Line closed for school holidays

BUSES will replace V/Line trains in the region over the school holidays while the State Government carries out maintenance and renewal work.

Set for the tracks between Bendigo and Sunbury, the work includes upgrades through the Elphinstone tunnel, and maintenance near Bendigo Station.

Further north, the works on the Echuca and Swan Hill rail lines include upgrades to several bridges and culverts, and level crossing upgrades at the Murray Valley Highway in Echuca.

General maintenance to tracks, signals and vegetation will also take place and more work is expected on Bendigo’s new bio-wash facility, announced earlier this year.

Minister for public transport Ben Carroll said the yearly works are necessary to the smooth operation of the train lines.

“Our annual program of major works is crucial to providing passengers a safe and comfortable journey and reducing the risk of delays caused by infrastructure faults,” he said.

“We’re using the opportunity to see works along the entire line, to help increase reliability and punctuality along the line.”

Once the works are completed a timetable change will see a morning train from Eaglehawk to Southern Cross, stopping at Sunbury, for Macedon Ranges.

Member for Bendigo West Maree Edwards said the maintenance and upgrades have been organised to avoid further large-scale shutdowns of the line.

“We’ve worked hard to coordinate a number of different work programs so we could complete as many upgrades in the area as possible while minimising the disruption to services,” she said.

Trains will be out of service from Sunday, 27 June until Sunday, 11 July and a temporary coach replacement timetable will be available on the V/Line website closer to the start of the works.