Issue 209 / 7 March 2022
Passengers have their say at Accessibility Forum
V/Line conducted its Accessibility Forum last week, gathering critical insights into how the organisation can support customers with accessibility requirements to resume using public transport. Acting EGM Operations Rochelle Reynolds opened the meeting by expressing how important it is to hear directly from customers and to ensure that accessibility is considered in everything we do. “We want all of our customers to feel safe, comfortable and confident when they return to train or coach travel on V/Line services,” Rochelle said. “Ensuring that accessibility is taken into account as more passengers return is an important component
to our vision of a modern highperforming railway and coach service for all.”
our customers will go towards
Customers were given the opportunity to answer V/Line’s questions related to the safe return of customers with lived experience of disability on the V/Line network.
keeping our customers at the
“The highlight of the event was hearing from our customers on what we can do to support their return to the V/Line network.
Working Group Brendan Geary also
“All of the insights collected from
staff with accessibility requirements.
the development of our return to network plan, to ensure we are forefront of everything that we do,” Rochelle said. EGM Corporate Planning and Risk and member of the Disability presented on initiatives happening across the company to make V/Line a more inclusive environment for
In this issue • Waurn Ponds new forecourt • North work blitz complete • Lara and Broadford stations improved • International Women’s Day 2022 • Office restrictions ease • V/Line staff recognition • Extra trains for Foo Fighters
V/News / Issue 209
Works blitz complete in the north
New forecourt open at Waurn Ponds Station
The new forecourt at Waurn Ponds Station is now officially open, giving passengers access to extra parking spaces and improved services. As part of the Waurn Ponds Station Upgrade, the new forecourt includes more than 500 car parking spaces to make it easier for locals to park and take the train, as well as a new drop-off zone, upgraded security and better passenger information. The new forecourt will also be safer and more convenient for people to ride their bikes to catch the train, with access to more bicycle hoops and secure storage. Regional Manager South West Stuart Beardwell said there was a lot for passengers to look forward to at the station. “It’s great to see the new forecourt officially open to passengers and there are more benefits to come this year as part of the station upgrade,” he said. Works on the Waurn Ponds Station Upgrade are continuing, with commissioning and critical safety testing to take place this year, to enable additional services to run on the Geelong line. The station’s new platform and pedestrian overpass, as well as ramps, lifts and stairs will also
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become operational this year following the commissioning process. It will see crews relocate a live signalling box from the rail corridor to allow the final 50-metre section of rail to be installed, and complete track duplication at the station. More than 2,000 sleepers and 2.9 kilometres of new rail has already been laid. Major earthworks are also continuing at the site for the new train stabling and maintenance facility near Waurn Ponds, with track installation taking place. Crews have installed drainage and started work on the new track that will link the Geelong line to the stabling facility – helping enable the extension of services on the line to Waurn Ponds. The Waurn Ponds Station Upgrade is the first step in duplicating the rail line between South Geelong and Waurn Ponds to deliver more frequent and reliable services. The upgrade forms part of the Australian and Victorian governments’ investment of more than $4 billion in the Regional Rail Revival program, which is upgrading every regional passenger rail line in Victoria.
The completion of a major infrastructure renewal program has breathed new life into the Bendigo, Swan Hill and Echuca rail lines.
Crews have completed more than $10 million in works, featuring a combination of track and station infrastructure improvements as part of V/Line’s maintenance program, and construction works on Raywood Station as part of the Bendigo Echuca Line Upgrade (BELU). More than 150 workers were out in force on the network during the blitz, which ran until Sunday 27 February with train services resuming on Monday 28 February.
V/News / Issue 209
Station works full steam ahead
Improvement works have been completed at Lara and Broadford stations, as part of the Victorian Government’s ongoing economic response to coronavirus. At Lara, crews have installed two new shelters on the station platform and rotated an existing shelter, so it now faces the track where most Melbourne-bound trains stop.
At Broadford, four new platform shelters are the centrepiece of the works and crews have also constructed new bathroom amenities for passengers.
The station’s carpeting has also been upgraded, and the waiting room received a fresh coat of paint as part of a general freshen up of the precinct last year to help make it more inviting for passengers.
The projects are part of the government’s $328.4 million investment in critical public transport and roads maintenance and upgrades, with Melton, North Geelong, North Shore and Kilmore
East stations also benefiting from the investment. Station upgrades and improvements being completed under the Building Works stimulus funding are helping to provide a more comfortable, accessible and safer journey for passengers, while also supporting the local economy as part of recovery efforts from the pandemic.
The new shelters at Lara...
...and at Broadford Stations
International Women’s Day 2022 International Women’s Day is right around the corner and this year’s theme is #BreakTheBias.
