V/Line carriages removed following safety concerns

A fleet of 22 Bombardier V/Line trains have been withdrawn from service after inspections revealed cracks in its Z class carriages.

Public Transport Victoria (PTV) found fatigue cracks in the bogies and undercarriages of some of its older vehicles.

Chief executive Ian Dobbs believes it could be months before the suspended V/Line services return.

He said: “V/line has advised that safety and maintenance inspections have raised concerns about the condition of the bogies that support the Z carriages. As a result, V/Line has announced that the carriages will be withdrawn from service for further testing and repairs starting immediately.

“We support V/Line’s decision to withdraw the carriages for testing and, where necessary, to address any critical issues with the bogies.

“Our priority is to ensure that V/Line continues to run a safe network.

“Once thorough testing has been completed on each bogie, V/Line will be in a better position to determine the next steps and decide when the carriages can be returned to service.

“Experience would indicate that this may take some months to achieve.”