Labor is off the rails – much like their VLocity trains
Wednesday, November 9, 2022
The Andrews Labor Government for Melbourne has once again proven themselves hopelessly inept and out of touch with the Ovens Valley, following the halting of all VLocity services on the North East Line.
This disruption of services is the second time in recent months that a fault with the new VLocity trains has seen thousands of commuters forced onto buses.
Nationals Member for Ovens Valley, Tim McCurdy, said that locals deserve better from their public transport network.
“Locals in the country don’t ask much of our public transport network. We want our trains to arrive, ideally on time.
“It is absolutely ludicrous that we should be having issues with the VLocity trains when they are practically brand new – let alone having to pull them off the rails twice this year!
“Ovens Valley residents have had to put up with an appalling number of delays and disruption over the past decade while we were promised a fixed line and trains that ran on time.
“Instead, the line gets fixed, and the shiny new trains break down instead.”
Mr McCurdy was in no doubt that the new VLocity carriages were at fault, with other freight and passenger services continuing operations.
“It has taken 8 months for buffet cars to be installed, and now suddenly they are causing unexplained mechanical issues that are so bad they are forced to cease running.
“Yet at the same time, the XPT service and freight services are running just fine on the same tracks.
“Even the old N Class engines were more reliable than the VLocity trains are turning out to be.”
Mr McCurdy requested that, “Someone from V/Lines or the Minister need to come out and explain why we are having so many issues with these trains.
“Labor have gone off the rails when it comes to the North-East Line. I have no doubt that if the Premier or Minister were regular users of the line, the issues would be fixed.
“But because it is outside the tram tracks, we have been left to put up with a substandard rail network.
“It is simply not good enough.”
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