Another gem



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPP3HFKL2I8

And



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QbR_WIJGlY

Oh now it has been left to rot.

Dunno why that statement about being left to rot.

Passenger numbers are up about 5 times over (and that’s after losing Craigieburn and Sunbury numbers).

Freight.....well, it was nice to see non-graffitied wagons.

I have worked with many of the people shown over the years. Makes me feel old!

Thanks for sharing

The video about is about service and how wonderful service is on V/line, I think that has changed dramatically as the provider has low balled service quality and reliability over the period.  V/Line was pitched as a holiday service also being able to get around the state of Victoria but now has taken more of a role around commuter services wjere 1 size fits all so agree there have been a delusion of service and market positioning.

Another gem



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPP3HFKL2I8

V/Line Travel, a profitable and successful operation formerly on the ground floor of Transport House in Collins St was axed under the Kennett government.

I used them a few times for AMTRAK rail based holidays in the USA. V/Line Travel were by far the best agents to deal with overseas rail based holidays in the mid 90's.

Mike.

And



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QbR_WIJGlY

Oh now it has been left to rot.

Hardly 'left to rot'...a silly statement at best.

No Hi-Vis jackets for those gangers and others with the Auto Staff exchanger, the early 20th Century antique signalling technology.

Of course the SoP, a wonder train for sure, but who wants to be the Fireman these days, literally, physically shovelling coal every 30 seconds from Spencer St Station to Albury to keep the fire going to maintain that tight schedule with its ½ minute timings.

All that in the first minute of viewing.

Interesting to see the Southern Aurora dining car on 4 occasions and a wrap up with the 'Aurora at the end, just before it was cancelled to become the SEx/MEx.

Also interesting that with the resurgence of sleeping car trains overseas, pre-COVID of course, who's to say a sleeping car service would be a fail on the MEL/SYD line in the future.

Mike.

V/Line service in my opinion is a shadow of its former self running more coaches than trains per week.

V/Line's positioning in the market has changed from being a more premium multi-class service provider to regional centres to now being a service for the masses as the metro network has not been developed over a long period.  Many other cities would have continued to develop the metro services into intercity services like NSW being separate from the regional rail operations but this has not occurred in Victoria and the network has been gradually wound down and single type commuter services have been deployed very unlike Sydney and Europe and Queensland.

The video about is about service and how wonderful service is on V/line, I think that has changed dramatically as the provider has low balled service quality and reliability over the period.  V/Line was pitched as a holiday service also being able to get around the state of Victoria but now has taken more of a role around commuter services wjere 1 size fits all so agree there have been a delusion of service and market positioning.

How many V/Line services have you travelled on?

V/Line service in my opinion is a shadow of its former self running more coaches than trains per week.

Agreed...coaches to places that never had trains, like Swan Hill to Mildura, my usual. Ballarat to Mount Gambier, Warrnambool to Portland, an excellent Great Ocean Road service, the Sapphire Coast service all the way to Batemans Bay in NSW, Ballarat and Ararat to Warrnambool, Bendigo to Shepparton, the Canberra bus from Bairnsdale...and also from Bairnsdale the bus that goes to Omeo and over the Alps via Dinner Plain and Mt Hotham to Bright.

Simply an amazing number of never before train lines, now served by buses. You need to get out more and explore

Mike.

I just might do that

...and also from Bairnsdale the bus that goes to Omeo and over the Alps via Dinner Plain and Mt Hotham to Bright.

Simply an amazing number of never before train lines, now served by buses. You need to get out more and explore

The Great Alpine Road.

I did that drive about 10 years ago in my XR6 Falcon in the reverse direction, from Wangaratta to Bairnsdale. One of the best driving roads in the country and unlike the Great Ocean Road, it isn't flooded with overseas tourists in Wicked Campervans driving on the wrong side of the road.

I wasn't aware that V/Line Coaches offered that route, I hope they pack the snow chains.

...and also from Bairnsdale the bus that goes to Omeo and over the Alps via Dinner Plain and Mt Hotham to Bright.

Simply an amazing number of never before train lines, now served by buses. You need to get out more and explore

The Great Alpine Road.

I did that drive about 10 years ago in my XR6 Falcon in the reverse direction, from Wangaratta to Bairnsdale. One of the best driving roads in the country and unlike the Great Ocean Road, it isn't flooded with overseas tourists in Wicked Campervans driving on the wrong side of the road.

