General News
2 November, 2022
Fifth weekday rail service from December
THE State Government has announced a fifth weekday return V/Line service will begin running on the Warrnambool line from December.
THE State Government has announced a fifth weekday return V/Line service will begin running on the Warrnambool line from December.
The service will begin when stage one of the Warrnambool line upgrade is complete, delivering on the Victorian Government’s promise to boost rail services to Victoria’s south west.
Minister for Transport Infrastructure Jacinta Allan said the addition of a fifth weekday service was a milestone for public transport in the south west.
“This is a huge milestone for the Warrnambool line upgrade and will give passengers right along the line more options and more opportunities to make train travel work for them,” she said.
The new services will begin after a timetable change on Sunday, December 4 and will include a new mid-afternoon service from Warrnambool and a mid-morning train from Melbourne on weekdays.
The new timetable will include changes to arrival and departure times, including journey time savings on some services.
Labor Member for Western Victoria Gayle Tierney said forthcoming replacement services would mark the final step in delivering the first stage of upgrades to the line.
Work to complete stage one of the Warrnambool line upgrade, including commissioning and driver training, will take place while coaches replace trains between Geelong and Warrnambool from Saturday, November 5 to Saturday, December 3.
“I thank the local community for its patience while we undertake these critical works during November,” Ms Tierney said.
“It’s the last step in delivering the extra services we know people want.”
The new 2.2-kilometre Boorcan crossing loop will also come into operation in December, helping services recover from unexpected delays faster by allowing trains to pass each other and boosting reliability onthe line.
A community celebration day will be held at Warrnambool station on Sunday, December 4 to mark the end of the first stage of the project. The fifth return weekday service will begin the next day – Monday, December 5.
Minister for Public Transport Ben Carroll said the extra services would give locals greater flexibility for travel.
“With extra services available on the Warrnambool line, we are giving locals more options when they need to travel – whether it is into Geelong or Melbourne for appointments, education or work,” he said.
The Warrnambool line upgrade is due to be completed in late 2023 with the completion of the second stage, which will enable modern VLocity trains to run on the line for thefirst time.
New timetables will be available from November 18 at ptv.vic.gov.au, vline.com.au and PTV’s journey planner app.