With fantastic whale watching opportunities and soothing hot springs, there’s lots of reasons to plan a trip to Warrnambool. And if you’re not keen on paying for fuel, this coastal town is also accessible by public transport! From Melbourne to Warrnambool, it’s about a 3.5 hour ride on a V/Line train. This route is quite popular, and to accommodate growing demand, the Warrnambool line will soon have six carriages instead of three on select services. These extra carriages will be available on Fridays and weekends, starting from Friday, October 23.
More carriages on Warrnambool Line
Capacity got a little derailed on this particular route, when V/Line switched from their N-class trains to VLocity trains in late 2024. The older N-class trains could fit more passengers (over 350), but ran less services. Meanwhile, the current three-carriage VLocity trains carry about 220 passengers, and are considered more reliable and accessible. With the six-carriage trains, capacity will double on the line, bringing things back on track. These longer trains are possible due to the recent completion of the Warrnambool Stabling facility, which allows more trains to be kept overnight.
“This is great news for Warrnambool and a common-sense solution to the discomfort of crowded trains, which often meant people were standing for hours,” said Warrnambool Mayor Cr Ben Blain.
From October 23, these longer train services will run on:
- Friday – 5:09pm – Melbourne to Warrnambool
- Saturday – 8:48am – Warrnambool to Melbourne
- Sunday – 8:05am – Melbourne to Warrnambool
- Sunday – 12:22pm – Warrnambool to Melbourne
- Sunday – 1:10pm – Melbourne to Warrnambool
- Sunday – 5:27pm – Warrnambool to Melbourne
While the trains will be longer, the platforms will continue to be short.
“We had been told the sticking point was that our platforms were not long enough to accommodate longer trains” said Cr Blain. “This explanation was difficult to accept because this issue had been overcome on other train lines so we knew it was possible on the Warrnambool line. If we were to wait for longer platforms at our stations, it would be years before we had trains big enough to meet the demand.”
To reduce risk, V/Line will use door banners, on-board announcement and monitoring by conductors to make sure that passengers enter and exit the longer trains safely.
Once you’re in Warrnambool, you’ll find plenty of things to see and do. Go for a walk or ride your bike through some stunning locations like the Botanical Gardens. If it’s a hot day, swim or go surfing at one of the many beaches, or head to Logans Beach in search of whales. Experience a bit of history at the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, and stick around in the evening for their spectacular Sound and Light Show. If you need to unwind, you can’t go wrong with a blissful soak at Deep Blue Hotel & Hot Springs.
To see the timetable or plan your journey, click here.
