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vlinecars
V/Man - "Yeah!"
Joined: Feb 01, 2003
Last Visited: Dec 1, 2008
Location: Moe, Victoria
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Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 5:17 pm
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Hi All,
V/Line has begun selling seats through their VNET system for intrastate travel on The Overland using the V/Line fare structure. 12 seats per trip will be available for exclusive Victorian town to town use by V/Line ticket holders.
| V/Line website wrote: | V/Line is now selling limited seats on The Overland to destinations within Victoria on a six month trial basis.
The State Government initiative will see 12 seats provided on each Overland service between Melbourne and Adelaide for Victorian passengers wanting to travel between Nhill, Horsham, Dimboola, Ararat, Geelong North Shore and Melbourne.
Seats on these services must be reserved and seating is limited. |
| Department of Transport Media Release wrote: | From the Minister for Public Transport
Monday 25 August 2008
NEW TRAIN SERVICES FOR WESTERN VICTORIA
A new agreement between the Brumby Government, V/Line and Great Southern Rail will enable a limited number of passengers in Victoria to travel on Overland train services at V/Line fares, Minister for Public Transport Lynne Kosky announced today.
Ms Kosky said the agreement would see 12 seats provided on each Overland service between Melbourne and Adelaide for Victorian passengers wanting to travel between Nhill, Horsham, Dimboola, Ararat, Geelong North Shore and Melbourne.
“This is a fantastic and innovative way of providing additional high quality transport option to people in western Victoria,” Ms Kosky said.
“Under this agreement, passengers travelling between these western centres and Melbourne will be able to purchase a ticket through the V/Line reservation system, with fares equivalent to other sections of the V/Line network.
“V/Line coach services operate throughout western Victoria but the Overland train will provide an additional transport option to complement those existing services.”
Upper House Member for Western Victoria, Jaala Pulford welcomed the announcement.
“The Overland provides three daytime services in each direction every week, as well as additional services during seasonal peaks and for special events,” Ms Pulford said.
“This is evidence of the Brumby Government’s commitment to developing integrated transport solutions.”
This final enhancement to the famous Overland train follows on from a range of improvements that have been implemented, in co-operation with Great Southern Rail over the past 2 years including:
* an attractive daylight timetable; and
* major renovations and upgrading of the train with new seating, carpets, toilets and upgraded cafe car and food service.
Tony Braxton-Smith, chief executive officer of Great Southern Rail said the agreement was terrific news for passengers on the western corridor.
“In modernising our services, it was recognised The Overland could play a much greater role in regional transport in Victoria,” Mr Braxton-Smith
“This agreement realises practical benefits for residents throughout regional Victoria.”
The new agreement will take effect on Tuesday 26 August and will operate on a trial basis for six months.
Tickets for travel on Overland services between Nhill and Melbourne are available from V/Line agents, or by calling 136 196. Passengers should note tickets are not available to buy on board the train. |
Passengers who wish to travel in Red Premium Service or travel in the case of the 12 V/Line seats being booked out can still book through GSR.
Will have to go and do a round trip to Ararat on both gauges with the one ticket sometime 
I'll post a table summarising the fare differences shortly.
Cheers,
Matt Julian
Railpage Australia™ Forums - Young Member of the Year, 2006 & 2008
Railpage Australia™ Forums - Most Informative Poster, 2006 & 2008
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route14
Chief Commissioner
Joined: Dec 28, 2006
Last Visited: Dec 2, 2008
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Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 5:29 pm
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Is the fare based on via Ballarat or North Shore?
Not the black cat
nor the white cat
but the right cat
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kuldalai
Chief Commissioner
Joined: Jan 14, 2003
Last Visited: Nov 30, 2008
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Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 5:53 pm
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In an absolute fit of peak the local Member proclaimed .... " “This is evidence of the Brumby Government’s commitment to developing integrated transport solutions.”
There is that wretchedly overworked buzzword again - "solution" .
The Punters will be expecting much bigger transport solutions in the much awaited and vaunted Transport Plan to be released later this year .
