Extra trains for Wendouree - V/Line

ISSUE 70 September 2011
Inside
3 Ballarat
maintenance
facility
4 V/Line
State Titles
Diggers Rest
5 upgrade
Goulburn and
6 Geelong events
7 Exhibition
offers
Check out new V/Line Escapes at vline.com.au
8 Love
Never Dies
Extra trains for
Wendouree
The number of trains for Wendouree
passengers will more than double from
Sunday 9 October.
Public Transport Minister Terry Mulder
was in Wendouree earlier this month to
make the special funding announcement
which will see 85 existing weekly
Ballarat trains extended to and from
Wendouree Station.
Mr Mulder said the funding boost of
$470,000 will result in more station
staff, extended ticket office hours and
greater flexibility for the people of
Wendouree, Lake Gardens, Alfredton
and surrounds.
Continued next page
New mobile
9 website
10 Performance
results
11 Sudoku

Extra trains for Wendouree from cover
Public Transport Minister Terry Mulder at
Wendouree Station.
“Most Ballarat trains will soon stop
at Wendouree Station making it an
attractive place for people to leave
the car rather than drive to Ballarat
Station where parking is at a premium,”
Mr Mulder said.
“With more than a doubling of weekend
trains for Wendouree passengers, going
to cricket or special events in Melbourne
will allow people to catch the train for
the entire journey. The extension of
late night trains in particular means
saying goodbye to the cost of a cab or
the hassle of getting picked up from
Ballarat Station.”
Currently the last weekday train to
Wendouree leaves Southern Cross at
6:24. The latest Melbourne departures
will soon be 21:54 on Monday to
Thursdays or 23:24 on Fridays.
Weekday commuters use about half of
the 200 car spots available so parking is
still sufficient at Wendouree.
V/Line CEO Rob Barnett said as a result
of the extra services, the station opening
hours would be extended.
“Two extra station staff will be employed
so that we can open the ticket office
from 5:00 until 20:30 Monday to Friday,
and until 21:00 on the weekend,”
Mr Barnett said.
“The ticket office currently shuts at 14:00
and is closed over the weekend, so this
will offer people a greater opportunity to
buy their tickets, with the added security
benefit of a staff presence at night.
“The station opened in June 2009 with
63 weekly services mainly during peak
times and demand for extra trains has
steadily grown. From 9 October we will
see 158 trains per week at Wendouree.
“Ballarat’s west is growing rapidly,
particularly around Alfredton and the
new suburb of Lucas. It’s important
we keep improving our trains to meet
new demand.”
A boost in tourism is also expected to
flow to the area, attracting people to
visit Lake Wendouree and the Ballarat
Botanical Gardens which are both a
10 minute walk from the station.
The annual Ballarat Begonia Festival will
celebrate its 60th year this March and
will be promoted to tourists who want
easy public transport options to events
outside Melbourne.
A new timetable is now available from
vline.com.au and from staffed stations in
early October. All train times remain the
same on the Ballarat line, except with the
addition of the new Wendouree services.
Page 2

New train maintenance facility for Ballarat
Up to 30 new jobs will be created when a new V/Line train
maintenance facility opens at Ballarat East by the end of the year.
The $16.5 million project involves construction of a three track
maintenance facility so V/Line trains can be serviced or repaired
when stabled overnight.
Previously trains were maintained solely in Melbourne. Global
rail company Bombardier maintains all of the V/Line train fleet
and has been involved in the design and construction of the
new facility.
Bombardier will move some jobs from Melbourne to Ballarat while
others will be created as new positions. With 128 new VLocity
carriages in service and six more on the way this promises to be a
strong and long-term employment prospect for the region.
V/Line is already one of the bigger employers in Ballarat with 107
staff directly employed and up to 40 more indirectly employed
through train and station cleaning and maintenance contracts.
The new facility will also make a big difference to the way we do
things operationally. It can potentially mean less cancellations or
carriage reductions due to problems that will be addressed here in
Ballarat rather than taking the trains back to Melbourne for repair
and minor maintenance.
The maintenance depot is located in the Ballarat East rail yards,
near Ballarat Station.
Minister for Regional Cities, Denis Napthine, was shown
the Ballarat East Maintenance Facility construction site
by Project Manager Rob Ronchi.
Page 3

