At least some of the Bendigo voters are to blame - they elected the Minister.

And the reason for bustituting the 'flagship express' is a pearler:

Wow. I am an AFL fan but I'd be fcuking furious if I found out that my daily ride home was bustituted so V/Line could run a footy special. That is appalling and even if it was the reason I sure as hell wouldn't be broadcasting the fact.

And of course it doesn't explain the myriad other cancellations of the same service recently. Or does it.......

BG

Dunno. I kind of like the honesty of tonight's V/Line PR guy.  Isn't it usually some other lame reason?

Absolute joke - stuffing up already packed regular services to tack on a couple of other for specials? Really?

Putting my detective hat on, however, suppose the PR guy had correct information tonight, and that the flagship was cancelled because it would be a convenient way to arrange a car reshuffle for later in the night.

That strongly suggests the usual reason for cancellation is a problem with car positioning or a car shortage. Remember, the Ballarat Courier was able to identify the Melton local that ran empty cars back to Southern Cross as the obvious victim when there were positioning problems. We tried but couldn't find any similarly obvious reason for the Bendigo flagship to be so badly on the nose.

It appears there is some hidden structural problem in the afternoon peak timetable that gets cars in the wrong spot on a regular basis. More concerningly, it's not being resolved with additional VLo deliveries, which begs the question of where they are going, given N and H sets are not being retired yet.

We've seen a rapid increase in VL units, but have we seen a corresponding increase in stabling? My assumption would be that cars can't be physically be moved between services, stabling and maintenance quickly enough to be put back in service.

We've seen a rapid increase in VL units, but have we seen a corresponding increase in stabling? My assumption would be that cars can't be physically be moved between services, stabling and maintenance quickly enough to be put back in service.

There is definitely a serious inter-peak stabling problem. Cars and locos are being stabled in all sorts of odd places like the Dudley St carriage wash and North Dynon through the day.

Part of the problem is inherent in trying to run so many peak services compared to off peak but new stabling somewhere near the city would probably go a long way to helping (from my amateur persepctive!)

Sounds like the failure to build the Waurn Ponds stabling & maintenance facility (budgeted in 2015) is really starting to hurt V/Line.

A couple of things in play with this one though.

From what I understand, the plan for the facility is to stable and maintain the proposed 4 car V/Locities. However these aren’t built yet. Since 2015 we have V/Locities 60-75 built with 76-79 on the way.

The other issue is getting the V/Locities down to Waurn Ponds during the day with limited pathing which should be resolved when both the Federal & State Government’s finally get their act together with regards to funding the “proposed” duplication from South Geelong to Waurn Ponds.

Sounds like the failure to build the Waurn Ponds stabling & maintenance facility (budgeted in 2015) is really starting to hurt V/Line.

A couple of things in play with this one though.

From what I understand, the plan for the facility is to stable and maintain the proposed 4 car V/Locities. However these aren’t built yet. Since 2015 we have V/Locities 60-75 built with 76-79 on the way.

The other issue is getting the V/Locities down to Waurn Ponds during the day with limited pathing which should be resolved when both the Federal & State Government’s finally get their act together with regards to funding the “proposed” duplication from South Geelong to Waurn Ponds.

That is a good point. Of course, as you say, it doesn't really help the interpeak problem in a constructive way.

I know the West Gate Tunnel funding includes relocation of the stabling yards in the way of the Wurundjeri Way extension, but I don't believe it will be any significant expansion.

The other related factor is Southern Cross platform access which is pretty disastrous now and will only get worse without a massive, destructive, expensive redevelopment of the entire surrounds, which is obviously never going to happen.

We've seen a rapid increase in VL units, but have we seen a corresponding increase in stabling? My assumption would be that cars can't be physically be moved between services, stabling and maintenance quickly enough to be put back in service.

There is definitely a serious inter-peak stabling problem. Cars and locos are being stabled in all sorts of odd places like the Dudley St carriage wash and North Dynon through the day.

Part of the problem is inherent in trying to run so many peak services compared to off peak but new stabling somewhere near the city would probably go a long way to helping (from my amateur persepctive!)

