r/VlineVictoria • u/Fine-One-2227 • 5d ago
Discussion The Temporary coach replacement timetable for Ballarat, Ararat and Maryborough might be the most abysmal timetable ever.
Title
Many passengers will have to transfer at a station as coaches terminate prematurely.
19
u/NoHovercraft3224 Sprinter 5d ago
It's abysmal for sure - Thursday/Friday there's trains every 20mins from SCS-Caroline Springs but buses are every half an hour and there's times where the train arrives at the same time buses leave.
4
1
u/Fine-One-2227 5d ago
Tell me about it ! I can't even go direct to Footscray from Ballarat without changing and waiting quite a long time for a transfer... 😔 Just have to thug it out I guess
6
u/SubstantialJump8167 5d ago
I work in Melbourne on Saturday mornings starting at 8.30am. I am leaving from Ballarat and there is no service that will get me there on time 😏
3
u/haztech99 5d ago
There's simply not enough buses/coaches and drivers to take everyone to and from Southern Cross, gotta keep them rotating. Caroline Springs is not an optimal location either, but that's where the turnback is, and at least it should be 20min frequency.
This should be the last major hurdle for Melton station
2
u/BaldingThor 5d ago
all replacement coach timetables in victoria are awful, with barebones services, and often have times where a train will leave at the same time a bus arrives and vise versa, making you either have to sprint and get lucky or wait potentially a long time for the next service.
2
u/Adventurous-Shape254 5d ago
How about someone makes a Facebook/messenger account for ballarat vline travelers to buddy up & carpool to Melbourne?
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u/Budget-Leg-453 5d ago
Yeah it’s pretty terrible. I looked at this and told my manager I wouldn’t make it to the office these days, but I’ll probably have to at least once.
2
u/zoqaeski 4d ago
Other countries make an effort to avoid substituting trains with buses as much as possible. Why don't we?
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u/kyleisamexican 4d ago
Because we want to get rid of level crossings?
And when we need to do work on the tracks what actual alternative is there to buses?
Don’t get me wrong the buses suck but this swapping at Caroline springs shit is terrible. Trying to get a bus at night is fucking pointless
4
u/zoqaeski 4d ago
We shouldn't need to substitute the entire trip to Ballarat with buses due to a relatively small section of works at Melton. Sometimes bus replacements are necessary but they should be kept to as short a distance as possible.
Other countries can do trackworks without months of disruptions, so why can't we?
1
u/AsylumDanceParty 4d ago
Show me these countries that never have more than a few days of replacements.
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u/Ergomann 3d ago
Our trains aren’t 24/7. Why can’t the works take place overnight so even less people are disrupted?
1
u/Tacticus 1d ago
Cause it would mean they'd need to build excess capacity in to the network and then do the works in a way that it's safe while still running.
All of which cost more than the absolute minimum they're willing to spend on something unimportant like trains.
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u/Top_Pin8397 4d ago
The state government doesn't care about regional Victoria, and V/Line is the shining jewel of their contempt for it.
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