A long-awaited extra service on the Warrnambool line will be a welcome sight to passengers when it first departs from Southern Cross Station on Monday January 30 at 5.13pm.
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However, there’s a small catch – the service will be the first on the line defined as ‘peak’ rather than ‘off-peak’, meaning fares will be higher and seniors will not be able to use free travel vouchers they are issued.
Peak services are defined by V/Line as, “all services where you touch off in Melbourne before 9am weekdays or where you touch on in Melbourne between 4pm and 6pm weekdays”.
The new service will also see an increase in fares across the board due to its peak status.
A one-way economy fare will rise from $36.00 to $51.40, while a one-way economy fare for concession and child tickets will change from $18.00 to $25.70.
There will not be a first-class seating option available on the service.
South West Coast MP Roma Britnell said she was concerned about the extra cost and hit to seniors card holders.
“Adding this service was about increasing convenience for regional passengers, but it’s becoming anything but,” Mrs Britnell said.
“One of the key reasons for this new service, with early departure from Melbourne, was to ensure seniors who are in the city for medical appointments or just visiting for the day could return home at a reasonable hour.
“Not being able to use the free off-peak travel vouchers takes away that convenience and adds to the ever increasing cost of living.”
The MP also said passengers should not have to pay more to travel on the Warrnambool line considering its poor punctuality performance in recent months – with almost 85 per cent of trains running more than 11 minutes late in December.
“At a time when every train on the Warrnambool line is late and the travel time extended to factor in delays, it seems bitterly unfair passengers should be paying premium prices for a second-rate service,” Mrs Britnell said.
Passengers are able to claim compensation when a service fails to meet its monthly punctuality target of 92 per cent – which the Warrnambool line has failed to do since at least August 2014. Compensation may also be available to passengers who are delayed 60 minutes or more in a single journey. Lodge a claim online at vline.com.au/compensation.
