Work is underway on Victoria’s latest order of new VLocity DMUs which will carry more passengers to support growing demand on the state’s regional rail network, where travel has bounced back to near 2019 levels.
The Minister for Public and Active Transport Gabrielle Williams visited Alstom’s Dandenong factory where work is underway on 23 VLocity trains that will be rolled out in the west, carrying more passengers on the Melton line and more comfortable and reliable journeys on the Geelong and Bacchus Marsh corridors.
“We’re delivering record investments in public transport, supporting local manufacturing jobs right here in Dandenong, while making our transport network more reliable and more affordable for regional Victorians. The new, bigger VLocity trains will support growing communities in the west, carrying more passengers and delivering more reliable services,” Gabrielle Williams said.
The Government of Victoria invested AUD 601 million (USD 394.67 million) under the 2023 – 2024 budget for the construction of 23 new VLocity DMUs, as well as a USD 219 million (USD 143.8 million) investment for almost 200 additional weekend V/Line train services. This project supports around 500 local jobs.
When completed the extra trains will expand V/Line’s fleet of VLocity trains to 141 vehicles, providing more passengers than ever before with reliable and efficient regional journeys in a boost for employers, businesses and tourism.
The VLocity trains are more accessible, produce less carbon emissions and are more reliable than V/Line’s older classic fleet. Each train also has six spaces in each three-carriage set for wheelchair or mobility scooter users, and a dedicated storage area for bicycles.
These VLocity trains will enable capacity uplifts across the network and improve reliability for passengers by continuing the gradual retirement of our long serving Classic Fleet trains.
The larger and more modern VLocity trains are supporting the increasing popularity of the V/Line network following the introduction of the regional fare cap last year, ensuring regional fares are capped at the same price as the metropolitan daily fares, saving regional passengers million of dollars in travel.
Regional network patronage increased by 28% for the year ending 31 December 2023 and was 97% of the 2019 calendar year patronage.
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