Late and uncomfortable on the Warrnambool line

What is slowing the Warrnambool line?

The Warrnambool train line was the worst-performing service in the state in 2016, with its punctuality issues coming to a head at the end of the year.

In December, most trains ran at least 11 minutes late – just 15.4 per cent of services were counted as ‘on time’.

Speed restrictions put in place due to safety concerns have been identified as the cause of delays, but no long-term solutions to improve efficiency have been offered up.

For the first nine months of the year, punctuality hovered between 70 and 80 per cent. The target is 92 per cent. The figures started to tumble from October, dropping to 61.1 per cent, 40 per cent in November and 15.4 per cent in December.

Transport Minister Jacinta Allan has repeatedly pointed to her government’s introduction of extra weekday and Sunday services for the line and cited safety concerns when asked about the punctuality issues.

Acting Transport Minister Jaala Pulford responded to news of the December result in a similar way.

"The most recent figures are the result of speed restrictions put in place in November and December to reduce the risk of accidents at level crossings keep people safe,” she said.

Ms Pulford also pointed to a regional network development plan released by her government early last year, which outlined long-term goals for the line, including replacing dated rolling stock, duplicating the track between South Geelong and Waurn Ponds and improving safety at regional level crossings. However, the plan does not include a timeline for the completion of works.

V/Line spokeswoman Catalina Filip said speed restrictions put in place at level crossings following a collision at a Pirron Yallock crossing last year were the primary cause of delays.

"Someone nearly died at one of these crossings last year,” she said. “The speed restrictions we have put in place since then are for no other reason than to reduce the risk of that happening again and keep people safe. We continue to look at ways to improve travel times and punctuality, but we can't put lives at risk in the process."

Ms Filip said further restrictions were introduced at five active crossings in December after a boom gate lowered later than the required 25 seconds.

Victorian Greens leader Greg Barber said V/Line needed to publicly account for the issues on the Warrnambool line before a parliamentary committee.

“If you were the minister for transport, you’d ask what went wrong and how to stop it happening next month,” Mr Barber said. “They treat their passengers like a captive audience – people who have no choice but to use the train. They run it until it breaks and then send some blokes out to see what went wrong.”

V/Line expects the punctuality to improve significantly from February, after a new timetable that factors in longer journey times comes into effect on January 29.