Commuters will have an additional 18 services on the Bendigo line to choose from later this year as part of a new V/Line timetable.
Transport minister Jacinta Allan last week announced nine new weekday and nine weekend services to hit the tracks from late August.
More V/Line trains will run in the evening on weekdays and a late night train, that presently only runs on Fridays, will run every weeknight.
On weekends, trains will run hourly, with five services on Saturdays and four on Sundays.
The additions to the timetable come after the Bendigo line recorded its best punctuality and reliability figures in almost six months.
Fewer delays were experienced by passengers on the line last month, with 87.9 per cent of services delivered on time, up by 6.1 percentage points compared with March.
Bottlenecks at the shared section of track in the metropolitan network were the main cause for delays.
Ms Allan said the new services will make “a real difference” in reducing waiting and crowding for local passengers, particularly on weekends.
She hopes that the announcement puts further pressure on the federal government to fund regional rail.
This month’s state budget earmarked billions for regional trains, line upgrades and services including a $91 million upgrade that will enable more trains to travel to Echuca and stage 2 of Bendigo Metro.
New timetables will be available in July at ptv.vic.gov.au
