Extra train services

Extra V/Line train services will operate from Sunday, August 27.

There will also be some minor adjustments to times of several current services.

Most of the additional services will be at weekends but the new timetable will include an extra Traralgon to Southern Cross offpeak service, leaving Traralgon at 6.48pm (Warragul 7.34pm, Drouin 7.50pm) on weekdays.

The late Friday night service from Melbourne that departs Southern Cross at 11.59pm will be extended to all week nights.

There will be an additional 18 services to and from Gippsland each week, five of them on Saturdays and four on Sundays.

Some V/Line coach services that link with train arrivals will also have changes to timetables.

Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing said extra services from the end of next month followed the introduction of another 10 for Gippsland earlier in the year.

She said the new train timetable would particularly benefit Gippslanders attending sporting and entertainment events in the city.

All weekend services to and from Gippsland will include stops at Richmond station. The timetables to take effect on August 27 are now available on V-Line’s website www.vline.com.au

Printed versions will be available at stations from next Thursday.

Ms Shing said further improvements were on the way with 48 new VLocity carriages on order and the government committing $311 million for another 39.

She said the joint Federal-State government Regional Rail Revival program would also lead to major upgrades for Gippsland passengers.

There will be $435 million spent on track and station upgrades between Pakenham and Traralgon and a further $95 million on a new Avon River bridge at Stratford for the long distance services to and from Bairnsdale, Ms Shing said.