[publictransport] publictransport Digest, Vol 2, Issue 6

[Julia Blunden]

I was one of the people advocating a booking system for V/Line trains. I
wouldn't envisage this applying to all V/Line trains but there are some
trains for which reservations are required. These are often the trains used
by cycle tourists, to destinations such as Wangaratta, Bairnsdale,
Warrnambool and Swan Hill. 

I recognise that many V/Line trains are used regularly by commuters. However
cycle tourism is also of importance and could in fact be a major growth
industry in Victoria with all our wonderful rail trails. 

If you are organising for a group to do a cycle tour and paying to book
train tickets and accommodation you really need certainty about getting your
bikes on the train. Hopefully if enough people booked bikes onto a given
train this could trigger the decision to add an extra luggage van to
accommodate them all. That's how it should work anyway.

In fact the trains used by cycle tourers are rarely the same trains as those
used by commuters. Tourers are usually heading out of the city as commuters
are heading in and vice versa.

Julia Blunden