Stefan Bradley
V/Line is celebrating 40 years of getting Victorians around our state – with a Gippsland local reminiscing about his time working at Sale Station before and after the brand’s beginning.
The V/Line brand launched on August 21, 1983 by then-Transport Minister Steve Crabb, with a bright orange train uniform and green and white V/Line logo at Spencer Street Station. Formerly known as the Victorian Railways, today V/Line has more than 2,250 rail and 1,500 coach services operating each week, with the 107th VLocity train recently being introduced into service.
Customer Services Manager – East, George Kircos, joined Victorian Railways as a Station Assistant at Sale in 1977, at the age of 18.
Mr Kircos worked his way up through various roles at V/Line, including a Signal Assistant, Assistant Stationmaster, Stationmaster, Regional Sales rep, to his current role of Customer Services Manager, East. He remembers a time early in his career when he would put seat warmers in a furnace at the end of the platform and once they were heated, putting them in the first-class carriages to keep passengers warm. Passengers in economy had no heating.
“I joined the railways as a Station Assistant at Sale in 1977 and I’ve now been here for 46 years – I just love the job,” Mr Kircos said.
“I’ve had the pleasure of meeting so many passengers along the way and getting to know them over a long period of time. Also the colleagues – over many years I have met, worked with and forged lifelong friendships.
“V/Line has been a great place to work and develop a rewarding career.”
Mr Kircos remembers seeing the new Sale Station when it opened in December 1983, shortly after V/Line began.
“When we got to the new Sale Station in 1983 and walked through it, everything was orange – the walls, the carpet, the pens – it was just amazing to walk from the old station into the new one,” Mr Kircos said.
One of the biggest changes for Mr Kircos has been ticketing, which was all manually done with ‘Edmondson Tickets’ before they made way for a new computerised ticketing and reservation system. He has also been part of a transformation of the network, with more services added to the Traralgon and Bairnsdale lines, which Mr Kircos expects will continue for years to come.
“It will be the current and future staff that will drive V/Line ahead over the next 40 years, with the same purpose of providing the community with the best possible public transport system and customer service that is safe, reliable and accessible for everyone,” he said.
V/Line Chief Executive Officer Matt Carrick said the anniversary was an important day to reflect on V/Line’s history, and said the future is bright for the regional rail operator.
Minister for Public Transport, Ben Carroll, shared a similar sentiment.
“V/Line has had a huge impact on Victorians over the past 40 years, providing critical connections across the state and supporting regional Victorians and their communities,” Mr Carroll said.
Geelong regional driver and supervisor John Mitchell has driven with V/Line for 40 years. He said V/Line had grown from a small state railway system to a large operator servicing communities far and wide.
“I’ve never regretted a day on the job at V/Line. Every day you are here is a good day – it’s really been a fantastic journey. The metal ice box that I used to drive from in winter or the hot box in summer is so different – today it’s comfortable and modern,” Mr Mitchell said.
