- Published:
- Wednesday 24 May 2023
Premier Daniel Andrews and Minister for Public Transport Ben Carroll today visited the Alstom factory in Dandenong South – where a further 23 VLocity trains will be built, supporting around 500 local jobs.
The extra VLocity trains form part of a $601 million investment in the Victorian Budget 2023/24 to improve capacity on Victoria’s busiest regional lines as regional Victoria grows, and to respond to demand for the Labor Government’s fair regional fares initiative – capping V/Line services at the same price as a daily metropolitan fare.
The Labor Government is progressively rolling out the VLocity trains onto the network to replace V/Line’s older classic feet, providing passengers with a more modern, reliable and efficient journey.
Each VLocity train has six accessible spaces per three-carriage set and includes comfortable seats for long-haul journeys, a dedicated storage area for bicycles and accessibility improvements.
In a boost for those heading west, these VLocity trains will increase capacity on the Melton line – allowing nine-car train sets to run to boost capacity on the line by 50 per cent – as well as ensuring locals on the Geelong and Bacchus Marsh lines travel in comfort.
There are already more than 100 VLocity trains in service – and works on this order will get underway at the factory next year, once the order of 12 VLocity trains from the Victorian Budget 22/23 is complete.
The Labor Government is transforming the way Victorians travel across the state, with passengers already saving around $8 million since the introduction of the regional fare cap.
Since 2014, the Labor Government has invested more than $9 billion into rolling stock and supporting infrastructure, supporting around 10,000 local jobs directly and throughout the supply chain.
Quote attributable to Premier Daniel Andrews
“We promised to build new VLocity trains in Victoria, for Victorians, and that’s exactly what we’re doing – making it easier for passengers to travel across our state, as well as supporting hundreds of local jobs and strengthening our economy.”
Quote attributable to Minister for Public Transport Ben Carroll
“We’re continuing to make critical public transport investments where they’re needed most – building these 23 new VLocity trains will not only keep Victorians moving, but also back local jobs.”
Quote attributable to Member for Dandenong Gabrielle Williams
“This is all about putting passengers first and getting them where they need to go, with these new trains to provide more modern, comfortable and reliable journeys.”