V/Line State Titles
One of the main events on Netball Victoria’s competition
calendar is the V/Line State Titles held on 8 and 9 October, 2011.
V/Line, together with Netball Victoria, is proud to bring this
event to the State Netball Hockey Centre, Parkville where the
state’s best netballers for each region compete for the title.
The netball state titles were first held in 1985 to give regional
players a chance to represent their local area at a level higher
than inter-association competition.
While the event originally moved between the regions, it has
been held at Victoria’s official netball-hockey centre in the
Melbourne suburb of Parkville since 2006. In 2010 it was taken
to Bendigo for the 25th anniversary.
The competition features 500 of the best players from across
Netball Victoria’s 19 regional and metropolitan zones. They’ll
battle for court honours in the open, 17-and-under and 15-andunder
divisions. There is also an AAA, or access all abilities,
division for netballers with a disability.
The event will be officially opened at the State Netball Hockey
Centre on Saturday 8 October at 9am. Day one of competition
starts immediately after the opening ceremony.
The V/Line State Distinction Awards, which recognise the
contributions of volunteers to
Netball, will this year form part
of the Gala Awards night on
Saturday 12 November.
Page 4

Digging it up at Diggers
The $270 million Sunbury Electrification
Project is more than 60% complete.
The works involve installing electrical
infrastructure to allow metropolitan
trains to run from Sunbury, upgrading
Diggers Rest and Sunbury railway
stations, additional car parking and
a new stabling yard in Sunbury for
train parking.
At Diggers Rest Station, the project team
is getting the community involved in
brightening up the station forecourt.
It is working with Diggers Rest Primary
School and Keep Australia Beautiful
as part of the Stationeers program to
create a welcoming community garden
at the station.
The Stationeers program is run by Keep
Australia Beautiful and encourages
communities to improve the appearance
and surrounds of railway stations.
Stationeers accomplish this by
establishing and improving landscapes
surrounding the stations. They
also discourage vandalism through
Diggers Rest Primary School students help make the station a nicer place to be.
beautification strategies such as
installing murals, removing litter and
increasing public awareness of the
value of the station as a gateway to
their community.
The Diggers Rest Primary School
Stationeers are the youngest Stationeers
in the program’s history.
The project team is working in
partnership with Keep Australia Beautiful
and the project’s landscape architects to
ensure the students gain a meaningful
and rewarding experience and that the
community have a great station garden
to enjoy for years to come.
To find out more information about the
project or to view the construction works
through dynamic time-lapse photography
visit transport.vic.gov.au/sunbury
The time-lapse provides an insight into
overhead mast installation, platform
asphalting and the works associated
with track installation.
Page 5

Tastes of the Goulburn in Seymour
Tastes of the Goulburn in Seymour 15 October
The Tastes of the Goulburn is held the day before the Darley
Seymour Cup, making for a great weekend trip.
The festival champions the wine, produce and restaurateurs
from the region. People can indulge in delicious cheese, olives,
pasta, preserves, fudge, nuts, gelato and baked goods while
the kids enjoy storytelling, face painting and heritage train
rides. This is a great family day out!
V/Line deal: Free
festival entry upon
presentation of a valid
V/Line ticket.
More information:
tastesofthegoulburn.
org.au
Getting there: An
adult, full fare ticket
from Melbourne to
Seymour is only
$17.40 return during
off-peak times.
Toast to the Coast in Geelong 29 - 30 October
Cheering in its tenth year, Toast to the Coast is a celebration
of fine wine, food and entertainment. More than 25 wineries
will serve up a stunning array of new release, current and back
vintages, alongside an abundance of fresh regional produce.
This iconic festival is a great way to explore the vineyards of
the Geelong wine region, as vineyards that rarely open to the
public welcome visitors over the festival weekend. Entry to all
venues is free. For just $30, guests receive a souvenir Toast to
the Coast wine glass that can be used for tastings across the
weekend at all participating wineries.
V/Line deal: Pre-purchase your tasting glass for just $25
instead of $30 by using the link on V/Line’s website.
More information:
www.visitgeelongbellarine.
com/events/toast-to-thecoast
Getting there: An adult, full
fare ticket from Melbourne to
Geelong is just $13.40 return
during off peak times.
Page 6

