All we want for Christmas…are more seats on our trains according to the people of Warrnambool and the state government and the local member for Warrnambool has sought to do the complete opposite.
As foreshadowed in previous news items the Warrnambool Service has been made a mess under the Management of V/Line. Early and unecessary withdrawal of the N set longer distance service rolling stock (caused by a deliberate lack of maintenance) has caused significant damage to what was a reliable service.
For over 18 months the local council had been calling for Vlocity Trains to grace the line without understanding or knowledge of what a backward step this was going to be. Well be careful what you wish for because now you have a very substandard service from a substandard management team running a substandard operator.
The Local State Member for Warrnambool defended what has been a disastrous change to the rolling stock on the line stating there would not be a loss of seats, that turned out to be a blatant fib.
The number of seats on each Vlocity service has fallen by over 100 seats per service where a short journey Vlocity train has replaced a longer distance comfortable N set.
The Vlocity trains should be immediately withdrawn from the Warrnambool Line and N sets with loco hauled services be restored with urgent maintenance undertaken by the operator.
There are plenty of news items on how poorly managed the Warrnambool Service has been coupled with the mismanagement of rolling stock maintenance. This change to make services less customer friendly and less appealing to passengers after the loss of similar services to Bairnsdale also met with extremely annoyed customers of long haul V/Line services has not been received well by the public.
The Management at V/Line seem incapacable of understanding the implications and impacts of their poor decision making. The CEO should be immediately questioned on the decisions currently being made and the board of directors (it would seem a very inexperienced bunch when it comes to rail service operation), should take a first hand look at the issues they have created.
The fact a shorter train with less seats, cramped seating, noisy internal engine noise, no on train catering and ironing board seats that are very uncomfortable have replaced the longer and more comfortable N sets is a disgrace. The N sets on the Warrnambool Line ran a 5 car set but a Vlocity can only be run on a 3 car set (current configuration) due to platform lengths not supporting a train longer than 5 cars. The Vlocity sets could be configured for a 3+2 setup but V/Line Management would not want to implement this arrangement and they probably could not get their head around it. In any case the change should never have been made to Bairnsdale and Warrnambool.
Why would V/Line proceed to remove the 5 car N sets from the service knowing full well this would create overcrowding and a substandard service for passengers?
This knowledge at V/line should have been enough to ensure 5 car sets remained on the Warrnambool line until a better longer distance service platform could have been tendered.
it is now clear to all concerned V/Line have no idea and no plan for longer distance services and those responsible for this terrible series of decisions should be held accountable. Further, a new long distance rolling stock plan should be immediate drafted and tenders for the carriages issued.
Photo Above: A VLocity train sprints along the Warrnambool line. Picture by Eddie Guerrero
It is truly a shambles under v/line and they do not care at all when it comes to passenger comfort and service. Standing from Warrnambool to Melbourne for 3.5 hours is deemed acceptable.
No one is standing from Warrnambool to Melbourne unless they are trying a stunt.
Book your seat as people did when the N cars were operating and the seat in the appropriate car awaits.
Mike you should know the older train which 5 Car has two non reservation cars for Myki holders….is nothing compare only 3 cars which is much shorter than the pervious train it replaced and the state is broke…if we see 3×2 like the Albury remain to seen as the platform are too short in some stations along this route and they know it!
You comments hold no weight as a person who travelling only 80 kms from Ballan berating other authors get dull…..
My comments stand. Book a seat.
Mike my comments stand don’t change the aging N set until a fit for purpose train can take it place!
Plus aren’t broke don’t fix it and make it worse!
Even those the mechanical rolling stock engineer would disagree with you!
You want credibility in your rant? Use your actual name, not a nom de plume.
Who do you think you are Mark Twain?
Mike is that why very reason why some people use “Pen Names” online
Who do you think you are demanding other’s people PI online?
That from my observation that’s is totally unacceptable conduct….
Hiding behind a nom de plume when the author is having an illogical rant, does nothing for the credibility of the author.