Geelong V/Line rail service

Geelong
Overview
Type V/Line passenger service
Former connections Queenscliff line
Stations 13
Services Interurban
Operation
Opened 1857
Rolling stock Sprinter and VLocity railcars,
locomotive hauled N and H type carriages
Technical
Line length 81 km (50.3 mi)
Number of tracks Double track 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) broad gauge to Geelong, single with passing loops beyond.
Route map
Vicrailmap-geelong.png

The Geelong line is a regional passenger rail service operated by V/Line in Victoria, Australia. It serves passengers between state capital Melbourne and the regional city of Geelong.

According to V/Line it carries more passengers than any other regional rail line in Australia.[1]

History

V/Line commuter services to Geelong once terminated at Geelong station, being extended to the existing South Geelong station in 1968, and to the newly rebuilt Marshall station in 2005. Construction of Waurn Ponds railway station was completed in 2014 and opened on 12 October therefore extending Geelong line services as far as Waurn Ponds.[2]

Train services between Melbourne and Geelong received a government funded upgrade under the Regional Fast Rail project between 2004 and 2005, with new high speed VLocity railcars manufactured by Bombardier in Dandenong entering service to Geelong in early 2006.[3] There have been calls to electrify the line, but plans were put on hold by the State Government in 2002,[4] with Diesel locomotives and railcars utilised instead.

Services

The twin broad gauge and single standard gauge tracks
V/Line VLocity train near Little River
N class locomotive hauled train running near Lara
V/Line train crossing the Barwon River in Geelong

Passenger services operated by V/Line depart for Melbourne every 20 minutes with more frequent service operating during peak hours. Services operate hourly on weekends. Travel times from Geelong to Southern Cross Station are less than 60 minutes, making the train service a popular alternative to driving for Geelong residents needing to access Melbourne.[5] Sprinter and VLocity railcars are used, as well as locomotive hauled N and H type carriages. S type carriages were used until 2010.[6]

In December 2013, Geelong and Warrnambool trains ceased stopping at North Melbourne station following the opening of the Regional Rail Link between Southern Cross and South Kensington.[7]

From 21 June 2015, Geelong and Warrnambool line trains no longer ran via Werribee and Newport. Instead, Up (eastbound) trains diverge at Manor Junction and travel on the new Regional Rail Link, with new stops at Wyndham Vale and Tarneit before joining the Ballarat Line at Robinsons Road Junction.[8] The service then stops at Deer Park, Sunshine and Footscray railway station before continuing on to terminate at Southern Cross Station.

Additional services run during peak hours stopping all stations to either Deer Park or Wyndham Vale.

Beyond Waurn Ponds, four passenger trains per weekday (three on weekends) run to Warrnambool stopping all stations on the Warrnambool line. This is expected to increase to five per weekday in the future.

Bold stations are termini, italic stations are staffed at least part-time.

Geelong railway line (with Regional Rail Link)
 0 km Southern Cross (SSS) Zone 1
 4.9 km Footscray (FSY) Zone 1
   Seymour / Bendigo / Shepparton / Albury lines
 13.5 km Sunshine (SUN) Zone 1/2
   Sunbury line (Suburban)
 15.5 km Ardeer Zone 1/2
 17.3 km Deer Park (DEK) Zone 1/2
   Ballarat line
 25.73 km Tarneit (TNT) Zone 2
 40.34 km Wyndham Vale (WVL) Zone 2
 56.25 km Little River (LTR) Zone 2
   Little River
 60.18 km Lara (LAR) Zone 2/3/4
   Princes Freeway
 72.78 km Corio (COR) Zone 3/4
 75.9 km North Shore (NSH) Zone 3/4
   The Overland
 78.85 km North Geelong (NOG) Zone 3/4
 81.38 km Geelong (GLG) Zone 4
   Geelong Tunnel (422 m long)
 83.24 km South Geelong (SGL) Zone 4
   Queenscliff line
   Barwon River
 88.49 km Marshall (MSL) Zone 4
 91.79 km Waurn Ponds (WPD) Zone 4
 Warrnambool line

Performance

Trains on the Geelong – Melbourne corridor are chronically late. V/Line has failed to meet their punctuality targets since 2006. As of March 2010, trains had officially run late for 44 consecutive months on the Geelong line.[9] The poor performance of V/Line has been well documented in the local Geelong press.[10] Recurring issues on the line include poor communication,[11] commuters worried about losing their jobs in Melbourne due to delays [12] and overcrowding.[13]

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.vline.com.au/community/home/howbusy.html%5B%5D
  2. ↑ "New $26 million Grovedale station a boost for public transport in Geelong". Premier of Victoria. 26 April 2013. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  3. ↑ "V/Line - First VLocity Services to Geelong". 3 February 2006. Archived from the original on 10 November 2007. Retrieved 2006-12-20.
  4. ↑ "Electrification of the Geelong rail line not to proceed at this stage". Minister for Transport. 4 April 2002. Archived from the original on 7 February 2012.
  5. ↑ Stephen Moynihan (5 May 2007). "The Age - 'Network hits 50-year high as commuters crowd on'". The Age. Melbourne. Retrieved 25 May 2007.
  6. ↑ Oates, Alex (2010-07-17). "Notorious old 4.55pm train to be replaced". Geelong Advertiser. Archived from the original on 15 April 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  7. ↑ "Changes to Geelong line services from Sunday 22 December 2013" (PDF). Public Transport Victoria.
  8. ↑ "Regional Rail Link". economicdevelopment.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
  9. ↑ "V/Line misses targets on Geelong line". Geelong Advertiser. 17 June 2010.
  10. ↑ "Taking the work train with trepidation". Geelong Advertiser. 23 August 2010. Archived from the original on 11 October 2012.
  11. ↑ "V/Line passengers rail against bosses". Geelong Advertiser. 22 April 2010.
  12. ↑ "Late trains keep commuters away from home: Mulder". Geelong Advertiser. 22 March 2010.
  13. ↑ "Train seating report blasted". Geelong Advertiser. 3 June 2010.
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