Punctuality on Warrnambool’s train line has plummeted, with V/Line recording its worst result in more than 20 months.
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The latest performance figures show the service, which is undergoing a $114 million state government upgrade, delivered only 62.7 per cent of services on time in November, compared with 81.8 per cent the previous month.
The figure falls well below V/Line’s punctuality target of 92 per cent and is the lowest punctuality rate on the line since April last year.
Public Transport Victoria (PTV) chief executive Jeroen Weimar said punctuality was impacted by sleeper replacement works between Colac and Warrnambool.
But the state government in September said works would take place overnight between services to “reduce disruption for passengers and ensure Warrnambool line trains continue to run as scheduled”.
That statement said “some temporary speed restrictions” would be put in place as a safety precaution to “ensure the works bed down properly”.
“There may be some noise at night but V/Line will be communicating this to residents in the area and works will progress quickly along the line,” the September 13 statement said.
The $18 million project includes replacing 45,000 timber sleepers with concrete.
A V/Line spokesman on Wednesday said works would continue until February and temporary speed restrictions would be lifted once the program was complete.
PTV and V/Line did not respond to questions about the discrepancies between their reasons for the punctuality drop and the government’s.
Across the regional network, Warrnambool passengers experienced the worst punctuality rate, with V/Line delivering increases from the previous month on the Ballarat, Bendigo and Geelong lines.
For reliability, 97.3 per cent of Warrnambool services were delivered to their destination - exceeding target but dropping from last month’s 100 per cent.