I'm wondering if the inefficient layout of Southern Cross is more to blame than the number of stabling roads (though that certainly would be an issue). I remember back in 2016, the 1625 Bendigo Line service would be formed from an empty coming out of the Arrivals Yard at North Melbourne to Platform 16. Unfortunately, this was scheduled to move out at the same time as the Maryvale Paper train or the Long Island Steel was on the bypass track, completely blocking it from coming out, and it was consistently 10 minutes late getting to the platform. It was weeks before it was moved to be formed from another service to stop this conflict.

V/Line and Metro are going to lose some inner city stabling due to West Gate Tunnel - the link to Wurundjeri Way is going to remove the tracks north of where the Steel yard was/is, where the As are stored and used for interpeak stabling. hopefully by then Maddingley will be finished and VLs will be able to run there and be serviced between peaks.

https://www.planning.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0022/90139/Attachment-1-Appendix-B-WGT-Ministers-Assessment-Alt-Design.PDF

More info on the stabling relocation on page 10. Looks like there will be a slight capacity increase but access will be just as problematic.

Cars and locos are being stabled in all sorts of odd places like the Dudley St carriage wash and North Dynon through the day.

The wash road has been used as another stabling track as part of the 'bank' sidings for quite a long time now. V/Line does not use North Dynon in any capacity as far as i'm aware. Trains are regularly scheduled to run around or reverse on the through goods line at Sth Kensington (effectively next to Nth Dynon) which is why you may often see trains there, but they are never stabled there.

V/Line and Metro are going to lose some inner city stabling due to West Gate Tunnel

I don't believe Metro will lose any stabling as the Arrivals yard (which Metro uses) shouldn't be touched. The Storage yard (where the A's are) will be completely removed though. The yard is 'ok' for stabling but only provides a direct connection to platforms 15+16, all other platforms require a zig-zag move via Sth Dynon to access the flyover. There is talk of using the unused roads outside the Sth Dynon maintenance center on its South West corner but amusingly in the link PIMM provided most of the area highlighted within the oval on page 10 is already used by V/Line for stabling and other purposes.

A footy special can easily be run by carriages and loco's.  not velocitys.  Stupid reason to cancel services.

A footy special can easily be run by carriages and loco's. not velocitys.

There are numerous terminating locations that loco's can't run around at which require Velocities.

I am on the 07.41 Down Swan Hill again this morning and I decided to go for the First Class Upgrade option for my trip to Castlemaine. I think it was Mike Vinelander who put me on to this idea so thanks go to him. $8.40 and as simple as anything. I did mine at the booking office at Southern Cross but you can also do it on the train although they cannot guarantee you a seat if done this way as the conductor has no way to view the seat allocations which are done via the paper ticketing system.

Observation 1, it's only 3 cars today as it was last week when I caught the same service which means there is only 1 car for unreserved / MYKI pax. It is normally 4 or 5 depending on demand I think.

Observation 2, it is rather amusing to watch at every stop as pax get on, find a seat in Car A and then get booted down to Car C by the Connie. It's as if none of them can read, the carriages are clearly marked First and Economy and there are internal signs in the First Class carriages as well.

Observation 3, the ride. It is a rough as anything, I can barely type as the carriage shudders and shakes and rocks around. It is like a brake is sticking or something, it is a shocker. There are people on the train who are clearly tourists and they are amazed at how bad it is. Not a great advertisement for Victoria. The regular users are just laughing and talking amongst themselves about how bad it is.

BG

I am on the 07.41 Down Swan Hill again this morning and I decided to go for the First Class Upgrade option for my trip to Castlemaine. I think it was Mike Vinelander who put me on to this idea so thanks go to him. $8.40 and as simple as anything. I did mine at the booking office at Southern Cross but you can also do it on the train although they cannot guarantee you a seat if done this way as the conductor has no way to view the seat allocations which are done via the paper ticketing system.

Observation 1, it's only 3 cars today as it was last week when I caught the same service which means there is only 1 car for unreserved / MYKI pax. It is normally 4 or 5 depending on demand I think.

Observation 2, it is rather amusing to watch at every stop as pax get on, find a seat in Car A and then get booted down to Car C by the Connie. It's as if none of them can read, the carriages are clearly marked First and Economy and there are internal signs in the First Class carriages as well.

Observation 3, the ride. It is a rough as anything, I can barely type as the carriage shudders and shakes and rocks around. It is like a brake is sticking or something, it is a shocker. There are people on the train who are clearly tourists and they are amazed at how bad it is. Not a great advertisement for Victoria. The regular users are just laughing and talking amongst themselves about how bad it is.