Winners are grinners at White Wedding Dress
3AW’s David Mann hosted a special
outing to the White Wedding Dress
exhibition in Bendigo at the end of
last month.
Eight lucky competition winners and
their friends joined an early morning
V/Line train to Bendigo, toured the
town on the talking tram and viewed the
collection of wedding gowns at Bendigo
Art Gallery.
The White Wedding Dress: 200 Years of
Wedding Fashions runs from 1 August –
6 November and features an outstanding
collection of wedding gowns from the
Victoria & Albert Museum in London.
This is the only chance to see this
exhibition in Australia, so make sure
you don’t miss this fantastic collection
featuring designers such as Zandra
Rhodes, Vivienne Westwood, Vera Wang,
Christian Lacroix, Lavin and Philip Treacy.
Receive adult entry to the exhibition at
a concession price upon presentation
of a valid V/Line ticket. An adult, full
fare ticket from Melbourne to Bendigo is
$32.40 return during off peak times.
Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs
For the first time in Australia’s history, the record breaking Tutankhamun exhibition visits
Melbourne for one final stop before Egypt’s treasures return to Cairo forever.
Revel in the splendour of Ancient Egypt as
you view a dazzling array of possessions
unearthed from the boy king’s tomb.
Over seven million visitors have attended
the exhibition worldwide, the most highly
attended exhibition ever assembled.
See it before it is history. Find out more at
kingtutmelbourne.com.au
From 20 September until
20 October V/Line passengers will
pay just $22.95 for adult entry to
the exhibition on weekdays between
2.00 and 5.30pm. This offer is subject
to availability.
To take advantage of this special offer,
go to vline.com.au from 20 September
and follow the links. The exhibition
runs until 4 December 2011.
Page 7

Love Never Dies
Now playing in Melbourne, Love Never Dies is a
brand new musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and
is one of the grandest musicals ever to grace a
Melbourne stage.
Playing at The Regent Theatre until December,
this incredible musical has received outstanding
praise by audiences and critics alike, being
described as “Glorious” (The Age), “A Ravishing
Spectacle” (The Herald Sun) and “Magnificent”
(3AW), with the maestro himself saying “this is
one of the finest productions of my work I have
ever seen, anywhere” (Andrew Lloyd Webber).
Featuring an award winning set and costume
design, a spectacular score and a phenomenal
Australian cast – this is truly the theatrical event
of a lifetime.
V/Line has teamed up with Love Never Dies to
bring you this fantastic ticket offer.
Buy a Love Never Dies A-Reserve or Premium
Ticket on Ticketmaster between 20 September
and 31 October 2011 (for performances until
18 December) and enter the password “VLINE”
and you will receive a free program.
Please note: This offer does not apply to tickets already
purchased or tickets purchased in any other way. Tickets can
be purchased from 20 September until 31 October 2011. This
offer applies to A-Reserve and Premium tickets purchased
via the link on V/Line’s website for all performances until
18 December.
Page 8

