Free fares collide with rail works as V/Line bus replacements delay Warrnambool–Geelong commuters

Victoria’s free public transport has come as little relief for some regional commuters, with train services on the Warrnambool and Geelong line replaced by buses that, on the earliest run, do not reach Melbourne until 10:40am.

Birregurra resident David Oborne, who moved back to the region a couple of years ago, typically relies on a weekday routine that gets him to work at a reasonable hour: a 6:20am bus to Waurn Ponds, connecting with the 7:21am V/Line service to Southern Cross, arriving at 8:36am.

“When it works it’s great, but when it’s not, it’s not,” he said. Earlier this month, amid high petrol prices linked to the war in the Middle East, trains on the line were replaced with buses for maintenance. With the earliest replacement service not reaching the city until 10:40am, some passengers have been driving an hour or more to stations with earlier departures — typically Wyndham Vale — or all the way to Melbourne.

“It’s pretty disappointing that we haven’t got that like-for-like service,” Oborne said, adding that driving three times a week can cost him about $300 in fuel. Evening trips have been difficult too. Oborne said he caught a 5:10pm train back to Wyndham Vale only to find there were not enough buses to carry everyone, which pushed his arrival home to about 8:45pm instead of nearly 7:00pm.

“Not being able to get home on time does make it bloody hard,” he said. V/Line said it will review customer feedback amid calls for earlier buses so commuters can arrive at their destinations at the same time as the original train services. Replacement buses have been running on the Warrnambool and Geelong line from April 11 to 24 to allow for maintenance and upgrade works.

It was announced last week that replacement services on the Warrnambool and Colac lines would continue until May 20. The timing has coincided with increased passenger numbers during Victoria’s free travel period, and many V/Line commuters have complained about overcrowding on regional services, including packed trains leaving Southern Cross.