BG

Yeah, happens all the time.  Just wait until the run down Chewton Bank when it feels like your teeth are about to be shaken loose....

V/Line’s annual report was not tabled in Parliament on Thursday along with the rest of the state owned corporations.

Conspiracy theories: go.

EDIT: But plenty of damning information available in the PTV annual report, so if the government was trying to hide the bad news, they haven't done a very good job of it.

Regional train:
Punctuality: 83.9% vs target of 92%
Reliability: 97% vs target of 98.5%

That's genuinely appalling and they don't even have the wheel wear crisis to blame this year.

Also an interesting note that "in order to ensure that he has the time to devote to V/Line", Jeroen Weimar has a new Deputy Chief Executive at PTV to relieve him of some responsibilities. They really must believe him to the saviour.

Also an interesting note that "in order to ensure that he has the time to devote to V/Line", Jeroen Weimar has a new Deputy Chief Executive at PTV to relieve him of some responsibilities. They really must believe him to the saviour.

Either that, or they've discovered that he's not as good as they thought he was, so someone has been added to make the place even more top heavy. Does the new Deputy know anything about public transport?

Please don't garrote me for this, but it's not worth its own thread, and this one serves as a bit of a lucky dip for minor issues.

Noticed in the RTBU newsletter that PTV staff don't get free public transport.

Need I emphasise how nutty this is? It's hardly a Gold Pass, it costs the taxpayer a couple of thousand dollars at most, and it sends the message that the apparatchiks in charge of the system should be using it themselves.

Please don't garrote me for this, but it's not worth its own thread, and this one serves as a bit of a lucky dip for minor issues.

Noticed in the RTBU newsletter that PTV staff don't get free public transport.

Need I emphasise how nutty this is? It's hardly a Gold Pass, it costs the taxpayer a couple of thousand dollars at most, and it sends the message that the apparatchiks in charge of the system should be using it themselves.

and I didn't get a free phone when I worked for a govt phone company.

and electric line workers don't get free electricity.

and petrol station attendants don't get free petrol.

and check-out persons don't get free groceries.

sometimes PIMM I wonder.

cheers
John

Car vs train in bairnsdale this afternoon. Incident still ongoing. reported as 2 trapped.

http://emergency.vic.gov.au/respond/#!/incident/ESTA:181004216

Train Delay  18:18 Bairnsdale to SCS train is delayed by approximately 90 minutes due to an emergency services request at Bairnsdale. [19:18 05/10]

Service Disruption  18:18 Bairnsdale to Pakenham train will originate from Traralgon with customers from preceding stations to travel per road coach due to an emergency service request [19:40 05/10]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/CrimeWatchVictoria/permalink/1073895346112514/

Car vs train in bairnsdale this afternoon. Incident still ongoing. reported as 2 trapped.

http://emergency.vic.gov.au/respond/#!/incident/ESTA:181004216

Train Delay  18:18 Bairnsdale to SCS train is delayed by approximately 90 minutes due to an emergency services request at Bairnsdale. [19:18 05/10]

Service Disruption  18:18 Bairnsdale to Pakenham train will originate from Traralgon with customers from preceding stations to travel per road coach due to an emergency service request [19:40 05/10]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/CrimeWatchVictoria/permalink/1073895346112514/

Line closed until further notice due to plolice investigation as of Sat morning.

Yesterday's 15:50 Southern Cross to South Geelong terminated at Corio due to the conductor being left on the platform at Lara....

Best one yet.

Car vs train in bairnsdale this afternoon. Incident still ongoing. reported as 2 trapped.

http://emergency.vic.gov.au/respond/#!/incident/ESTA:181004216

Train Delay  18:18 Bairnsdale to SCS train is delayed by approximately 90 minutes due to an emergency services request at Bairnsdale. [19:18 05/10]

Service Disruption  18:18 Bairnsdale to Pakenham train will originate from Traralgon with customers from preceding stations to travel per road coach due to an emergency service request [19:40 05/10]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/CrimeWatchVictoria/permalink/1073895346112514/

What will this mean for the Vlocity? trapped with damage and will have to wait til Monday until it can be transferred?

Stabling options at the west yard at Tottenham could help and around the north Melbourne area.

Some say the west yard at Tottenham is mlbeing handed to metro for wiring and holding yards.