Vinelander
Encyclopedia
The Vinelander was a named passenger train that operated by the Victorian Railways
between Melbourne
and Mildura, Victoria
, Australia
from 1972 to 1993. Operating overnight along the Mildura line, it included motorail and sleeping car
facilities.
stock was used, running thrice weekly.
Night trains replaced this from 1967, and a Motorail service was added in 1968.
The Vinelander first ran on 9 August 1972 after intense local lobbying for an upgrade of the existing overnight train. The name was the product of a naming completion held by the Victorian Railways, with steel sleeping cars formerly used on The Overland train being used, along with older wooded stock
. A buffet car
and bar was added to the train from 18 July 1977, but drunken behaviour became an issue, with offending passengers being removed from the train at intermediate stations. The typical timetable of the 1970s had a Melbourne departure at 9.20 pm and an arrival into Mildura at 8.05 am.
The train was promoted as one of the Victorian Railways' premier trains, in 1974 the VR sponsored a race meeting of the Mildura Racing Club, with the winner receiving the Vinelander Plate.
In 1984 a parallel road coach commenced operations. A day train named the Sunraysia commenced in 1987 but was withdrawn in 1990.
The last Vinelander ran on September 12, 1993 after the cutbacks of the State Liberal Kennett Government
. A service review was announced by the Bracks Government
in 2000, in part due to the independent politician Russell Savage
enabling the formation of a minority Labor government in the 1999 Victorian state election. The service has yet to be returned.
The passengers were on the platform at Spencer Street station, ready to board their waiting train when it got announced that the train was cancelled due to a landslide
.
The passengers were shown their way to buses which were convenienty ready to board despite the very short notice of the cancellation.
The alleged landslide
somehow didn't block the Melbourne bound Vinelander that same evening and various people started to 'smell a rat'.
A leaked document from the train controllers working that evening also aroused suspicion.
An investigation revealed that the story about the landslide
was just an elaborate hoax
Although V/Line
management failed to give any straight answers for their actions, it is widely believed that this sudden cancellation and subsequent early withdrawal of this service was done to avoid any possible protesters when the planned withdrawal of the service was to have happened a couple of days later.
Victorian Railways
The Victorian Railways operated railways in the Australian state of Victoria from 1859 to 1983. The first railways in Victoria were private companies, but when these companies failed or defaulted, the Victorian Railways was established to take over their operations...
between Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
and Mildura, Victoria
Mildura, Victoria
Mildura is a regional city in northwestern Victoria, Australia and seat of the Rural City of Mildura local government area. It is located in the Sunraysia region, and is on the banks of the Murray River. The current population is estimated at just over 30,000.Mildura is a major agricultural centre...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
from 1972 to 1993. Operating overnight along the Mildura line, it included motorail and sleeping car
Sleeping car
The sleeping car or sleeper is a railway/railroad passenger car that can accommodate all its passengers in beds of one kind or another, primarily for the purpose of making nighttime travel more restful. The first such cars saw sporadic use on American railroads in the 1830s and could be configured...
facilities.
History
A trial daylight service between Melbourne and Mildura commenced, named the "Mildura Sunlight" commenced on 3 September 1957. Air-conditioned Z type carriageZ type carriage
The Z type carriages are an air conditioned steel passenger carriage used on the railways of Victoria, Australia. The carriages were constructed by the Victorian Railways from 1957 for use on intrastate services....
stock was used, running thrice weekly.
Night trains replaced this from 1967, and a Motorail service was added in 1968.
The Vinelander first ran on 9 August 1972 after intense local lobbying for an upgrade of the existing overnight train. The name was the product of a naming completion held by the Victorian Railways, with steel sleeping cars formerly used on The Overland train being used, along with older wooded stock
E type carriage
The E type carriages were wooden express passenger carriage used on the railways of Victoria, Australia. Introduced by Victorian Railways Chairman of Commissioners Thomas James Tait and based on Canadian carriage design, the class remained in regular service for 85 years.-Design:Carriages on...
. A buffet car
Buffet car
A buffet car is a passenger car of a train, where snacks and beverages can be bought at a counter and consumed. Typically, passengers are not allowed to consume brought-along food and drinks in the car, and are therefore only able to eat in this area by buying their food in the car.- Further...
and bar was added to the train from 18 July 1977, but drunken behaviour became an issue, with offending passengers being removed from the train at intermediate stations. The typical timetable of the 1970s had a Melbourne departure at 9.20 pm and an arrival into Mildura at 8.05 am.
The train was promoted as one of the Victorian Railways' premier trains, in 1974 the VR sponsored a race meeting of the Mildura Racing Club, with the winner receiving the Vinelander Plate.
In 1984 a parallel road coach commenced operations. A day train named the Sunraysia commenced in 1987 but was withdrawn in 1990.
The last Vinelander ran on September 12, 1993 after the cutbacks of the State Liberal Kennett Government
Jeff Kennett
Jeffrey Gibb Kennett AC , a former Australian politician, was the Premier of Victoria between 1992 and 1999. He is currently the President of Hawthorn Football Club. He is the founding Chairman of beyondblue, a national depression initiative.- Early life :Kennett was born in Melbourne on 2 March...
. A service review was announced by the Bracks Government
Steve Bracks
Stephen Philip Bracks AC is a former Australian politician and the 44th Premier of Victoria. He first won the electoral district of Williamstown in 1994 for the Australian Labor Party, and was party leader and Premier from 1999 to 2007....
in 2000, in part due to the independent politician Russell Savage
Russell Savage
Russell Irwin Savage , Australian politician, was the independent member for the Victorian Legislative Assembly seat of Mildura from 1996 until 2006...
enabling the formation of a minority Labor government in the 1999 Victorian state election. The service has yet to be returned.
Withdrawal
The withdrawal of The Vinelander service occurred under very controversial circumstances.The passengers were on the platform at Spencer Street station, ready to board their waiting train when it got announced that the train was cancelled due to a landslide
Landslide
A landslide or landslip is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement, such as rockfalls, deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows, which can occur in offshore, coastal and onshore environments...
.
The passengers were shown their way to buses which were convenienty ready to board despite the very short notice of the cancellation.
The alleged landslide
Landslide
A landslide or landslip is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement, such as rockfalls, deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows, which can occur in offshore, coastal and onshore environments...
somehow didn't block the Melbourne bound Vinelander that same evening and various people started to 'smell a rat'.
A leaked document from the train controllers working that evening also aroused suspicion.
An investigation revealed that the story about the landslide
Landslide
A landslide or landslip is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement, such as rockfalls, deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows, which can occur in offshore, coastal and onshore environments...
was just an elaborate hoax
Hoax
A hoax is a deliberately fabricated falsehood made to masquerade as truth. It is distinguishable from errors in observation or judgment, or rumors, urban legends, pseudosciences or April Fools' Day events that are passed along in good faith by believers or as jokes.-Definition:The British...
Although V/Line
V/Line
V/Line is a not for profit regional passenger train and coach service in Victoria, Australia. It was created after the split-up of VicRail in 1983. V/Line is owned by the V/Line Corporation which is a Victorian State Government statutory authority...
management failed to give any straight answers for their actions, it is widely believed that this sudden cancellation and subsequent early withdrawal of this service was done to avoid any possible protesters when the planned withdrawal of the service was to have happened a couple of days later.
External links
- Victoria's Latest Named Train, "The Vinelander", advertising poster from November 1972, Public Record Office Victoria.