the advertising appearing on the 160s/260s.  Due to the way Velos are operated, with multiple consist configurations possible, I suspect that is the best solution.

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> V/Line train went down wrong track

[ozbob]

New timetables begin 28 April

--> http://www.vline.com.au/timetables/

[ozbob]

From News.com.au click here!

Former Queensland Rail executive Theo Taifalos named new V/Line boss

Former Queensland Rail executive Theo Taifalos named new V/Line boss
A QUEENSLAND Rail executive has been named the new boss of country train operator V/Line.

Theo Taifalos will start as V/Line chief executive on May 20.

Former chief executive Rob Barnett resigned in October last year hours before the regional rail operator tabled its annual report showing a seventh year of record patronage.

Public Transport Minister Terry Mulder said Mr Taifalos, who most recently worked as Queensland Rail's Chief Operating Officer, brought a strong commitment to passengers and safety.

Passenger trips on V/Line trains and buses grew by 900,000 - or 6.2 per cent - to 15.6 million in 2011-12.

Mr Taifalos said he was excited to lead V/Line into an new era with the introduction of myki, the Regional Rail Link and the delivery of 40 new V/Locity carriages.

The State Government extended V/Line's franchise agreement in November for another six months while it undertakes an ''efficiency review''.

Speculation was rife among industry insiders that the government-owned V/Line would be replaced with a private franchise operator when its agreement expired on December 31.

Public Transport Victoria had the option of extending V/Line's agreement for a further 12 months, but only chose to extend it for six months until June 30.

Ross Pedley, who has been acting V/Line CEO for the last seven months, will resume his role as general manager of corporate and finance.

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> Regional train punctuality targets run off the rails

[ozbob]

Twitter

V/Line ‏@VLine 3m

Acting CEO Ross Pedley will be online from 12pm tomorrow to answer questions about Seymour services. http://www.vline.com.au/journey/onboard/consultations.html ... #vline

[ozbob]

Twitter

Vicsig ‏@vicsig 16m

New Signalling now commissioned for future use of platform 15 and 16 at Southern Cross. http://t.co/YqKk8lhGA5

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> Long delays for rail line

[ozbob]

Participated in the V/Line online consultation session for the Bendigo line yesterday.  They do this regularly and seems to be another way of improving communication.

--> http://www.vline.com.au/journey/onboard/consultations.html

[ozbob]

Twitter

V/Line ‏@VLine 2m

Our new My Line mobile app is now available! Download it today: iPhone: http://bit.ly/MyLineiOS  Android: http://bit.ly/MyLineAndroid

[ozbob]

ABC News --> Public 'had enough' of rail track repair disruption