By STEFAN BRADLEY

 

THE state government has outlined to the Express what coach replacement services will be available for passengers during a winter construction blitz from June 14 to August 13 that will complete the Gippsland Line Upgrade (GLU).

The completion of the works will see train services every 40 minutes on the Traralgon line.

From June 14 to August 13, there will be a mix of replacement coach services for passengers on the Bairnsdale and Traralgon lines.

In short, Bairnsdale line passengers (including Sale, Rosedale and Stratford stations) will have access to a coach going all the way to Southern Cross station, or from Southern Cross to Bairnsdale, throughout this period.

Traralgon line passengers will see coach replacements all the way to Southern Cross on certain days. On other days however, coaches will only replace trains between Traralgon and East Pakenham, meaning passengers will need to use Metro trains between East Pakenham and Southern Cross stations.

The government says there are frequent metropolitan trains to get to and from East Pakenham station, with services every six to 10 mins in the peak and 20 mins throughout the remainder of the day.

Staff at East Pakenham will provide marquees to protect passengers from the weather. V/Line will have staff on-site at East Pakenham station to support passengers transferring from coaches to train and also provide assistance if required.

The East Pakenham station includes a roof over the platforms, toilets, water fountains and a bus interchange with shelters to provide further cover from the weather.

The government said the construction blitz would complete and commission the Gippsland line’s new signalling system, so trains could run more often and more reliably.

“Works during the winter construction blitz will complete the Gippsland Line Upgrade, enabling us to introduce more services on the Traralgon Line,” a state government spokesperson told the Express.

“We thank passengers for their understanding while these significant upgrade and improvement works take place along the Gippsland corridor.”

The government is encouraging passengers to visit either the PTV or V/Line websites and download the temporary timetables to plan their journey.

Throughout the year, there had already been coach replacement services during GLU works.

Last April, Nationals Member for Eastern Victoria Region, Melina Bath in Parliament demanded the state government ensure replacement buses transport Gippsland V/Line passengers for the length of their journey to and from the Melbourne central business district.

“Gippsland V/Line passengers are being dumped at East Pakenham station and shunted on metropolitan trains in a state government cost cutting move. Labor’s decision to cut funding for the replacement bus severely disadvantages locals who rely on public transport to access work, study, medical care, or entertainment,” Ms Bath said.

“The elderly and people with mobility issues are struggling to walk, carry luggage, and navigate this unsatisfactory service. Adding insult to injury, the PTV App and the V/Line journey planner provide conflicting service information for regional services which is leaving passengers stranded.

“People are distressed that they are missing vital medical appointments in the city, while those commuting to the city for work and study are furious it’s impacting their careers.”

The Express understands cost cutting was not the reason for dropping passengers off at East Pakenham.

While a response to Ms Bath was due on May 3, it was not answered until May 15 by Public and Active Transport Minister Gabrielle Williams.

“I appreciate that the Gippsland Line has experienced significant disruption over recent years, due to several major projects and I thank the Gippsland community for their ongoing patience,” Ms Williams said.

“Ongoing Metro and V/Line railway maintenance activities and occasionally non-infrastructure related disruptions have also taken place. Unfortunately, projects along the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines on the metropolitan network sometimes result in the forced closure of the Gippsland Line.”

Ms Williams addressed March 2025 works, saying that coaches replaced trains between Traralgon and East Pakenham as a result of Gippsland line upgrades, not metropolitan works.

Acknowledging the upcoming winter works, Ms Williams said Bairnsdale through to Rosedale would be able to access “full line coaching to the city throughout the disruption period”.

Potential discrepancies with the PTV app and V/Line journey planner were not addressed by the state government in its response in Parliament or response to the Express about the coach replacement services.

Ms Bath told the Express, “the East Pakenham bus interchange is 200 metres from the train station, and for the walk to the train station there’s no protection from the heat, wind, or rain – after dark it’s unsafe.”

“Supports for passengers between the East Pakenham bus interchange and train station are severely limited despite the government’s claims – the elderly and people with mobility issues are struggling to walk, carry luggage, and navigate it. My office has received multiple complaints,” she said.

Victorian leader of the Nationals and Member for Gippsland South, Danny O’Brien said the further disruption “comes after the government’s own figures revealed last year that buses replaced trains on all or part (of) the Gippsland line for 65 per cent of days last year”.

“We were told by Labor way back in 2017 that the Gippsland line upgrade was ‘shovel-ready’ yet here we are eight years down the track and it’s still not completed and $300 million over budget,” Mr O’Brien said.

The Department of Transport and Planning is developing a new timetable for the Gippsland Line, with further information on timing for the new services to come.

The state government included $52 million in the 2025/26 state budget to deliver train services every 40 mins along the Traralgon line, plus additional peak services for the Seymour Line and longer trains on more weekend services on the Bendigo Line.

The 2024/25 budget papers indicated an additional $31 million has been added to the $562 million cost of the Gippsland Line Upgrade. The lack of a completion date at the time was justified by the state government due to “signalling design work and co-ordination with the pipeline of projects underway across the program”.