The Gippsland Line Upgrade is now complete and passengers will soon benefit from more than 80 extra weekly services – with trains set to run approximately every 40 minutes between Melbourne and Traralgon, 7 days a week.
Trains returned to the line this week after a 55-day winter construction blitz to complete and commission a new train control system between Drouin and Traralgon.
Crews worked more than 80,000 hours during the final construction blitz to install new rail signalling equipment and safety-test the new system, before V/Line completed driver training.
From Sunday, 14 September, 55 new weekday services and 32 new weekend services will be added to the line, with 14 of those on Saturdays and 18 on Sundays – made possible by the completion of the Gippsland Line Upgrade.
The extra services and new timetable will see trains run approximately every 40 minutes between Melbourne and Traralgon from 8:00am to 9:00pm, 7 days a week.
The new train control system will allow Traralgon and Bairnsdale line trains to be more reliable and run more frequent services – it will also enable the new platforms at Morwell and Traralgon stations to operate.
Completed upgrades to Morwell Station include a new second platform, an enclosed waiting room and improvements to accessibility, while Traralgon’s second platform has been rebuilt to allow for more frequent and reliable services.
Passengers have already been enjoying better journeys from the Gippsland Line Upgrade, which enabled second platforms at Bunyip and Longwarry stations last year and modern VLocity trains to travel to Bairnsdale for the first time in 2018.
The Gippsland Line Upgrade is jointly funded by the Australian and Victorian Governments.