Thursday 8 December, 2011

Travellers on the Bendigo and Swan Hill lines can stay up-to-date with the latest service information this summer on their smart phones.

Improvements have been made to the V/Line Inform text messaging service and line specific V/Line Twitter accounts have been created to give updates about delays, cancellations and disruptions during extremely hot weather.

On days where the temperature is forecasted to rise above 36 degrees V/Line trains are forced to travel at slower speeds for safety reasons. This is due to extreme heat in the steel that can cause the steel tracks to expand.

Heat speed restrictions are applied across the world. Generally trains that would run at 160km/h or 110km/h are slowed to between 90km/h and 100km/h.

In past years heat speed restrictions have affected up to 10 per cent of Bendigo line services and can mean some trains run up to 20 minutes late, or stop short and connect with buses.

V/Line Communications Manager Daniel Moloney said heat speed restrictions generally only affected trains between midday and 8:00pm.

"On days forecasted to be 36 degrees or hotter customers should allow extra travel time after midday," Mr Moloney said.

"To ensure evening peak trains can depart Melbourne on-time some afternoon trains are replaced with buses."

The advent of smart phone technology has meant more and more people can access the internet and social media to stay informed of what is happening.

"Information about cancelled or delayed trains can be still available through our text messaging service V/Line Inform," Mr Moloney said.

"However new options available to people include Twitter and our new mobile website.

"The mobile website and Twitter updates have been positive received from customers who see it as a much more reliable way to stay informed than via text message."

Customers can follow V/Line on Twitter at twitter.com/vline_bendigo or register for SMS updates at vline.com.au/inform.