Re the fare query . VLP do not run any services to ARARAT via North Shore. The VLP service to Ararat runs via Ballarat . So therefore the applicable VLP fare to Ararat for travel on "The Overland" under this Mickey Mouse "integrated transport solution" will be the existing V/Line fare via Ballarat calculated on 211 charging units (kms) .
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Lance-Fieldline
Junior Train Controller
Joined: Jul 07, 2007
Last Visited: Dec 1, 2008
Location: Lamphey / Craigieburn
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Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 6:16 pm
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| Quote: | “This is a fantastic and innovative way of providing additional high quality transport option to people in western Victoria,” Ms Kosky said.
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Hi there
Airlines call this codesharing and have been doing it for years 
Cheers
Lance
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vlinecars
V/Man - "Yeah!"
Joined: Feb 01, 2003
Last Visited: Dec 1, 2008
Location: Moe, Victoria
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Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 6:28 pm
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Fares Comparison - One Way Trips between Melbourne & Victorian Overland Stops. Includes Adelaide
Note: V/Line First Class fare to Horsham, Dimboola, Nhill and Adelaide is made up of first class travel on Melbourne-Bendigo train (V/Line's Daylink service from Melbourne - Bendigo - Adelaide uses the morning down Swan Hill service), then economy coach travel onwards.
So as you can see, by aligning the GSR fares with those of V/Line, it will make taking the Overland cheaper than it previously was for up to 12 people a trip.
Generally the mark up difference between V/Line and GSR is around 1.5 times more.
Cheers,
Matt Julian
Railpage Australia™ Forums - Young Member of the Year, 2006 & 2008
Railpage Australia™ Forums - Most Informative Poster, 2006 & 2008
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route14
Chief Commissioner
Joined: Dec 28, 2006
Last Visited: Dec 2, 2008
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Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 8:33 pm
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The number of pax benefiting from the "code sharing" could exceed 12 if the seat is sold in sections.
Not the black cat
nor the white cat
but the right cat
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Mickelaar
The Ghost of George Stephenson
Joined: Jul 26, 2004
Last Visited: Dec 1, 2008
Location: Attending
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Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 8:52 pm
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Could this be a test to see if an SG Horsham / Nhill service would be viable?
Just a theory.
_________________________________________
Werribee: Providing a low quality lifestyle for the professionally unemployed since 1802. |
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thelastname
Photo Overlord
Joined: Feb 10, 2006
Last Visited: Dec 1, 2008
Location: Townsville
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Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 9:05 pm
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| dad2natalie wrote: | Could this be a test to see if an SG Horsham / Nhill service would be viable?
Just a theory. |
That's what I was thinking. I think a train service with a stop in Lismore or Cressy to Ararat to Dimboola could work on the standard gauge.
On the flip side it could be an attempt for more Overland services, they could run it to Dimboola and run around the train and run back.
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PClark
Chief Commissioner
Joined: Apr 01, 2003
Last Visited: Dec 1, 2008
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Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 9:17 pm
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How pathetic!
12 cheaper seats on a three days a week train equals 36 seats per week (or 72 per week in both directions)
And this warrants the attention of the Minister and a weasel-word press release?
How many hours (and dollars) have the negotiations between Kosky's minders and GSR been consumed in achieving this "fantastic and innovative" result.
The tide is turning.
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S301
Train Controller
Joined: Jan 05, 2008
Last Visited: Dec 1, 2008
Location: South West Victorian Coast
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Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 9:18 pm
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[quote] thelastname wrote:That's what I was thinking. I think a train service with a stop in Lismore or Cressy to Ararat to Dimboola could work on the standard gauge.
How about Berrybank? Its the possibly the only place that still has its station in tack, possibly Inverleigh as well. Cressy had its station pulled down a long time ago and Lismore never had one as the line was a good couple of k's out of town.
