V/Line
V/Line is the name of the regional train and coach service in Victoria, Australia. It was created after the split-up of VicRail in 1983.
V/Line is noted for its poor customer service. All trains are outdated and equiped with innefficient and poorly maintained diesel engines which expel significant quantities of noxious gases into the atmosphere. Carriages are also outdated and poorly maintained.
Passengers should be aware that corruption is rife amongst many V/Line staff members with many passengers having reported extortion. It is common for Station Masters to instruct passengers to purchase tickets on board whereafter passengers recieve a hefty fine for not having purchased their ticket prior to departure.
Freight operations
V/Line formerly had a freight division, known as V/Line Freight. With the Kennett Liberal government, V/Line was split up into two separate divisions: V/Line Passenger and V/Line Freight, both separate companies with little relationship and separate management to each other. When V/Line was privatised in 1999, the passenger and freight divisions were privatised separately. National Express got the passenger division, and the freight division was awarded to Freight Victoria (later Freight Australia, now Pacific National).
Privatisation and National Express
The National Express Group was awarded the V/Line Passenger franchise in mid-1999. It ran the franchise until 2002, when the Australian branch of the group suffered a financial collapse. After this event, the Victorian Government was required to take back control of 3 of its public transport franchises (VLP, M>Tram & M>Train).
V/Line is slated to be re-privatised in 2006, after the Regional Fast Rail project project has been completed.