Ballarat V/Line rail service
| Ballarat railway line, Victoria | |
|---|---|
| Line details | |
| Tracks | Double track to Deer Park West, single track with loops beyond. |
| Used by | V/Line, freight |
| Service pattern | Interurban |
| Rolling stock | Sprinter and VLocity railcars, locomotive hauled H type carriages |
| Rail transport in Victoria | |
- This article is about the V/Line service. For the railway itself see Serviceton railway line
The Ballarat Line is a regional passenger rail service operated by V/Line in Victoria, Australia. It serves passengers between state capital Melbourne and the regional city of Ballarat.
The Ballarat service is the third busiest in Victoria (behind Geelong and Bendigo) carrying approximately 3 million passengers annually.[1]
Contents |
[edit] History
In November 2004 then Premier of Victoria Steve Bracks announced that the line would be renamed the Eureka Line to mark the 150th anniversary of the Eureka uprising. Due to take effect from late 2005 at the same time as the renaming of Spencer Street Station to Southern Cross Station,[2] the renaming was criticised by groups such as the Public Transport Users Association,[3] and was never carried out.
In 2006 a the construction of a new station was announced. Named Wendouree station, it is west of Ballarat station on the Ararat line.[4] The station was opened by the Premier John Brumby and Minister for Transport Lynne Kosky on Sunday, 9 May 2009, with 14 weekly services at the station.[5][6] In December 2008 as part of the Victorian Transport Plan the state government announced that V/Line rail passenger services would be extended from Ballarat to Maryborough station, commencing in 2010 at a cost of $50 million.[7]
[edit] Services
V/Line operates hourly passenger services along the line. During peak hour some services originate and terminate at Bacchus Marsh. Passengers on the inner section of the line to Melton are permitted to use Metcard tickets to access the services.
Beyond Ballarat the Intercity Ararat Line operates, while Metro Trains Melbourne operates suburban passenger services along the inner section of the line as far as Sunshine as the Sydenham Line.
Services to Ballarat and Ararat are operated primarily with VLocity DMUs, while peak hour trains to Bacchus Marsh are operated with N and P class locomotive hauled trains with H type carriages.
The majority of the line is single track, with the exception of:[8]
- Double track between Melbourne, Sunshine and Deer Park West.
- A short crossing loop at Rockbank.
- A short crossing loop at Melton station.
- Parwan Loop: between Melton and Bacchus Marsh stations, located before the descent into Bacchus Marsh.
- Bank Box Loop: between Bacchus Marsh and Ballan stations, located atop the Werribee Gorge.
- A long crossing loop at Bungaree: between Ballaran and Ballarat. The two tracks take different routes, one being the original railway line via Bungaree, the other being a new track built as part of the Regional Fast Rail project.
Bold stations are termini, italic stations are staffed at least part time.
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[edit] References
- ^ Quinlan, Kim. Three million ride Ballarat trains The Courier. 14 Dec, 2010
- ^ "EUREKA RAIL LINE TO OPEN EXCITING ERA FOR REGIONAL RAIL". Media Release: OFFICE OF THE PREMIER. www.dpc.vic.gov.au. November 25, 2004. http://www.dpc.vic.gov.au/domino/Web_Notes/newmedia.nsf/0/1439B82149192718CA256F57007F0D2B?Open. Retrieved 2008-11-05.
- ^ "PTUA News". Public Transport Users Association. December 2004. http://www.ptua.org.au/files/newsletters/2004/200412.pdf. Retrieved 2008-11-05.
- ^ "BALLARAT TO GET A SECOND TRAIN STATION". Media Release: OFFICE OF THE PREMIER. www.dpc.vic.gov.au. September 8, 2006. http://www.dpc.vic.gov.au/domino/Web_Notes/newmedia.nsf/bc348d5912436a9cca256cfc0082d800/42daf50e900501b2ca2571e60002305d!OpenDocument. Retrieved 2008-08-25.
- ^ "V/Line News: Future stops for Wendouree Station announced". www.vline.com.au. 15-Sep-2008. http://www.vline.com.au/home/news/en/20/1492/article.aspx. Retrieved 2008-09-15.
- ^ DANIELLE PERKINS (3/06/2008). "Train station runs late". The Courier. thecourier.com.au. http://www.thecourier.com.au/news/local/news/general/train-station-runs-late/781494.aspx. Retrieved 2008-08-25.
- ^ "Maryborough Rail Extension Projects". Victorian Transport Plan. www4.transport.vic.gov.au. http://www4.transport.vic.gov.au/vtp/projects/maryborough.html. Retrieved 2008-12-08. [dead link]
- ^ V/Line Regional Network and Access. "Train Operating Data: Southern Cross to Ararat". www.vline.com.au. http://www.vline.com.au/pdf/rna/southerncross_to_ararat.pdf. Retrieved 2010-09-04.
[edit] External links
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