V/News issue 210 - Monday 21 March

Issue 210 / 21 March 2022

Steam Rail success

More than 9000 train enthusiasts converged on Melbourne’s inner western suburbs over the long weekend for the biennial Steamrail Victoria Newport Workshops Open Days.

V/Line had one of its newest VLocity sets on show at the event alongside N, P and Y Class locomotives, giving visitors the opportunity to see the trains up close and do a walk through.

opportunity to celebrate that partnership,” he said.

V/Line also had a stall on site, with staff volunteering their time over the three days to hand out merchandise and answer questions.

“To have some of Victoria’s oldest surviving steam locomotives on display alongside one of our newest trains shows how far we have come in terms of connecting our regional communities through rail transport over multiple generations.”

Acting General Manager Stakeholder Relations James Twining said it was wonderful to see people of all ages attending the event, especially the excitement from children.

Steamrail Victoria hosts the open days every two years with its Newport Workshops co-tenants, and organisers were thrilled to see a jump in attendance for this year’s event.

“V/Line plays a key role in preserving Victoria’s rail heritage through its support of mainline charter operations, and the Newport Workshops Open Days is another

“In 2020, around 7000 people attended the open days so it was a great reward for all the hard work to see even higher numbers over the weekend,” James said.

“None of this success could be made possible without the dedicated support of volunteers, both from the heritage sector and within V/Line itself.

“We were fortunate to have many V/Line people volunteer their time over the weekend but special mention must go to Bree Lornie, Kade Faulkner, Lionel Camilleri, Murray George, Jeremy Lavery, Chris Barnett, Rhett Stone, Simon Munro, Satbachan Grewal, Emily Barr, Katherine Ripp and Jacinta Addamo, for representing us at the stall or assisting in other ways.

“The high level of interest in V/Line at the event shows we continue to maintain a very close relationship with the broader community.”

More photos from the event on page 5

In this issue • Mt Derrimut Road level crossing removal • North Shore Station works completed • More virtual tours available now • Jeff Board says goodbye • Fun run • Getting active for a good cause

V/News / Issue 210

North Shore station works wrap up North Shore passengers are now enjoying a host of improvements at their station with the completion of upgrade works, as part of the Victorian Government’s ongoing economic response to coronavirus.

Mt Derrimut Road level crossing removal underway

The level crossing at Mt Derrimut Road in Deer Park is a step closer to being gone for good, with early works underway and final designs unveiled for the project.

The contract to remove the level crossing has been awarded to an alliance comprising McConnell Dowell, Arup, Mott MacDonald, Metro Trains Melbourne, V/Line and the Level Crossing Removal Project, who will deliver the $234 million project.

misses recorded since 2017,” he said.

Crews have already kicked off early works, including ground testing and assessments, with further activity such as site establishment and works in the rail corridor increasing this month.

The new Deer Park Station will

V/Line Project Manager Muhammad Amir said it was a critical project for improving safety and reducing the risk of disruptions due to level crossing incidents.

“This is a major step in the project, which will improve safety and ease congestion at Mt Derrimut Road, where there have been more than 15 boom gate collisions and 15 near

2

Final designs for the new elevated rail bridge over Mt Derrimut Road and a new Deer Park Station have also been released, featuring a new 1.2-kilometre elevated rail bridge to replace the level crossing.

include pick-up and drop-off zones on both sides of the rail line, two accessible, elevated platforms with lifts, ramps and stairs, and a new air-conditioned waiting room, as well as pathways, lighting and security cameras throughout the precinct.

Construction is also progressing well on the nearby Fitzgerald Road and Robinsons Road level crossing removals. Once all three are completed, the Geelong and Ballarat lines will be level crossing free between Deer Park and the city.

Passengers at the station now have better visibility when they get on and off trains, thanks to enhanced lighting and also have more room to move after bike racks were relocated off the platforms.

The works are part of the Victorian Government’s $328.4 million investment in critical public transport and roads maintenance and upgrades, with North Shore being selected as one of 16 key stations to receive a share in a $24 million package to support jobs and deliver improved facilities for passengers.

There are also upgrade works underway at North Geelong and Kilmore East stations, as part of the Building Works stimulus program. Melton, Lara and Broadford were the other V/Line stations to be selected for upgrades and improvements.

V/News / Issue 210 Bendigo Station

Warragul Station

Wallan Station

Warrnambool Station

More virtual tours

Passengers can now take a simulated stroll through more V/Line stations with six more stations recently added to the V/Line website.

Bendigo, Warrnambool, Wallan, Warragul, Moe and Drouin stations are the latest stations to have a virtual tour added to the V/Line website.

The tours use special recording and virtual reality technology that allow viewers to click or tap through to high definition, 360-degree images of the station so passengers know what to expect when they arrive.

Digital Customer Experience & Ticketing Manager Matt Grindrod said it was great to see V/Line continually modernising by embracing new technology.

“The latest additions have brought the number of virtual tours available on the V/Line website to 31, with tours for the first tranche of 25 regional railway stations announced

in November last year,” he said.

“Customer feedback has been very positive and requests come through for more stations regularly.

“Since launching our virtual train and station tours in 2018, more than 43,000 customers have taken a tour.”

