Work is now underway on Victoria’s latest order of VLocity trains which will carry more passengers to support growing demand on the Ballarat line where travel has bounced back to near 2019 levels.
Public and Active Transport Minister Gabrielle Williams visited Alstom’s Dandenong factory where work is underway on 23 new VLocity trains that will be rolled out in the west by 2027, designed to carry more passengers through Melton and provide more comfortable and reliable journeys in the Geelong and Bacchus Marsh corridors.
“We’re delivering record investments in public transport, supporting local manufacturing jobs right here in Dandenong, while making our transport network more reliable and more affordable for regional Victorians,” she said.
“The new, bigger VLocity trains will support growing communities in the west, carrying more passengers and delivering more reliable services.”
The state government invested $601 million in the Victorian Budget 23-24 to build 23 new VLocity trains along with a $219 million investment for almost 200 additional weekend V/Line train services.
When completed the extra trains will expand V/Line’s fleet of 222-seat VLocity trains to 141, the VLocity trains are more accessible, produce less carbon emissions and are more reliable than V/Line’s older classic fleet.
Western Metro MP David Ettershank said VLocity trains are good for people in Ballarat, but reiterated his stance that what people in west Melbourne really want is rail electrification.
“It is good that there are more VLocity trains but these are Ballarat trains that are already full by the time they hit Melton, theyr’e often full by the time they leave Ballarat,” he said.
“Our position is really simple, the government promised at the last election, electrification of the line. That’s what people of the west are expecting as part of the train plan for the western suburbs.
“Legalise Cannabis calls upon the government to honour its unequivocal commitment to provide the people of the west with a modern safe electrified line and that’s not what this is providing.”
Regional network patronage increased by 28 per cent for the year ending December 31 2023 and was 97 per cent of the 2019 calendar year patronage.
Melton MP Steve McGhie said the additional VLocity trains will provide more reliable journeys for passengers travelling to Melton, Bacchus Marsh and Geelong.
“We’re continuing to deliver record investments in public transport across the state, with new VLocity trains to support better journeys for passengers as well as local jobs,” he said.