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kuldalai
Chief Commissioner
Joined: Jan 14, 2003
Last Visited: Nov 30, 2008
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Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 9:20 pm
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This is almost certainly NOT a Code share . (Code share the other carrier gets the original fare the pax paid the original carrier .) Most likely is that the Victorian Government is subsidizing GSR the difference between the higher GSR fare and the lower VLP fare . Therefore the restriction on 12 places maximum. It would certainly not be a capacity constraint, as The Overland is operating at 50 - 60 % capacity at best .
The reality is that the Commonwealth Government subsidizes GSR the half fare concession to full tote odds for Concession card holders. Then on top of that both the Victorian & Sth Australian Governments pay GSR $ Millions each year in subsidy to support The Overland. On top of all that subsidy to maintain a 50 year old train, it would now appear Victoria is further offering a fare subsidy for Intra state travellers .
The Victorian Government would be better putting a 2 car Vlocity on sg and operate that between Dimboola & Ararat two return trips a day connecting cross platform at Ararat with bg trains to/from Melbourne, than continuing to pour money into ANR's coffers for six trips a week at times that are not all that attractive to Victorian travellers .
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42101
Banned
Joined: Oct 12, 2005
Last Visited: Sep 27, 2008
Location: Banned
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Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 9:21 pm
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| PClark wrote: | How pathetic!
12 cheaper seats on a three days a week train equals 36 seats per week (or 72 per week in both directions)
And this warrants the attention of the Minister and a weasel-word press release?
How many hours (and dollars) have the negotiations between Kosky's minders and GSR been consumed in achieving this "fantastic and innovative" result.
The tide is turning. |
Whinge whinge whinge oh thats right they are not 1st class seats are they....for most people this would be a good service improvement.
Banned
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Gwiwer
Rt Hon Gentleman and Ghost of Oliver Bulleid
Joined: Nov 22, 2003
Last Visited: Dec 1, 2008
Location: Far away yet close at hand in images of elsewhere
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Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 11:06 pm
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This has been flagged as a trial.
There could be a number of factors being trialled such as the continued viability of the V/Line road coach service on the parallel route (which serves a good many places, mostly smaller townships, which rail no longer does), or the possibility of returning the daily service to Adelaide.
There may be no more to it than bowing to a little pressure from regional Victorians who rightly feel under-serviced when their fellows in the likes of Stratford, Rochester, Colac or Kerang can travel to Melbourne by rail all the way at artificially low (heavily-subsidised) fares.
Whether it is a tip of some iceberg and leads eventually to a credible passenger service between Melbourne and Adelaide, which as an inter-Capital artery should have a minimum of three daily trains not three weekly, we shall see.
But as an initiative to encourage more use of rail it is to be applauded and encouraged. If it proves to be consistently over-subscribed then perhaps the Victorian Government might step up to a whole (additional) carriage on each Overland and step in to do something about the apalling pathing and timings between Melbourne and Gheringhap.
CEO Penhayle Bay Railway. Ferroequinologist. BA Hons (Honourable Bachelor of Aquatarts  )
The wise yet mysterious Sir Gwiwer Greybeard |
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The Vinelander
Chief Commissioner
Joined: Mar 28, 2006
Last Visited: Dec 1, 2008
Location: Ballan, Victoria on the Ballarat RFR Line
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The Vinelander
Chief Commissioner
Joined: Mar 28, 2006
Last Visited: Dec 1, 2008
Location: Ballan, Victoria on the Ballarat RFR Line
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Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 2:13 am
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| kuldalai wrote: | | The Victorian Government would be better putting a 2 car Vlocity on sg and operate that between Dimboola & Ararat two return trips a day connecting cross platform at Ararat with bg trains to/from Melbourne, than continuing to pour money into ANR's coffers for six trips a week at times that are not all that attractive to Victorian travellers . |
IMO, watch this space, though not until the current contract for VLocity cars is completed.
Mike, in Cunnamulla Qld, en-route to Longreach via Thargomindah (Cunnamulla, indigenous word for 'town of nocturnal barking dogs') 
The Vinelander, from Melbourne to Mildura was Victoria's only overnight sleeping car train which was launched 8/8/1972.
Ballan, the best town, on the best railway line, in the best state, of the best country in the World. Currently in Longreach.
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