![From March 31, V/Line's daily travel fare will be capped at $9.20. File picture From March 31, V/Line's daily travel fare will be capped at $9.20. File picture](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/116423175/ee718b70-8be1-4037-be22-4e6c91a08403.JPG/r0_252_4928_3023_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
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V/Line's chief has not ruled out potential overcrowding on trains heading into Melbourne as the cost of regional fares are set to be cut.
Premier Daniel Andrews and V/Line chief executive Matt Carrick spoke on concerns raised about increasing pressure on the regional passenger train network, as more looking to commute as prices fell.
Mr Carrick said the state government had scenario tested where they believe demand will be highest across the network, and were confident the current train fleet had capacity to meet any potential influx post March 31.
"We are confident we have the capacity, as the minister and premier have said, since 2019 a couple of hundred extra services have been added, 25 extra trains have been added to the network and there is more to come," he said.
However, Mr Carrick said overcrowding may still be an issue on some lines, with the government taking a "wait-and-see" approach on where to fix the most pressure.
"What we think is that during COVID there was more flexibility for people to work out when they travel and how often they travel," he said.
"We need to wait and see what those patronage levels look like, and we need to be paying close attention to those patterns as they settle down so that we make the right interventions to serve our customers."
In response to a question about overcrowding on trains heading into Melbourne, Mr Carrick said extra services would be critical to service delivery.
"From time to time, the truth is in public transport, there will be crowding, but the important thing is we are making investments into extra services and extra trains to help regional Victorians get to where they need to."
Mr Andrews said Victoria's train network was only at 80 per cent of pre-COVID capacity, although exact numbers on the Ballarat line to Melbourne have not been revealed.
This comes as electrification works on the Melton Line, through which Ballarat trains pass, are delayed while level crossing removal works continue in suburbs such as Deer Park.
"This is about sequentially, logically doing a big package of works," Mr Andrews told The Courier last month.
"You have to get rid of the crossings, then you can electrify, then you can duplicate and then you can upgrade signaling and track. You have to make the platforms longer so you can run more trains and bigger train sets."
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Cheaper flat fares on V/line trains are only ten days away but the question remains whether the upsurge in popularity puts pressure on capacity.
Public transport activists are welcoming an incoming reduction in regional train fares, but say changes need to be made to accommodate the growing commuter base in western Victoria.
From March 31, V/Line's daily travel fare will be capped at $9.20 - in an effort to bring balance between regional and metro commuters.
Under the current pricing scheme, non-concession adults could pay up to $45.60 per day to commute from Ballarat to Melbourne return. This will end on March 31.
The cost of petrol at $1.80 per litre and high parking prices is likely to make the $9.20 return trip to Melbourne significantly more cost effective but what impact this has on uptake and possible overcrowding is not yet known.
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While questions on capacity have not been answered, particularly on the urban corridor to Melton which will not be electrified for years, the government wanted to spruik its investment in regional rail.
They highlighted the $1.5 billion investment in 59 new VLocity trains since 2014 and the extra 800 V/Line train services have also been added to the network
"Almost 200 extra weekend services are set to be added to the V/Line timetable from 2024 - with a further order of 23 VLocity trains to meet the demands of a growing network," it said in a statement.
Last month Public Transport Users Association Ballarat convener Ben Lever said the changes were a 'mixed bag', welcoming the overall reduction in train fares but questioning whether a one-cap-for-all approach would work in the long-term.
Mr Lever said the overcrowding would especially be felt worse on train lines with less frequent timetables, where passengers could face hefty wait times if forced to miss a train.
" A really short journey will be the same amount of money as really long journey, that is going to potentially have some strange effects where really cheap journeys over long distance trains might lead to some overcrowding on those lines."
During their election campaign, the state government argued the price capping would bring equity to the state's passenger rail network.
Mr Lever said lowering the fare price may entice more people to travel by rail, but was only one part of a bigger picture, which included quality service delivery.
"If the fares are too high, and they are not competitive with driving, then reducing fares tends to have an impact on ridership," he said.
"Once it is at a competitive level, it becomes a lot more about the quality of service, and I going to have to wait ages? Will I have to deal with crowding?"
According to 2021 census figures, 674 people in Ballarat reported using public transport daily to get into work - a figure offset by the impact of COVID work-from-home orders.
Mr Lever said while occasional travellers might see an upsurge, he did not believe daily work commuters would increase due to the pricing cap, which would be reflected elsewhere in the timetable.
Another key issue for the Ballarat line, Mr Lever said, was metro passengers overcrowding the existing services.
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