$50 million saved by regional Victorians thanks to fare cap

ONE year after the state government capped regional public transport fares to match metropolitan rates, regional Victorians have saved more than $50 million.

The initiative has markedly decreased travel costs to major regional cities like Bendigo and Geelong, with fares now capped at $10.60, aligning with the daily metro fare.

Public and active transport minister Gabrielle Williams, marking the initiative’s first anniversary in Geelong, celebrated the success of the fare cap.

“We’re delighted fairer fares have been so popular and we’ll continue transforming the regional rail network – upgrading every line in the state, adding better trains and additional services,” Williams said.

Since the introduction of the fare cap, there have been more than 22 million trips.

Regional network usage has nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels, reaching 97 per cent of 2019’s figures.

V/Line experienced its busiest month on record last month, with approximately 2.16 million trips taken.

Production has also begun on Victoria’s latest fleet of VLocity trains in Dandenong, as part of a $601 million investment from the Victorian government outlined in the Victorian Budget for VLocity trains.

An additional $219 million has been allocated to fund about 200 extra V/Line train services on weekends, further enhancing the state’s public transport infrastructure.