Customers on the 7.10am V/Line service that broke down between Swan Hill and Kerang have expressed concern over the management of the rural line.
The train, headed for Melbourne carrying 80 passengers came to a sudden halt after passing through Lake Charm last Friday.
Commuters said they were not offered any food or drinks and some carriages were left without power.
For many commuters, their early morning departure resulted in an eight hour ordeal and with many questioning whether or not the Swan Hill service was a priority for V/Line.
Rebecca Nietvelt, a commuter on the broken down train was on her way to Melbourne for a job interview.
“V/Line only accommodated us until we got to Bendigo, we just got buses from where we broke down just after Lake Charm onwards to Bendigo,” Ms Nietvelt said.
“After that most of us had to sort out our own transportation, I ended up having to wait 40 minutes for a train from Bendigo to Melbourne.”
Ms Neitvelt said there was no adequate ventilation during the time they were sitting on the tracks.
“The train has broken down a couple of times before and I just thought surely they would have worked it out,” she said.
“It was just an exhausting day, it turned into an eight hour trip.”
For more on this story grab a copy of today’s Guardian (April 5 2017)