The panellists include V/Line EGM Corporate Governance Rebecca Northeast, Acting GM - Business and Transformation Renee Cox and Driver SCS Hannah Clarke.
Please join us on Thursday 10 March at 2pm for the event. Learn more about how you can #BreakThe Bias here. The V/Line freight team showing their support for IWD 2022
To celebrate this event, we are hosting a virtual panel of guest speakers which will be moderated by Jac Phillips. Jac has been in the media for more than half her life, having started her career as a radio announcer in New Zealand and now has a focus on communication, coaching for leadership impact, creative thought leadership and public speaking.
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V/News / Issue 209
Offices now open as restrictions lift Office-based staff can now return to working from offices across Victoria and at V/Line’s corporate headquarters at 452 Flinders Street. General Manager HSE COVID Assurance Cindy James said the Victorian Government work from home recommendation was lifted a week ago and there had already been a large increase in the number of staff returning to the office. “In just the first two days of last week, more than 100 staff were already working out of 452 Flinders Street, across all floors,” Cindy said. “One manager recounted that they had two new staff members they had never met in person until this week when the whole team assembled together for the first time. “This illustrates just one of the many benefits of returning to office working. “I also look forward to opportunities to build and maintain trusting and collaborative relationships with colleagues, problem solving and learning from one another, as well as extending those informal and formal mentoring relationships that have developed during our lengthy period away from the office. “Thanks to the many people from across the organisation who have contributed to readying our offices for the return of our people,” she said. For more information on returning to office working, please visit the homepage of Engine Room or speak with your manager.
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V/News / Issue 209
Recognition event
Our first recognition event saw 82 V/Line staff recognised for their efforts. V/Line CEO Matt Carrick acknowledged staff for going above and beyond in their roles. Well done to all the worthy nominations. Jason Monardo Warren Wirken Iskur Sakurdeep Francesco Zampogna Linda Ho David Salim Kyle Gillett Ashish Nayak Justin Smith Mandy Mason Janelle Demkiw Piyush Arora Melanie Offer Jarryd Chiswell Paul Neville Dominique Fazzari Trevor Robinson John Stemp Paul Bastick Rick Hogan Trevor Wills
Tim Nikolakakos Jason Brown Aaron Cutting Adrian Callipari Tyrone White Tom Larkins Jason Oliver Seth Colwell Paul Grzybek Frank McShane Anthony Gleeson Robert Lawson Rhys Roberts Steven Duncan Robert Jackson Charlie Pelman Dylan Kukanovski Nathan Borg Lara Bucknall Matthew Soligo Nick Cassar
Leigh Spiteri Matt Skirrey Peter Soligo Jeremy Scott-Virtue Stephanie Tardio Michael Cremona Alex Constantin Fabio Andrade Michael Buttigieg Matthew Williams Pam Evers Sarah Griffiths Gary Hamilton Jarryd Chiswell Ron Romeo Rebecca Fleming Manik Marya Brett Hughes David Irvin Kane Vicary – Lovegrove Earl Noronha
Mandeep Saini Desmond Yang Cameron Binetti Jovan Cai Mathew Hickling David Ropeti Jodie Parker Sally Clearihan Narelle Starkie Larissa Scanlon Jo Wood Doreen Stringer Andrew Renshaw Clayton Giles Emma Lucas Karan Gill Karen Williams Kelly Ware Michelle Burns
Extra trains for sold-out Foo Fighters Six special train services were scheduled on Friday night as Geelong hosted the Foo Fighters concert. Regional Manager South West Stuart Beardwell said South Geelong Station was the focus of the evening, as large crowds made their way to GMHBA Stadium. “It is a terrific outcome for Geelong to be selected to host the sold-out Foo Fighters concert, as part of the major ALWAYS LIVE event established
by the Victorian Government,” Stuart said.
services between Geelong and
“It was busy, with six additional trains departing South Geelong Station for Southern Cross as many customers travelled from Melbourne for the event.
which made this more challenging
“We also operated coach replacements for our scheduled
contribute to delivering the extra
Waurn Ponds at the same time, than the usual Geelong Cats home game. “A big thanks to everyone who braved the inclement conditions to services for the Foo Fighters concert.”
