Key points
- The ageing H-set trains were designed for suburban use in the 1980s.
- Typically, they don’t have a toilet on every carriage, and concerns have been raised about using these trains on longer regional journeys.
- However, they have been used for trips between Melbourne and regional centres, including Warrnambool, Swan Hill and Shepparton.
- A number of the modern VLocity trains will be delivered to V/Line later this year, and the rail provider says that will mean it can reduce the use of H-sets on longer regional journeys.
V/Line has resorted to using trains designed for Melbourne’s suburban lines in the 1980s on longer trips, despite them lacking toilets in each carriage and an internal safety assessment warning of significant risks.
Victoria’s regional public transport service regularly schedules the ageing H-type carriages (or H-sets) on short trips between Melbourne and Bacchus Marsh.
The rail union says V/Line is frequently running old trains that lack toilets in every carriage on long-distance journeys. Credit:Paul Jeffers
But the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RBTU) says the regional rail service is also using H-sets “excessively” on longer trips, including the near-three-hour trip to Shepparton and also on journeys to Warrnambool and Swan Hill, which respectively take three-and-a-half and almost five hours.
V/Line is expected to play a crucial role in getting spectators to regional towns for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
An internal V/Line risk assessment obtained by The Age reveals there are “significant” risks using H-sets, designed and built for Melbourne’s suburban network in the 1980s, on those services.
H-sets generally only have toilets and drinking water in every second carriage. That could encourage passengers to move between carriages via the outdoor landing, which, according to the 2002 assessment, creates the “significant” risk of someone falling over a chain barrier while the train is moving.
The absence of passenger emergency buttons in the carriages could lead to delays responding to a medical emergency, while the trains lack a secondary power source, increasing the chances of lighting and heating outages. The report highlights the lack of mobility-accessible toilets for passengers on the trains, and the extreme cold and heat conductors are subjected to in the van area.
RBTU Victoria president Vik Sharma said H-sets were not equipped to give passengers the comfort they deserved or provide a safe work environment.
“Management have had years to plan and address issues raised, but have chosen to sit on their hands,” Sharma said. “They (V/Line) continue to walk away or weasel out of delivering on the needs of workers and commuters alike.”
V/Line would not reveal how often it was using H-sets on long-distance journeys, but confirmed they had been used on trips to Warrnambool and Swan Hill when other trains were out of service.
V/Line says it has more VLocity trains on the way.Credit:Paul Jeffers
A spokesman said V/Line was “continuing to modernise our rail network”, delivering new-generation VLocity trains to the Shepparton, Warrnambool and Albury lines, which would “make it easier for passengers to travel – with the more comfortable and reliable services they deserve”.
Upgrades to the Shepparton line to accommodate VLocity trains are set to be completed by the end of this year. As the new trains are gradually deployed, H-sets will be used mostly on shorter routes, including Geelong and Bacchus Marsh.
The next delivery of broad-gauge VLocity trains will start coming off manufacturer Alstrom’s production line in Dandenong in October, however V/Line did not provide a timeline for the retirement of the H-sets.
In a blow to passengers, The Age can reveal that cafe bars have been removed from the newer designs, meaning passengers will not be able to buy food and drink during their journey.
“We understand there are some passengers who would prefer to have catering facilities on board during their journey. We acknowledge this will be a change, and will work with them to see what alternative options are possible,” the V/Line spokesman said. Including cafe bars would require the loss of 75 seats, he added.
Paul Westcott, from the Public Transport Users Association, said the loss of cafes would inconvenience passengers on long journeys.
“It’s all about the convenience of the operator rather than the convenience of passengers,” he said.
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