Community
6 June, 2024
New booking system to heighten accessibility
THE Victorian Government has announced a new booking system will be launched on regional V/Line services to support passengers using mobility aids.
Minister for Public and Active Transport Gabrielle Williams last week announced V/Line’s new ticketing initiative will roll out across all long-distance reserved trains on the V/Line network, including trains on the Warrnambool line.
Passengers who use mobility aids can reserve a space for their aid online, at a station, ticketing agent or by phone.
The booking system will also provide further information to V/Line staff ahead of time, allowing them to plan ahead to accommodate for individual passenger needs.
“We’re delivering a fairer regional rail network, and will continue to work closely with passengers as we make further accessibility improvements in the future,” Ms Williams said.
“By giving the option to pre-book an accessible space for a mobility aid, passengers can book with greater confidence when planning their long-distance journey.”
V/Line chief executive officer Matt Carrick said the service was a positive step towards ensuring public transportation via rail offers inclusion and comfort for all regional Victorians.
“This is another step towards better supporting the travel needs of our passengers as we continue delivering improvements that help ensure we offer a safe, reliable and accessible service to regional communities,” he said.
V/Line is also progressively rolling out VLocity trains onto the network, with the more reliable and accessible trains being introduced on the Albury, Shepparton and Bairnsdale lines in recent years and soon to run on the Warrnambool Line for the first time.
The $4 billion Regional Rail Revival program also includes important upgrades at V/Line stations, which will help further improve the accessibility of the regional network.