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V/News / Issue 209
Workforce Management Project makes a hasty return The delivery of a new HASTUS payroll platform has commenced with the formation of a focussed project team. V/Line Chief Information Officer Unal Altay said the Workforce Management Project had been allocated funding for the latest version of the HASTUS workforce management system. “A new project team is in place and a plan for a phased rollout over the next three years is being formulated,” he said. “Our goal for this project remains unchanged and that is to understand and solve clear and present problems across V/Line’s workforce operations, including but not limited to rostering, payroll and situational/skills-based allocation of resources around day-of operations.” Unal said HASTUS 2010 was now 12 years old so an update was welcomed. “Upgrading to a newer version will ensure V/Line has more up-to-date fatigue management information, rotations are built in the system, short-term shift alterations for crew are planned based on timetable and
fleet data, and non-crew can sign in and out on any device with an internet connection,” he said. The project will signal a shift from predominantly manual and paperbased systems to using technology and automated workflows for core processes including: • electronic rostering aligned to the timetable • employees accessing their roster via Employee Self-Service • service recovery from disruptions • reporting analytics and data driven decisions relating to crews, scheduling, and planning • integration (process and systems) with payroll and other enterprise systems. The system is also likely to create improvements such as consistent core processes across the regions and more effective service recovery, using analytical and modelling tools for predictive scenarios. More information about the Workforce Management Project will be available from July 2022.
Become a Beacon mentor V/Line is looking for volunteers from across the business to become mentors for the Beacon Foundation – POLISH mentoring program. The program inspires young people to think about careers and experience the workplace, long before they leave school. Students learn real-life skills during the one-day sessions, preparing them for the workplace. V/Line sponsors 10 sessions a year across regional Victoria supporting around 800 students from years 9 and 10 to complete the program. As a mentor you will help inspire our next generation on their career path as they hear about your working journey and how you got to your role today.
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V/News / Issue 209
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Becoming a mentor • No prior experience or qualifications are required, just a willingness to connect with students. • We’re just asking for three hours of your time to attend a session at a regional school. • You’ll be involved in a question-and-answer session with other mentors where you’ll be asked to give a short summary of your role and how you got there, a networking lunch (light lunch provided) and a series of small-group workshops with students. • A Working with Children Check is required to participate in the program. • You’ll also be asked to supply a short paragraph about your role and career history (approx. 150 words) for the students and a photograph of yourself. • On the day you can wear whatever you wear in your everyday work life, no need to wear business attire if that’s not what you usually wear.
Calls for volunteers in the east Keep Victoria Beautiful is launching a new Stationeers site at Warragul and is on the search for volunteers to help beautify the station. Acting Keep Victoria Beautiful (KVB) CEO Sam Lawson said volunteers were needed to plant and maintain gardens surrounding the stations and assist with litter collection to keep the area beautiful for visitors and locals alike. “Stationeers volunteers transform plain landscapes into welcoming gardens for commuters and havens for local wildlife. “This program brings real benefits to local communities and urban biodiversity, with stations beautified by volunteers hosting more wildlife and less litter,” Mr Lawson said The Stationeers program partners with V/Line, along with Metro, PTV,
VicTrack and Department of Transport. KVB is also looking for volunteers to lend a helping hand at Drouin Station. “I’ve been really impressed with the change to the surrounds of the stations through the dedication and support of current volunteer groups and look forward to welcoming more groups onto the network,” Mr Lawson said. If you know of anyone who would like to be involved, please encourage them to contact volunteers@kvb.org.au or visit www.kvb.org.au for more information on the program at Warragul Station.
If you are interested in becoming a mentor, please email Community Engagement Advisor Jacinta Addamo.
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V/News / Issue 209
Bringing us together competition
This year to celebrate A Taste of Harmony and Harmony Day, V/Line’s Cultural and Linguistic Diversity (CALD) team is running a competition. Staff are being encouraged to share their culture, or cultural experiences with friends and colleagues at V/Line through photos, videos or writing about it. The initiative aims to provide an opportunity to learn something unique about other cultures, connect on a personal level and broaden our
understanding and experiences. It can be about food and favourite dishes, cultural celebrations and ceremonies, family traditions, the wearing of traditional costumes or other cultural activities of importance. Entries open on 16 February. For more information and how to enter click here
Eight-year-old Golden Retriever Buddy and 13-year-old Pug Max belong to Southern Cross Station Booking Clerk Rebecca Tennent. Buddy and Max are best buddies and bring so much love and joy into the lives of their family. Buddy is full of energy, always running around with his toys and being cheeky. Max is quite the opposite and loves to laze around and snooze all day.
Compliment of the week This week’s compliment is from a customer, who contacted V/Line to thank two staff members at South Geelong Station on 14 February. The customer stated that his father, who is 90 years old, was arriving at the station and was to call to collect him but he forgot to charge his mobile phone so was unable to.
The man asked the station staff to help so they called his son from the office to let him know. He said all the staff were friendly and helpful and he wanted to pass on his thanks and appreciation.
You can receive V/News in your personal inbox each fortnight. Send your preferred email address to comms@vline.com.au
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