Commuters in Melbourne’s outer north-west and west are being warned to brace for disruptions to the V/Line network on Wednesday as workers plan to walk off the job.
The Rail, Train and Bus Union notified V/Line of its intention to take industrial action involving a full network closure between 3am and 7am on Wednesday, December 13.
V/Line said it is currently working to finalise a plan for replacement coaches and will notify passengers of these plans as soon as possible.
Information about service changes will be published on the V/Line website, mobile app and social media, with commuters urged to check for updates before travel.
The industrial action will affect commuters across the network including the Bendigo, Seymour, Traralgon, Geelong and Ballarat lines.
Speaking on 3AW, Public Transport Users Association spokesperson Daniel Bowen said while the strike action will only last four hours, the flow-on effects could lead to delays for passengers from the morning through to the afternoon.
“V/Line services Melbourne’s outer western suburbs, places like Tarneit, Wyndham Vale, Caroline Springs and Melton, those areas rely on V/Line services – it’s not just a country service,” Mr Bowen said.
“For the people in Melbourne’s outer west, they’d want to be having plans for that day to avoid using V/Line if they can.”
Mr Bowen said the industrial action stems from ongoing enterprise agreement negotiations regarding better paying conditions for workers.
“For passengers caught in the middle, it can be incredibly frustrating,” he said.
