Highlights to my mind how well trains between Geelong and Melbourne complete the journey when compared to other transport modes. 

Geelong is such an important line do we really need the long shutdowns we now experience or should these works be better completed in short sprints?

Geelong V/Line slammed for refusing seat to cold, wet teen and slow service

Excuse me, bloomin' strange quoting on this board. It auto included resizing, colour tags for some reason. Okay let's try that again, after taking time to delete those tags.

Ms Whytcross said the male bus driver told her daughter: “You should dry off before you try and get on public transport.”

Um, Mrs Mother where does it say that your daughter was refused a seat? And it sounds like the mother was NOT there in person. IF so, the mother is only going on what her daughter told her.

Feeling for V/Line as the job of moving so many people in a short period of time (less than a 1/4 of the day for peak) is not an easy task and a good point above are large long shutdowns really the way to do things?

Did I see that she WILL make an official complaint to V/Line?
If that is so, then why did she "run" to the media before trying to find out what happened?

Did I see that she WILL make an official complaint to V/Line?
If that is so, then why did she "run" to the media before trying to find out what happened?

It actually says
A furious Belmont mother lodged an official complaint with the regional rail operator claiming her 15-year-old daughter was refused a seat on a replacement bus at Southern Cross Station for being too wet, and left in the cold.

Just keeps going from bad to worse for V/Line so why does the entire line need shutting down for so long?

Just keeps going from bad to worse for V/Line so why does the entire line need shutting down for so long?

Doing major maintence (Note 1) work on a busy railway line is effectively impossible, small works can be done late at night, ie midnight to 0500, the time though is limited and a great deal of such night work is VERY tough on staff. So for such works the service is shut down usually over a holiday period, currently we are in the 1st term school holidays. Generally if one can one should defer any travel over such a period as there will ALWAYS be problems. Most railways will publish such works well in advance to allow other arrangements to be made.

Note 1: Changing rails, ballast cleaning or rehabilitation, major signalling upgrades etc.

woodford

Did I see that she WILL make an official complaint to V/Line?
If that is so, then why did she "run" to the media before trying to find out what happened?

It actually says
A furious Belmont mother lodged an official complaint with the regional rail operator claiming her 15-year-old daughter was refused a seat on a replacement bus at Southern Cross Station for being too wet, and left in the cold.

And runs straight to the media before getting a reply.

Did I see that she WILL make an official complaint to V/Line?
If that is so, then why did she "run" to the media before trying to find out what happened?

It actually says
A furious Belmont mother lodged an official complaint with the regional rail operator claiming her 15-year-old daughter was refused a seat on a replacement bus at Southern Cross Station for being too wet, and left in the cold.

And runs straight to the media before getting a reply.

Well she is certain to get a prompt reply now isn't she?
I'm often curious on these types of stories, I wonder if these people run to the media or the media contacts them. The mother could of posted something on Facebook and it was spotted by a reporter who contacted the mother for the story.

Well she is certain to get a prompt reply now isn't she?
I'm often curious on these types of stories, I wonder if these people run to the media or the media contacts them. The mother could of posted something on Facebook and it was spotted by a reporter who contacted the mother for the story.

Experience shows that many entities have to be embarrassed by publicity before they get off their collective backsides and actually do something about a complaint.