Major maintenance works set to take place on the Warrnambool line will improve its struggling punctuality, V/Line chief executive officer James Pinder says.
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Works worth $4.4 million will take place on the Warrnambool and Geelong line starting this Saturday and will continue for 10 days, interrupting freight services and replacing passenger trains with coaches during the period.
Poor punctuality rates have plagued the line for months, mainly due to various safety-related speed restrictions, with rates falling well below a target of 95 per cent.
Rates fell to 15.4 per cent in December, 12.6 per cent in January and 31.7 per cent in February.
“We have a program of works on the Warrnambool line that is all about improving level crossing safety, in particular, but there are some other speed restrictions on that line which are associated with routine maintenance activities and those speed restrictions will get lifted as part of this work,” Mr Pinder said.
“Our aim is to remove all of the speed restrictions by the end of the year. We’re on track with that work and we’re aiming to complete it on time.”
Mr Pinder said V/Line chose a quieter time of year to carry out works.
“We understand that these things are always disruptive, nobody likes doing maintenance, but we pick these times of the year because they are considered to be the quieter times,” he said.
“In the broader sense of what we’re trying to achieve, obviously these maintenance works benefit both the freight operators as well as our passengers.”
South West MP Roma Britnell and opposition transport spokesman David Hodgett expressed concern that V/Line had not offered flexibility in the maintenance schedule when it was queried by a south-west freight container service operator.
However, Mr Pinder said V/Line had released information about the works 90 days before they were due to begin.
Earlier this year The Standard revealed that despite compensation being offered when V/Line fails to meet punctuality targets, no Warrnambool line passengers were granted compensation last year, in part because users must hold a monthly ticket. Most Warrnambool line passengers do not hold monthly tickets. Mr Pinder said he would look into the compensation issue.
