By KATRINA BRANDON
MARTIN Zweytzer has been working with V/Line for 60 years and is not slowing down anytime soon.
Since the age of 14, Martin (or Marty for those who know him) has worked at the Moe and Morwell train stations and has only taken two sick days in the time he has worked there.
“He is very much about work because he loves it, he is very healthy, he walks to work everyday. Even in the wet he walks. While he enjoys it, while he is healthy, he will keep going with it,” Martin’s wife, Jenny said.
“The railways have been good to me – I’ve raised my family here in Morwell and I have no plans to finish my career yet,” Martin said.
On Friday, November 3, V/Line organised a 60-year anniversary celebration with colleagues, family and friends who came to celebrate his accomplishments.
The celebration was held at the Morwell railway station from 11am to 1pm with sausages, burgers, drinks, biscuits and cake.
“Marty is an icon in Gippsland’s V/Line team. He is known by his colleagues and customers for his friendly and professional demeanour but is always up for a chat, as he goes about keeping the Morwell station running,” said V/Line Regional Manager East, Tim Pianta.
“Everyone knows Marty and he is popular with our regular customers, some of whom are the fourth generation of the same family that frequently use our passenger services.”
In 1963, Marty started his career at the Moe station with Victorian Railways as a junior assistant and four years later transferred to Morwell. During the early days, Marty was busy operating the signals, making up trains, and ensuring the right wagons were connected to the correct trains during freight work.
From physical tickets to Myki systems, Martin has worked through the transition to having everything on computer. He said the biggest change over the years was the addition of technology.
Passenger numbers have also risen, and Martin said that he enjoys meeting all the different people coming through the station either working or travelling.
“The most enjoyable part of working in the railways and with V/Line, has been meeting all the people I have worked with. Many of them are like family to me,” he said.
Martin told the Latrobe Valley Express that he is happily going to keep going and to bring on another decade of work with V/Line.
“Bring on 70 years!” he said.
