Media Release – Premier Daniel Andrew
Wednesday, 2 November 2022
A re-elected Andrews Labor Government will deliver cheaper public transport fares, more VLocity trains and extra weekend services on our regional rail network, as part of a $1 billion package to give regional commuters a better ride.
As part of our regional rail package – designed to drive down the rising cost of living, back local jobs and boost regional services – Labor will:
- Cap the cost of a daily ticket on the regional network at $9.20 for a full fare or $4.60 for a concession – the same price as a metro daily fare
- Make a massive order for new VLocity trains, supporting jobs while upgrading the rolling stock on our network
- Add almost 200 extra weekend services on major train lines in regional Victoria
Regional commuters who use a myki Pass to travel between 28 and 365 days a year, will also be capped at the Melbourne rate, currently $5.52 per day.
Right now, regional fares are calculated based on the distance travelled. A daily-fare from Geelong to Melbourne costs up to $27.60. It’s up to $68.80 for a ticket from Bendigo to Melbourne, up to $45.60 from Ballarat and up to $53.60 to travel from Shepparton to Melbourne return.
When a maximum daily fare on the metropolitan network is only $9.20, these regional fares just aren’t fair. These prices make it too expensive for families living in rural and regional Victoria to take the train to visit family
and friends, or access vital health and education services in other regional cities and Melbourne.
We know rising cost of living pressures are making it harder for families to make ends meet – capping public transport fares will make it a bit easier for rural and regional families to balance their budgets.
Labor believes trains made for Victorians should be made by Victorians. VLocity trains are proudly made by workers at Alstom in Dandenong, where more than 250 people are employed on the factory floor, while our investments in local rolling stock will support more than 100 workers across maintenance sites in Ballarat.
A re-elected Andrews Labor Government will order 23 VLocity trains to support rail upgrades on our network, securing hundreds of jobs over the next three years across the supply-chain. Each VLocity train takes about 21 months to manufacture. From building the chassis, to engineering the engine, fitting out the carriages and applying the finishing touches – every train is carefully manufactured to strict specifications, with this order supporting up to 100 jobs directly, and indirectly, hundreds more.
This order of 23 trains will give Alstom the pipeline of work it needs to provide certainty to its workforce. The latest VLocity trains include comfortable seats for long-haul journeys, room for six bicycles, luggage racks and
overhead luggage storage, a toilet, drinking fountain and six wheelchair spaces with companion seats close by. Each train car seats 222 passengers and features mobile phone signal-boosting technology.
In a boost for those heading west, this order will boost capacity on the Melton line, allowing us to run nine-car train sets, they’ll also replace the ageing classic V/Line fleet, ensuring locals on the Geelong and Bacchus Marsh lines travel in comfort.
We’ve already announced a re-elected Andrews Labor Government will invest up to $650 million to upgrade stations on the Melton line to run longer trains, increasing capacity by 50 per cent.
VLocity trains are less likely to be taken offline due to an engine fault than older model trains, so upgrading the fleet will boost reliability on our regional network.
Rounding out Labor’s regional rail package, a re-elected Labor Government will deliver extra weekend services on our regional network, making it easier for families to leave the car at home to get out and explore our great state. Labor is doing what matters – while others fail to plan for the investments our public transport needs, we’re delivering the services regional train users deserve.
That’s why we will invest $207 million over four years to increase the frequency of weekend services on major train lines in regional Victoria.
This investment will deliver trains every 20 minutes from 8am to 9pm on weekends on the Geelong Line, and every 40 minutes on the Ballarat line from 8am to 9pm on weekends. The extra trains will begin running from 2024, as new trains roll off the production line.
Labor’s investment will also mean:
- Trains every hour on the Seymour line – 8am to 9pm on weekends
- Trains every 40 minutes on the Traralgon line – 8am to 9pm on weekends
- Additional Saturday and Sunday night services on the Bendigo line
- Five return services on Saturday and Sunday on the Shepparton, Warrnambool and Ararat lines
- Three return services on Saturday and Sunday on the Echuca line
- Extending the Sunday service which currently terminates at Sale to Bairnsdale on the Gippsland line
- An extra weekday service on the Bendigo line between Castlemaine and Bendigo
Matthew Guy’s Liberals’ only know one thing when it comes to regional rail – cuts and closures.
When they last had the chance, they slashed funding for V/Line and had a secret plan to cut 100 jobs, and that’s on top of the Kennett Government closing regional rail lines, including Bairnsdale in Gippsland and Maryborough/Ararat in Western Victoria.
Only Labor will keep doing what matters. We understand the importance of investing in regional Victoria – so we’ve delivered more services, upgraded train lines, opened stations that were closed by the Liberals and delivered better and more modern trains. We’ve invested nearly $1.5 billion in 59 new VLocity trains since 2014, creating around 500 jobs. Since we came to government, we’ve added an extra 800 V/Line train services 2014 – with a record 2,200 regional train services now operating per week.
Quotes attributable to Premier Daniel Andrews “Cheaper fares, comfortable trains and more frequent services – that’s what matters to commuters across regional Victoria, and that’s what Labor will deliver.” “Only Labor will provide cheaper, better rail services for regional families – because only Labor will do what matters.”
Quote attributable to Minister for Public Transport Ben Carroll “You can’t trust Matthew Guy’s Liberals when it comes to regional rail – when they were last in government, they cut V/Line funding and had a secret plan to slash 100 jobs – hurting passengers and workers alike.”
Quote attributable to Minister for Transport Infrastructure Jacinta Allan “Regional Victorians vividly remember the Kennett Government’s savage cuts to regional rail lines – including Bairnsdale in Gippsland and Maryborough/Ararat in Western Victoria – and they know the Liberals can’t be trusted.”
Quote attributable to Labor Member for Wendouree Juliana Addison “Only a Labor Government will make rail fares fair for regional Victorians – ensuring you pay the same price no matter where you live.” Quote attributable to Labor Member for Buninyong Michaela Settle “This package is all about making it easier for regional Victorians to leave the car at home and get where they need to go on our regional rail network. It’s a good deal for regional Victorians who will pay the same as Melbourne passengers to get them where they need to go.”
Quote attributable to Labor Candidate for Ripon Martha Haylett “Investing in rural and regional rail is what Labor Governments do – this will mean people in Ripon will be able to get where they need for less and with more flexibility thanks to extra weekend services.”
