ANNUAL REPORT 2004–05 - V/Line

By any measure, 2004–05 was a demandingyear for V/Line and its customers. Despite dailyoperational challenges, we recorded a numberof significant achievements.With our business effectively operating in areconstruction environment, we were able tomaintain the key performance indicators ofpatronage and customer satisfaction at similarlevels to 2003–04. At the same time, we alsoexpanded our service network to Ararat,Shepparton and Warrnambool and introduceda new 'commuter hub' for the future at Marshallnear Geelong.These achievements reflect the efforts of our staff who,although often operating in a difficult environment, continuedto deliver our services to Victorian regional communities.I wish to sincerely thank our customers too for theirpatience and loyalty throughout the year. They will soonstart to see the benefits of Victoria's major rail revitalisationprojects, including:• new 2006 timetable• new rolling stock – 38 new VLocity trains• reliable and modern infrastructure – tracks, signallingand safety systems• a new home for V/Line operations – Southern CrossStation• a new ticketing system.6Each is a major project in its own right and will deliversubstantial long-term benefits to V/Line's customers. Thisbright future for regional rail helps to offset the disruption toservices which has occurred across our network this year asthe program of infrastructure upgrades has progressed.| V/LINE ANNUAL REPORT 2004–05Once this rebuilding is complete, V/Line will be well placedto continue to expand our services, grow patronage andrevenues and make an even stronger contribution tocommuter travel and tourism throughout Victoria.SAFETY AND SECURITYThe safety of our customers and staff is the cornerstone ofthe V/Line business. Both board and executive managementcontinually monitor the network's operational safety,assessing where improvements can be made and lessonslearned.Reflecting this focus on safety and security, the V/Lineboard endorsed the establishment of a new senior positionwithin the organisation: General Manager – Safety, Securityand Environment.Responsible for safety compliance, policy and processesacross V/Line, this new role will ensure the delivery ofcontinuous improvement in safety culture and performance,and environmental management.Safety training continues to be a critical activity, at bothoperational and management levels. At the same time wehave begun to benchmark our performance against other,similar organisations and there have been significantimprovements in the way we record and analyse incidentdata.