Stefan Bradley
It’s a small schedule change, with a faster train, stopping at more stations, but no buffet.
From Sunday, September 15, there will be minor changes to the Traralgon and Bairnsdale timetables, and it affects the very first train in the morning, and the last train in the evening.
The first Bairnsdale service to the city each day and the last from the city to Bairnsdale will operate as VLocity trains and make additional stops at Trafalgar, Yarragon, Longwarry, Bunyip, Tynong and Nar Nar Goon.
Despite making more stops, the timing of the final destinations on the timetable is the same.
Regional spokesperson for the Public Transport Users Association, Paul Westcott described the change as an interesting trade-off for customers, as they stop at more stations but no time is saved.
“I can’t criticise that choice, because frequency of service is the most important thing in attracting patronage,” Mr Westcott said.
Currently the first and last daily train services to and from Bairnsdale operate with locomotive-hauled classic fleet trains, which have a buffet service, whereas the VLocitys do not.
Member for Gippsland East Tim Bull has in the past pushed for buffet services to remain on the VLocity, but the state government has said it was prioritising faster and more reliable services through the VLocitys, and suggested passengers bring their own food and drinks.
“It remains my strong view that if you are traveling this distance from Bairnsdale to Melbourne, or back the other way, then you should have the opportunity to have a cup of tea and a small snack on that service,” Mr Bull said in parliament on May 18.
Mr Westcott noted the specially built VLocitys running to Albury do have a buffet service.
“Although I understand that the buffets on those trains are not open consistently. Nevertheless, it is a very curious situation that long-distance trains on one line have buffets, but there are none on the others,” he said.
“It’s another example of V/Line preferring simplicity of operation over the interests of passengers, the most obvious one being the insistence on only running three-carriage sets.”
As previously reported by the Gippsland Times, Public and Active Transport Minister Gabrielle Williams announced in May that the existing stabling yard at the Bairnsdale station was being expanded to house two three-carriage VLocity trains overnight, allowing the first train and last train to Bairnsdale to be a VLocity.
“These works to upgrade the Bairnsdale stabling yard mean we will soon be able to operate all services to and from Bairnsdale with modern, reliable VLocity trains,” Ms Williams said at the time.
“Our significant investment in the Gippsland Line upgrade is future-proofing the line for further growth in communities along the network.”
Check the new timetable below before travelling, available on the V/Line, or plan your trip using the Journey Planner tool.
