On March 5 at 4pm, V/Line services along the Geelong, Ballarat, Gippsland and Seymour lines were cancelled due to equipment failure.
The same day, state Member for Northern Victoria Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell posed a question to Public and Active Transport Minister Gabrielle Williams.
“The action I demand is an explanation as to why the V/Line rail communication systems keep failing, leaving thousands of regional travellers stranded,” Mrs Tyrrell said.
“This system is used by elderly people, school groups, workers and regional people who rarely use public transport outside of trips on V/Line.
“How are they supposed to navigate this?
“How are they supposed to find their way home?”
During the week of March 13, state Member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland wrote to the minister, calling for an investigation into the train line failures.
“These failures are not only causing significant inconvenience but are also undermining confidence in regional public transport, disproportionately affecting those who rely on it for work, medical appointments and essential travel,” Ms Cleeland said.
“Given the north-east line’s historical issues and the promises made regarding service improvements, this situation is unacceptable.
“I have urged the minister to immediately investigate these ongoing disruptions and provide a clear plan to ensure reliable, safe and dignified travel for passengers on the north-east line.”
The Telegraph contacted the Department of Transport and Planning for comment on these recent cancellations and was directed to a V/Line spokesperson.
“We thank passengers for their patience after a communications fault on March 5 led to trains stopping on the network,” the spokesperson said.
“V/Line and our telecommunications partner VicTrack are conducting an investigation into the fault, and we are supporting VicTrack in their efforts to strengthen telecommunications on the V/Line network.”
The incident on March 5 meant all trains on the V/Line network were stopped for almost 90 minutes.
During the disruptions, coaches were used to transport passengers until the fault was fixed and trains were allowed to resume.
Ms Cleeland said she had been receiving regular correspondence from affected commuters on the matter.
“Every day, I hear complaints from passengers who can’t reserve a seat and are left standing or even sitting on the floor for long journeys,” Ms Cleeland said.
“Trains are often sold out well in advance, and too often, passengers are forced to rely on crowded replacement buses — if they’re lucky enough to get a seat at all.
“Now these issues have grown to include trains missing their stop and regular cancellations.
“I look forward to hearing back from the minister and the concerns of our community being taken seriously.”
To stay up to date on service changes, head to vline.com.au/servicechanges
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