I've just booked return tickets from Melbourne to Albury for the Easter long weekend, but the only tickets available were in the unreserved carriages of each service (so hopefully we can get seats and avoid standing for 4 hours!). From memory, I think the last time I got that pre-Easter Thursday evening service it was so popular that they ran the train and also put all the unreserved ticket holders onto a few coaches.

Does anyone here know just how much V/Line overbooks these unreserved carriages? Do they just keep taking bookings for a service and then add extra coaches to accommodate everyone, or is there a cap on the number of unreserved tickets they sell? Is there a chance that people with unreserved tickets will be turned away?

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Crossposted by15 days ago

I’ve made a poll on questioning if the gauge conversions of the North East and Mildura lines to standard gauge were successful on the MelbourneTrains subreddit. Go check it out if you’d like!

poll

/r/Melb...

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Posted by15 days ago

Were the gauge conversions of the broad gauge North East and Mildura lines to standard gauge successful?

Poll

Okay, let me start off with some history on the Albury Line first of all.

First, the railway station of Albury was previously a terminus for the standard gauge line from Sydney in 1881 up until 1962, when the standard gauge line was extended to Melbourne, via Sunshine and to Spencer Street Station (Now Southern Cross Station since 2006.). The broad gauge line from Melbourne to Albury was retained up until 2008…which I’ll explain later.

Around the early 1980s, the Victorian state government back then supplied funding to the standard gauge line.

The NSW SRA, who had care of the XPT sets that were based on the British Rail Class 43 HST trains, the XPTs were in service since the mentioned decade.

The NSW state government had invested in track that was suitable for high speed running of the XPTs, and for the most part, kept funding to its upkeep on that level.

When they were introduced to Victoria, and replacing the Intercapital Daylight, which was locomotive hauled…it was made clear that the Victorian state government had in upgrading the North East SG line for just 2 passenger trains a day.

And then, the ARTC came along after the privatisation of Australian National in the early 1990s.

Around the 2000s, the track conditions on the broad gauge Albury line were deteriorating, which caused a speed restriction to 80 km/h to be placed between Seymour and Albury. This forced V/Line services to terminate at Wangaratta in order to keep up with the timetable.

When the government announced the North East Rail Revitalisation project, which was apparently the only way to “fix” to the problem for the government. The project lead to gauge converting the existing broad gauge line to standard, along with its branch line to Oaklands, creating a two track line, plus the project was combined with the Wodonga Rail Bypass, which of course the line’s alignment was built away from the town.

The project was planned to be finished by 2010, but was delayed until 2011. Standard gauge services were commenced in June 2011 while running on the new alignment and previous broad gauge track.

83 votes

15

18.1%

Yes, they were successful.

35

42.2%

I don’t know, maybe?

10

12.0%

No, they went terribly. Additionally, the gauge should have been left alone.

22

26.5%

No, they went badly. They should have been done properly.

1

1.2%

Nope, all to say.

Voting closed 10 days ago

2 points

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Crossposted by19 days ago

Ooh, will this doorway magically take me to the platform where the Hogwarts Express departs from? 🤪 (Found at Warragul Station on Platform 1.)

Meme

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Posted by19 days ago

Ooh, will this doorway magically take me to the platform where the Hogwarts Express departs from? 🤪 (Found at Warragul Station on Platform 1.)

Humour

66 points

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Posted by

Swan Hill Line

24 days ago

VL replacing loco haul for long haul services…

Victorian Railways

what do you people think of a half baked idea of having Velocities Rail motors replacing N set loco hauls services to regional Vic??

In the past few months as people have noticed on the railway system, the will be less "Long Haul" Loco haul trains in regional Vic. all are replace with short haul Velocities which assembled in Vic but part are manufactured from French based Transport Provider.....

These so called "trains" which is 3x2 layout for six car v/line train are seemly being rushed to do long haul trips exceeding 3-4 hrs travelling time one way in part of the network!

The current Standard gauge VLs [velocities] has two buffet modules, but the issue is being a 2x 3 set, they need extra stuff to operated that buffet!
The current layout seems to very cramped seating area for taller and bigger commuters!
From my info, the issue seems to be mechanical and staffing issues hindering the progress of these services as the people who familiar with this would experience frustrating issues with no food and drink in one section of the train or worse no buffet service in that particular run!
Plus some country station one can't access food and drink at short notice!
Unlike the older aging loco haul services, these were built and designed for long distance travel and their buffet could operating with only one staff supplying the passenger with food and drink on board who got on mid trip for food service ie: Geelong for the lengthy Warrnambool services approx. 3 hrs one way!
The Air Conditioning system and electronics are more suited for cooler European Climates and not for extreme summers temperature of Summer in Australia after a few days of very hot weather it seems so I observe the VLs start having a few mechanical failures! Resulting in cancelled services and delays due to "Train Faults".
Or worse reduced seating capacity due to one section closed off due OHS issues and people are forced to catch the next service due to unable to get a seat on the remaining unit still operating!
Whist old loco haul trains used can be to adjusted in length to accomodate increase passenger during that travelling period!

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