Trains: Victoria - Regional - V/Line
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Taking your bike on V/Line trains.
V/LINE bends to bike demand
9 September 2009. The battle to get more bike tourists on country trains has scored an important victory with news that trains on the Melbourne-Wodonga connection will carry additional bike storage from next year.
An additional carriage will be added to each train, acting as both back-up power supply and a de facto bike rack, according the the Albury Border Mail.
A Department of Transport spokeswoman told the newspaper the additional carriage was recognition of the North East's bike-riding tourism trade.
"As part of the provision of upgraded and refurbished train sets for the North East Rail Revitalisation Project, V/Line will be introducing an additional carriage on each train set," she said.
"The additional carriage will provide back-up power supplies to improve reliability of the train and, equally as important, additional storage space will also be available for the carriage of bicycles in recognition of the growing popularity of cycle-based tourism in North East Victoria.
"V/Line and Department of Transport acknowledge that cycle-based tourism in North East Victoria requires capacity for the carriage of bicycles on these services."
Currently tourism in Victoria's north-east is suffering because bikes are restricted on the interim train and bus service operating on the line from Melbourne while the standard gauge duplication is under construction.
The member for Murray Valley Ken Jasper has welcomed the news, telling the Border Mail that cycling was a growing part of the North East tourism trade.
"Under the present situation the only way to get them on the train was to take them apart and put it in a box. People need to be able to get off the train and onto a bike."
No change to VLine rules
21 May 2008 The Opposition Transport spokesman Terry Mulder issued a press release today titled ‘Kosky hits country train users with anti-bike rules’, has been called 'factually wrong' by the Government.
'There has been no change to the rules governing bikes on trains. Country travelers may still take their bikes without the need to pack in boxes or modify them.'
The Government claims that Mr Mulder based his press release on the Travel Tips section of the VLine website. There is advice in Travel Tips about adapting your bike and packing it in cardboard to protect the bike in transit. But this procedure is not required.
Minister announces that bikes are allowed on all VLine services.
15 Feb 08 The Minister today announced that bikes are allowed on all VLine services. Passengers will be advised where the bikes are best carried and riding and non riding passengers will be informed of the code of conduct. Some services have a large baggage area and others such as the new Velocity trains do not. Passengers will be able to find from the timetable which services have more space.
Riders who often travel with their bike on crowded Velocity Trains might find it more convenient to use a folding bike.
General update on bikes and public transport
31 Jan 08 Plus summary of our meeting with the Minister Link to page
V/Line is changing its rules for carrying bikes in 2008
Jan 08 V/Line have announced a reprieve on the banning of bicycles on peak hour trains until 01 Feb 08. Cyclists are asked to write to V/Line and to Minister for Public Transport, Lynne Kosky, asking for bicycles to be allowed on peak hour trains. Please keep it polite and positive.
Dec 07 We have not seen a copy of the final rules but as we understand bikes will not be permitted on V/Line trains in the peak direction to major commuter destinations when the train service terminates during the peak times 0700 - 0900 and 1600 - 1800 hours. Counter peak travel - for example from the CBD out to a regional centre in the morning - will be permitted. This rule will, we expect, be similar to the metro train rule. That is Geelong (VLine) and Frankston (Connex) will have the same rules.
Bikes will be permitted on long distance V/Line trains which all arrive/depart in off-peak times already. For example the three trains a day between Warnambool and Melb will take bikes - as they are all off-peak.
We have talked to the Department of Infrastructure Public Transport Division staff about the changes. The rules are being changed because the trains are full or filling rapidly. It will take a while before we all - riders and train staff - have digested and understood the new rules so we all need to be patient.
We explored with the Division ways that bikes could continue to use V/Line peak service trains heading to the CBD. The Division made the point that it needs a clear and unambiguous rule for the staff and customers to follow. It is true that some V Line trains have baggage capacity, but unfortunately not all do. It is also true that some riders may not be going all the way into the CBD, however this would be hard for staff to determine.
The new rules have clearly reduced service to some bike riders. Our survey will help us understand how many riders have been taking the bikes on the train or would like to.
We have weighed up the issues from all points of view and have agreed to support the changes. We will try and improve this situation. For example we will try to see if the guards can be given discretion to allow a bike on the train when there is space. Train travellers who need a bike in town during the day are encouraged to keep one at work.
We think - and are checking through the survey - that more riders are interested in riding to the station than taking their bike on the train. This means our first priority for train travelling riders is to get bike routes to stations and secure parking.
We are working with the Public Transport Division to:
- have bike cages installed at regional train stations. We have South Geelong Station in mind as a regional pilot.
Riders who wish to carry the matter further are encouraged to:
- Collect and submit passenger number data. It may be that your line is not over crowded in the peak.
- Contact the V/Line feedback service listed on the right
- Complete our survey attached on the right.
No booking system for bikes
Jan 05 
Under the current system, there is no way for V-Line staff to know how many people will arrive at the station with bicycles (unless they are travelling in a group and made a group booking).
If a ticketing system for bikes was implemented the numbers of bicycles on trains would be known in advance, rather than a first come, first served basis.
For example on Easter Monday 2005, thirteen people arrived with bicycles at Wangaratta station for their return trip to Melbourne. Whilst they were given assurances by station staff that bicycles could be carried, five bicycles had to be transported on a later service four hours later.
Whilst V-Line knows how many people they are carrying, they do not know how many bikes they are carrying. Implementing a ticketing system would enable V-Line to know when bookings exceed two bikes so that they can add a D-Van to the train. Current policy is that a D-Van will be placed on the train if a group booking is made, but this is no use if a number of individuals turn up at the station with bikes.
This would also enable V/line to gather more data such as how many requests for carrying bicycles are received, how many bicycles are actually being carried and how many have been refused or held over?
Disparity in charges for bikes
Jun 05 On Great Southern Railway services pensioners can travel on the Overlander train from Melbourne to Adelaide at a discounted rate. However it costs an exta $80 for their bikes.
Many airlines and all Melbourne metro trains will allow you to carry your bike at no extra cost.
A Bicycle Victoria Member wrote to Peter Batchelor's office in June 2005 highlighting the cost of carrying bikes on the Overlander train and compared it to that of other modes of transport.
Peter Batchelor's office agreed to forward the Member's recommendations to the operators of Great Southern Railway (GSR).
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