ANNUAL REPORT 2004–05 - V/Line

CHAIRMAN’S REPORTWhile we know that we will not be able to please everycustomer, we have listened very closely to what has beensaid, particularly about frequency of services. We areconfident that the vast majority of our regular customers willbe satisfied with the final timetable.V/Line has also been an active participant in thedevelopment of Victoria's new ticketing solution, which isbeing managed by the Transport Ticketing Authority. As amember of the working party, V/Line is contributing to thesolution's design and implementation and will play animportant role in trials of smartcard ticketing. This is one ofthe most important initiatives in Victorian public transportand will dramatically change the way people access bothmetropolitan and regional travel.BOARD STRUCTUREWhile managing the impact of the infrastructure revitalisationhas been at the forefront of our activity, V/Line’s board ofdirectors has continued to focus its attention on the issuesof safety and security. Safety has always been our numberone priority. Given the increased emphasis on securitynationwide, we have established a separate Safety, Securityand Environment Sub-Committee to examine these issues ingreater detail.In April 2005, V/Line's managing director, Andrew Neal,resigned.The board also welcomes V/Line's new chief executiveofficer, Rob Barnett, who joined the organisation in April2005. Rob brings broad business experience to the role andleads a strong executive team which is committed tomeeting the challenges that lie ahead.We wish especially to thank all V/Line staff for theircontribution and loyalty during a difficult period. Theirwillingness to step up to the numerous challenges of thispast year and to keep effective services operating for ourcustomers deserves recognition.The board is confident that 2005–06 will see the realbenefits of Victoria's revitalised rail network starting to flowto customers. We look forward to reporting on thesuccessful implementation of these programs.Frank Tait, ChairmanV/LINE ANNUAL REPORT 2004–05|5