V/LINE passengers were forced to sit in the aisles and stand on Sunday's Melbourne to Warrnambool lunchtime train as one less carriage was run on the beleaguered service.
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A frustrated passenger contacted The Standard, saying he had concerns about his own safety and other train-goers, after more than 30 passengers in his carriage were left without a seat.
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The passenger, who did not wish to be named, said V/Line had informed him he was unable to get a refund as his ticket was for an 'unreserved' carriage, meaning he did not have an allocated seat.
He said up to 100 people did not have a seat throughout the packed train, which was busy and crowded due to school holidays.
He said passengers were angry the service was not being run at full capacity.
"One woman next to me said it was hideous," he said.
"There was a lot of frustrated people."
The Standard understands a carriage was taken off the service due to a fault and it was not a planned reduction in the number of carriages.
V/Line did not respond to further questions by deadline.
The train debacle comes as the state government announced as part of the VLocity Refresh program the interior of all 75 VLocity trains in the fleet will be refurbished with new carpets and seats, priority seating areas, more handrails and minor repairs.
The Warrnambool line does not have VLocity carriages, but V/Line chief executive officer James Pinder told The Standard in April the introduction of VLocity trains to the line was included in the regional rail revival plan and it was not a matter of if but when.