New mobile website and more
V/Line is currently testing our brand new mobile website.
If you have an iPhone or Android based smart phone,
please check it out at http://m.vline.com.au
We would love to hear what you think, so please send an
email to mobile.feedback@vline.com.au with any feedback.
In addition to the mobile
website, we are now using
Twitter to communicate
disruptions and Facebook
to promote special offers
and things to do in country
destinations. We’ll also be
using YouTube to showcase
videos about V/Line.
Social media links
For general V/Line news, our Twitter profile is @vline
(twitter.com/#!/vline). You can also follow one of our
lines for live updates or any disruptions at:
http://twitter.com/#!/vline_ballarat
http://twitter.com/#!/vline_geelong
http://twitter.com/#!/vline_bendigo
http://twitter.com/#!/vline_seymour
http://twitter.com/#!/vline_gippsland
If you’re a Facebook user, you can ‘like’ V/Line for news about
special offers at: www.facebook.com/vlinevictoria
V/Line related footage can be found on our YouTube channel:
http://www.youtube.com/channelvline
The smart money is on V/Line for a great day at the country races
Country racing is great way to get out of town and
enjoy the day without the hustle and bustle of the
metropolitan racing meets.
And when travelling V/Line there is no need for a
convoy of cars and obligatory designated drivers
– you can relax and enjoy the beautiful Victorian
countryside on the trip up.
V/Line has great value deals to the
following country cup meetings:
Geelong Cup – Wednesday 19 October
Bendigo Cup – Wednesday 26 October
NMIT Kyneton Cup – Wednesday
2 November
Page 9

Performance results
July 2011
Short distance journeys
Line Geelong Ballarat* Bendigo* Seymour Gippsland
% of scheduled
services run
% of scheduled
services on time
to 5 minutes
Long distance journeys
Line
% of scheduled
services run
Services run
98.3% 98% 96.9% 98.8% 97.1%
On time
91.2% 92.2% 86.2% 96.1% 76.1%
Warrnambool
Ararat/
Maryborough
Swan Hill/
Echuca
Albury/
Wodonga
Services run
Shepparton
Bairnsdale
(includesSale)
100% 100% 100% 96.8% 100% 100%
*Trains were replaced by buses from 2–17 July due to Regional Rail
Link works and were not measured.
#Large sections of track between Seymour and Albury are subject to
speed restrictions as ARTC work continues.
➔ On short distance services, punctuality is measured on time to
5 minutes 59 seconds.
➔ On long distance services, punctuality is measured on time to
10 minutes 59 seconds.
If your line did not meet its punctuality or reliability target and you
have a valid periodical ticket of four weeks or more, you are eligible
for a complimentary return V/Line ticket as compensation.
All compensation claims must include a valid ticket and be made in
writing to: Customer Relations, Reply Paid 5343, Melbourne VIC 3001.
Customers with further inquiries about V/Line performance should
phone us on 136 196.
% of scheduled
services on time
to 10 minutes
On time
96.2% 97.3% 96.9% 37.3% # 96.4% 66.9%
This newsletter has been printed on Tudor RP 100% recycled paper.
Tudor RP is Australian made and contains 100% recycled fibre
sourced from collected office, printing and converting waste. No
chlorine bleaching occurs in the recycling process and Australian
Paper has ISO 14001 accreditation. Sales of Tudor RP support
Landcare Australia.
Puzzle Solution
4 3 9 7 6 5 1 8 2
2 1 7 9 3 8 6 5 4
5 8 6 4 1 2 3 7 9
3 2 8 6 4 9 7 1 5
1 6 4 2 5 7 9 3 8
9 7 5 3 8 1 2 4 6
7 4 3 8 9 6 5 2 1
6 5 2 1 7 4 8 9 3
8 9 1 5 2 3 4 6 7
Page 10

Sudoku
Spend a few minutes solving this
puzzle, then check the solution
on page 10.
Sudoku
To solve a Sudoku puzzle, every number
from 1 to 9 must appear in:
• Each of the nine vertical columns
• Each of the nine horizontal rows
• Each of the nine 3 x 3 boxes.
Remember no number can occur more
than once in any row, column or box.
5 1
7 6 4
8 1 2 7
3 2 6 5
6 2 5 7 3
9 1 4 6
4 8 9 2
6 2 8
1 5
Page 11