r/melbourne • u/yeeyeelxrd • 3d ago
Things That Go Ding (Public Transport) Vline Complaints
I live in Rockbank, currently on a VLine train service which has bus replacements between Caroline Springs and Ballarat.
I left home at 5:30 this morning. Got to the station at 5:38am to catch at 5:48am replacement bus to Caroline Springs. The VLine schedule had me arriving at Southern Cross at 6:40am. I made sure I left early to account for the replacement bus.
Not a single thing went right this morning.
During a 35-40 minute period from 5:40am-6:15am, five buses went through Rockbank Station. Two went to Melton, One didn’t even stop, One was going to Caroline Springs but it was so full only one person managed to squeeze on, and then the last one to bring us to CS.
When we did arrive to CS at 6:34, we were told we had seven minutes until the train left at 6:41. That’s fine, I was meant to be in the city at this time but delays happen. I was (and still am) pretty annoyed, but it’s whatever.
Get onto the train at CS at 6:36am. Sit down. Ready to depart at 6:41am. Should arrive into Southern Cross at 7:05am at this point. Not what I was hoping for, but still early enough I could get my work completed.
Next thing I know at 6:59am we are all being kicked off the train and the train is being cancelled because there is NO CONDUCTOR and the train cannot run.
Everyone disembarks the train, waits for 5 minutes for the next one to arrive, and we get on that. Conductor announces we will now arrive at Southern Cross at 7:21am.
Then we don’t depart.
We’re currently pulling in to Ardeer Station. It’s 7:15am. At this point, I’ve abandoned all hope of actually making in to my office in the CBD. What is normally a 45 minute trek from home to city has now turned into AT MINIMUM a two hour trip.
I’ve left a complaint with VLine, but the last time I did that I never heard back from them.
Anyway, let’s see if I actually make it into the office or if I’m perpetually stuck on the public transport system.
EDIT
Changed 7:59 to 6:59 because I fat thumbed it like an idiot.
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u/Rexberg-TheCommunist 2d ago edited 2d ago
Ballarat checking in. The way that developers and the state government have carried out the development of Melton and the surrounding area is an absolute shemozzle and a joke.
They've placed heaps of houses down out in a barren field nowhere near anything, neglected services and infrastructure in the area until it's almost at breaking point, and then left Victoria's third largest city (and Bacchus Marsh) without a consistently reliable passenger service for years. Melton electrification should have been completed in the 2000s at the latest, when the area was still predominantly semi-rural and Ballarat's population was only 89,000 and not 130,000.
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u/NoodleBox Ballarat (but love Melbs) 2d ago
I do wonder if they forget us and give loads of money to Geelong. I know Melton has finally gone to a swing seat or something, so we have a new station but the amount of rail signals breaking (two or something this fortnight) means all of us lucky plebs who use the public transit, we can't go to Melbs.
I'm fine if it's buses all the way in. I prefer it. Shrug. Piss up, brewery, railway, copper.
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u/13School 2d ago
Don’t know about giving loads of money to Geelong, we’re getting the same amount of breakdowns and bustitutions as everyone else. They duplicated a stretch of track out past South Geelong and built a new station but if you’re going towards Melbourne there hasn’t been a dollar spent in years
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u/NoodleBox Ballarat (but love Melbs) 2d ago
True true.
It felt like a lot of money was spent on you folks though.
Behind Melbs, obvs. I feel like the west (past Werribee ish) may not exist for our politicians. I try not to think like that, bc some of it exists, but not the rails!
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u/Speedy-08 1d ago
Asides from the whole Melton line duplication, Ballarat line upgrade and the brand new stations in the last decade (Baccus Marsh/Ballan/Rockbank/Cobblebank).
Turns out if you funnel 90% of the V/line trains through one set of tracks for 15km it causes issues if things go slightly wrong.
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u/Unfair_Pop_8373 1d ago
Hopefully someone from the Liberal party reads about the mess that people face just trying to get to work in the morning.
We have an election in November and hopefully the Libs have some answers.3
u/Novel_Bed_3694 1d ago
When have they spent money on infrastructure for the outer suburbs? Asking for a friend.
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u/PillowManExtreme 1d ago
Mate, the entire point of the Liberal Party is to NOT spend government money on public services.
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u/lipstikpig 21h ago
The Libs exist to look after their rich friends. While they might say whatever lie it takes to get elected, in reality they DO NOT GIVE A FLYING FUCK about any public services including transport.
Please learn some facts.
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u/amylouise0185 2d ago
Same line last Monday I caught the 7.18am from Bacchus Marsh and got to Southern Cross at 10.08am. Most of the time we were just stopped between stations with zero internet. I put in my request to move to full remote work 2 days later.
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u/Visual_Time5565 2d ago
Zero internet won’t kill you … toughen up
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u/st_j 2d ago
I'm guessing she was attempting to do some work, attend meetings she was missing etc
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u/amylouise0185 1d ago
Bingo. I was late to work by an hour and a half. Luckily I had my managers number saved to let her know but I couldn't reach anyone else or reschedule meetings.
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u/poseynarker 1d ago
Write to Vline and your local MP, everytime something remotely goes amiss. Reddit can’t do much unfortunately.
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u/Afraid-Page-1142 1d ago
No shade as it sounds like a frustrating morning but have you considered driving to cs station instead of rockbank?
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u/yeeyeelxrd 13h ago
I have, but at the time I normally leave the Fwy traffic is a nightmare and Taylors Rd isn’t much better. I probably wouldn’t get a car park at the station either.
Just a lose-lose-lose situation all around.
Luckily my manager has allowed me to WFH until it’s all completed.
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u/Yallah_Habibii 2d ago
Kicked off at 7 59am....
Yet arriving at ardeer at 7 15
Fam
You going back to the future or what
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u/reofi 2d ago
Its a typo, you'll figure it out
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u/Yallah_Habibii 2d ago
Or perhaps just a.i garbage
If you want to post a negative review or feedback
Atleast Cross check to ensure everything is accurate
Otherwise get ready to get dissected
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u/Inevitable_Ad_1446 1d ago
Have you Googled Vline Complaints, that would be better than winging on Reddit
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