By AIDAN KNIGHT
AFTER years of delays, replacement coaches, and passenger frustration, Gippsland commuters finally welcomed a faster V/Line timetable on Sunday, September 14.
The Traralgon line has shifted from hourly to 40-minute services, the first tangible sign of progress in a project dating back to 2018 when the Regional Rail Revival project first commenced. But alongside the improvements, serious concerns remain over passenger safety and service quality.
Part of that upgrade included the rebuild and duplication of Longwarry’s platforms, which were then used to host the state government’s official presser on the upgrade last month – the same date the coaches were vanquished from the line.
However, there are still short platforms on the Gippsland line at Garfield, Tynong, and Nar Nar Goon. A V/Line representative told the Express these three platforms fit all but the last door on the platform, and there is a procedure in place where the conductor stands in place at that specific door to prevent access. A recent incident on the Swan Hill line though has proved there is still room for risk.
This is especially topical as news has surfaced of a man falling and breaking his leg severely on another V/Line service at Pyramid Hill, because of the short platform, now being investigated by the Office of National Rail Safety. This has prompted speculation of V/Line’s perspective of function, rather than safety, as they justify the platform extension at Longwarry but not at other stations. Conductors are expected to make announcements alerting passengers when a stop involves a short platform, but errors or unclear messages can occur, leaving travellers vulnerable, particularly in low-light conditions (the Pyramid Hill incident occurred at 9.45pm). V/Line has described this incident as isolated, but if investigations prompt broader safety reforms, the state government could face significant costs and renewed commuter disruption.
The older platform at Traralgon station can only fit three-car services, which V/Line manages by only directing off-peak trips to that platform. Further along the Gippsland line at Bairnsdale and Rosedale are also shorter platforms, and all services heading past Traralgon exceed three cars, meaning the procedures used at other short platforms on the Gippsland line are not applicable. This was previously mitigated by the placement of barricades across doors overhanging the platforms, but since Bairnsdale services have been upgraded to use the faster VLocity trains (as opposed to the old-school ‘N Set’ type) these are not compatible with the style of doors on the new cars.
On the whole, it is up to passengers to care for themselves when departing carriages, and there is no protocol in place besides the assumption that all patrons have heard the announcement, which are not always clear.
Data released by V/Line in early September revealed the Traralgon line was the third slowest service in Victoria, ahead of only Bairnsdale and Echuca. In terms of reliability, it holds the same position out of the state’s 13 lines, ranking above both Geelong (V/Line’s fastest service) and Bendigo.
The Traralgon line is also the fourth busiest of the short-haul routes. Each year, it carries almost as many passengers as all the long-haul services combined, including Albury, Warrnambool, Swan Hill, Shepparton, Echuca, Ararat, Maryborough and Bairnsdale. With such high patronage, passengers might reasonably expect the state government would ensure a safe and high-quality service, and only time well tell what will come of the short-platform debate.
