V-line Sorry For Train Breakdown

V-Line has offered "heartfelt apologies" and a free travel voucher to hundreds of commuters who were left stranded for more than two hours after a train broke down near Little River in Victoria's south-west.

Frustrated customers were forced to sit tight in their carriages for two-and-a-half hours yesterday after the 4.55pm train from Southern Cross Station to Geelong malfunctioned.

Unable to disembark onto the rails, the mood of the 250 trapped commuters soured further as several later services rushed past their stalled engine.

It was not until a replacement engine arrived from Southern Cross that their service finally resumed.

V-Line general manager Ursula McGinnes this afternoon offered "heartfelt apologies" to passengers and admitted the delay was "unacceptable".

But she said the location of the breakdown, near other freight and passenger services, made it too dangerous to escort passengers onto the rails.

"From a customer's point of view it was an unacceptable length of time they were delayed and disrupted," Ms McGinnes said.

"What we did and what our staff on the ground did was act in the best interests of people's safety."

V-Line is today reviewing how any similar incidents could be better handled in the future, Ms McGinnes said.

"Of course, we're getting plenty of useful feedback from customers today," she said.

Outraged passengers aired their grievances to the local Geelong Advertiser.

"It was the train from hell and there was a lot of misinformation," commuter Gavin Whyte said.

"They kept telling us there was another locomotive coming and it would be here in a minute, yet they left us there for more than two hours and 40 minutes as we sat there and watched the other trains go past."

All passengers from the delayed service have been offered a free return travel voucher.

To claim these, commuters must send a photocopy of their ticket with their name, address and phone number to: V-Line customer service, Reply Paid 5343, Melbourne 8060 by December 11.


Source: theage.com.au