I wasn't aware that V/Line Coaches offered that route, I hope they pack the snow chains.

I did it in the opposite direction a few weeks ago. Not a flake of snow to be seen, but very sunny and warm at Dinner Plain.

M.

The video about is about service and how wonderful service is on V/line, I think that has changed dramatically as the provider has low balled service quality and reliability over the period.  V/Line was pitched as a holiday service also being able to get around the state of Victoria but now has taken more of a role around commuter services wjere 1 size fits all so agree there have been a delusion of service and market positioning.

How many V/Line services have you travelled on?

I use 2 > 4 per week, how many do you use Bing?

I rarely agree with this poster but they are bang on here, service is rubbish, cancellations abound, connies not even bothering to walk the train so pax have to put up with threatening behaviour from drunken louts and then the new TT unveiled last week is just the icing on the cake for those of us outside of the commuter belt - 7 minutes added to one of my services for no change in stopping pattern - leaves 17 minutes earlier, arrives 10 minutes earlier. Go figure!

I tried to post this on Saturday. Luckily i remembered the advice of a couple of RP old hands and copied my 'essay' before trying to post - the site promptly crashed and I couldn't get back on for days.

Was originally for another forum but this seems as good a place as any now. Just one passenger's view of how service changes will affect me so take it in the spirit it is intended.

"With the new timetable for the Bendigo line released yesterday it seems that 'er indoors might be spending a bit more time snuggled up on the couch by herself this year as I am definitely a loser from the new TT

My morning Down trip isn't really affected, the AM Swanners will depart a minute earlier while the following service now departs 9 minutes earlier at 9.05 arriving into CME at 10.33, 13 minutes earlier than the current TT. 8 minutes saved between SC S and Sunbury presumably as it no longer tails a spark all the way from Albion as the current service does.

However with all off peak VLocity services now being SAS and a rather big change to the Up afternoon TT my options there are nowhere near as palatable.

Currently I have 3 options depending on whether I finish work on time, a bit early or a bit late.

16.23 ex Castlemaine expresses Malmsbury, Macedon, Riddells and Clarkefield arriving into Footscray 17.52 for a trip of 89 minutes

17.06 ex CMS, SAS arriving into Footscray 18.32 for 86 minutes

Or if worse comes to worse and I am held up at work 17.48 ex CME SAS arrives Footscray 19.22 for a trip of 94 minutes

Under the new regime this changes pretty dramatically. The Limited Express is gone, replaced by a later Up Swan Hill and the 5.06 SAS now runs earlier so my option are;

16.28 ex CME Loco hauled SH service, arrives Footscray 18.00 for a trip time of 92 minutes even though it now skips Woodend

Next up is the 16.49 ex CME, a whopping 17 minutes earlier than my current fave arriving 18.22 for a 93 minute trip which is 7 minutes longer than the current equivalent service. If I finish work on time i will not be able to make this train as opposed to the current one which I get most weeks

The later service is not great either departing 17.52 for an arrival into Footscrazy at 19.30 so once again at 98 minutes a longer trip than the current option

I am only one passenger I know but to me this is just fiddling around with the TT for no advantage and in fact considerable disadvantage in terms of longer trips and weird spacings on the TT

Still no AM Down departing SCS at 8.20ish to fill in the long gap between the Swan Hill and the next service and ditto in the afternoon with a long gap between the bunched up 4.26 and 4.49 services and the next one at 5.48

Not a good outcome IMHO, not really sure where V/Line are heading with this, longer trips for people from further afield like Castlemaine, K Flat and Bendigo may well put some off using the service. Better services for those closer to Melbourne at the expense of us outliers?"

It definitely seems as though the new timetable was written to make the most of the Regional Rail Link and Ballarat Line upgrade, and as a result the Bendigo Line has had to cop it a bit.

The Bendigo and Echuca lines are currently planned to be upgraded over the next two years, so hopefully when the end of 2022 timetable comes around, things might be a bit better.

It definitely seems as though the new timetable was written to make the most of the Regional Rail Link and Ballarat Line upgrade, and as a result the Bendigo Line has had to cop it a bit.

The Bendigo and Echuca lines are currently planned to be upgraded over the next two years, so hopefully when the end of 2022 timetable comes around, things might be a bit better.

You might want to take a look at what posters are saying about Maryborough, Ballarat and Geelong services. All seemingly suffering the same fates under the new 'improved' TT