Commuters in Melbourne’s outer west are being warned to brace for disruptions to the V/Line network next Wednesday as rail workers plan to walk off the job.
The Rail, Train and Bus Union (RTBU) notified V/Line of its intention to take industrial action involving a full network closure between 3-7am on Wednesday, December 13.
V/Line said it is currently working to finalise a plan for replacement coaches and will notify passengers of these plans as soon as possible.
The industrial action will affect commuters across the network including the Bendigo, Seymour, Traralgon, Geelong and Ballarat lines.
Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) spokesperson Daniel Bowen said while the strike action will only last four hours, it is likely there will be disruptions throughout the rest of the morning as crews and trains will be out of position when services resume
“The stop work will have big impacts for residents in Melbourne’s west, given some areas such as Wyndham Vale, Tarneit, Caroline Springs and Deer Park rely on V/Line for their suburban train service,” Mr Bowen said.
“We’re expecting that residual delays will continue for some hours afterwards, and may even impact the afternoon and evening.”
Mr Bowen said the PTUA are hopeful that the RTBU will reach an agreement with V/Line management and avoid this disruption.
“For people who normally use V/Line, it may be best to avoid travel on the day if possible, for instance work from home if you can. If you do have to travel, check the PTV or V/Line web sites for disruption information, and allow plenty of extra time. We understand some coaches will run instead, but of course these simply don’t have the capacity or the speed to provide the service that trains do.”
Information about service changes will be published on the V/Line website, mobile app and social media, with commuters urged to check for updates before travel.
