The first daily return V/Line train on the Albury line will recommence on Sunday 26 June, Victoria’s Minister for Public Transport Terry Mulder said today.
Mr Mulder said that the first V/Line trains to recommence would be the 6.35am from Albury to Southern Cross and the 12 noon from Southern Cross to Albury.
“Each V/Line Albury line train should have five passenger carriages and 370 seats,” Mr Mulder said.
“V/Line expects to resume running the morning train from Southern Cross to Wangaratta and the early afternoon train from Wangaratta to Southern Cross in August 2011.
“These trains will have temporary coach connections to or from Albury due to Australian Rail Track Corporation rerailing works that continue until the end of September 2011.
“V/Line should complete the return of its trains on the Albury line by November 2011, with the evening train from Southern Cross to Albury and the late afternoon train from Albury/Wodonga to carry passengers every day.”
Mr Mulder stressed that until the second and third daily return V/Line trains returned, V/Line passengers could continue to use local V/Line trains from Southern Cross to Seymour and coach connections beyond to Benalla, Wangaratta, Albury/Wodonga and a host of other northeast towns.
“Passengers will continue to be able to make a day return trip from the northeast to Melbourne seven days a week, just as they can at present.
“Existing arrangements where passengers can travel at V/Line fares on Countrylink’s two daily return XPT trains between Southern Cross and Benalla, Wangaratta and Albury will continue. Passengers will also be able to use the longstanding weekday V/Line coach from Seymour to Albury that was in operation before the temporary arrangements.
“Countrylink’s XPT trains will be altered to also stop at Broadmeadows and Seymour in each direction. This will make it easier for residents of Broadford, Seymour and Yea travelling to and from Wagga Wagga and Sydney on these twice daily Countrylink interstate trains.
“Local MPs including Bill Tilley (Benambra), Cindy McLeish (Seymour), Bill Sykes (Benalla) and Tim McCurdy (Murray Valley) have worked tirelessly to advocate for the return of passenger trains.
“Northeast Coalition MPs have stressed to me that since the previous Labor Government ceased running V/Line local trains between Seymour and Albury on 8 November 2008, patronage on V/Line’s combined train and coaches has dropped by around 30 per cent compared with the previous through trains.”
“A major benefit for northeast Victoria is that every V/Line Southern Cross to Albury and return train will be able to carry up to 30 bikes in a van attached to the five passenger carriages.”