To see the tours, please visit vline.com.au/virtual-station-tours.

Footy is back

The 2022 AFL season has returned and V/Line is once again working hard behind the scenes to get footy fans to and from the games.

Acting Customer Experience Manager Hannah McMaster said additional services would be running this season, particularly for the big clashes.

“Special footy trains and additional services have been put on for most of the games in the first round because

of the big crowds expected,” she said.

“Each week, we’ll let customers know on Facebook when footy timetables are displayed on our website so fans can plan their trips to and from the games.

We have no doubt it’ll be another big year of footy.”

3

V/News / Issue 210

QICR team farewells Jeff Board The Quality, Improvement, Compliance and Risk (QICR) team in Asset Management bids a fond farewell to Infrastructure Quality Inspector Jeff Board this week, who enters retirement after several decades in rail and four years with V/Line.

Jeff began his career at VicRail in Seymour in 1976, where he spent 10 years working as a station assistant, number taker, parcels assistant and shunter before almost five years as a suburban guard and a further 28 years in track maintenance.

Upon rail industry privatisation, Jeff began as a way maintainer and progressed through the roles of track inspector, special ganger and assistant supervisor before working for the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) on the north-east corridor as a maintenance supervisor.

Along the way, Jeff gained special qualifications in electric staff, double line block safe-working systems and safe-working level five competent person qualifications, for transferring

track machines through the metropolitan network.

Jeff has made a valuable contribution to both V/Line and the rail industry throughout his rich career. He has a great rapport with field staff and management alike and is welcomed everywhere he goes. He is valued for his fresh thinking, smart solutions and strong contribution to the proactive management of risks. His integrity is unquestionable and he has been an excellent role model of V/Line’s values.

“I would like to thank V/Line and especially the QICR management and team for the opportunity to make real changes to rail culture and the way we go about our day-to-day business,” Jeff said.

“I regard my work and that of the QICR team as the most important and meaningful of my career.

“I have loved every moment of my time at V/Line”.

Everyone at V/Line would like to wish Jeff every happiness in his upcoming retirement.

Getting active for a good cause Staff are being encouraged to participate in Vision Australia’s ‘Choose Your Path’ campaign next month.

Choose Your Path encourages participants to walk or run 100 kilometres in April by taking a different path each time, whilst also raising important funds for people who are blind or have low vision.

Whether based in Melbourne or in the regions, all staff are invited to be involved to boost team morale, fitness and wellbeing, and raise awareness.

4

You can register as an individual or a team so keep an eye out on the V/Line Engine Room and Yammer for information and to check out the different paths.

V/News / Issue 210

Fun run

Bendigo Station Manager Shayne Edwards organised for the northern V/Line team to participate in the Bendigo 5K Fun Run earlier this month.

Regional Manager Darren Lapthorne said it was a wonderful team effort.

“We are always looking for ways to promote health and wellbeing amongst our team while also having some fun and supporting the community,” he said.

“It was a really enjoyable event and well done to the team for taking part.”

Left to right: Stephen Sheridan, Philip Miley, Cassandra Coulthard, Shayne Edwards, Luke Spence, Matthew Wynne and Darren Lapthorne

More photos from Steam Rail Open Days in Newport

5

V/News / Issue 210

Kat the knitting lady

Geelong Station Assistant Paul Donovan wrote into V/News to highlight a good news story about one of his regular passengers.

“Today a customer named Katherine met me in the waiting room when I started work and was excited to deliver a custom-made knitted jumper that she made for me.

She is now working on similar pieces for other V/Line staff members. I first noticed Kat when I started working for V/Line because she is one of our most regular customers and catches our trains every day. She has become a known feature of both Geelong and South Geelong stations and is on a first name basis with many of our V/Line staff. She is known to most of our staff as ‘Kat the knitting lady’, which is a title she has accepted like

Paul wears his new jumper knitted by Katherine

a badge of honour. When I met Kat, she was working on a blanket which has since been completed and brought into the station in its entirety to proudly show station staff. It was approximately 90 per cent made on V/Line trains and took about 120 hours to create.

I was chatting with Kat on the platform one day and telling her about the beautiful jumpers my nan used to knit for me, and Kat was excited to take up the challenge of creating one for me. This jumper has taken about three weeks to complete and is just in time for St. Patrick’s Day.”

Chilli belongs to our new Internal Communications Advisor Sarah Pearson. He’s three-and-a-half years old and was adopted from the RSPCA

by Sarah and her fiancé in 2019.

Chilli’s favourite activities include meowing to be let into the backyard, monitoring the local comings and goings at the front window and sleeping on Sarah’s lap.

Voice of Customer

Compliment of the week This week’s compliment is from a passenger who attended the Foo Fighters concert in Geelong.

“I would like to say how well V/Line and all the staff managed all the trains and the large crowd of people that attended the Foo Fighters concert Friday night in Geelong. Everything ran like clockwork, it was great, there was not one

complaint and a few of us sat there talking about how well V/Line had the whole situation worked out. You got us all home safe and fast, with zero issues at all. To all the staff working that night thank you so much and well done.”

You can receive V/News in your personal inbox each fortnight. Send your preferred email address to comms@vline.com.au

6