V/Line passengers on Victoria’s busiest regional corridor have endured hours of disruption after an emergency services incident halted trains on the Geelong line this afternoon, triggering cascading cancellations, overcrowded replacement coaches and lengthy delays for commuters attempting to reach both Melbourne and the Surf Coast.

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Geelong Line Brought to a Standstill After Afternoon Incident

The disruption began in the late afternoon on Sunday 21 December, when an emergency services incident near Tarneit forced V/Line to suspend services on the Geelong line between Deer Park and Wyndham Vale.

Trains bound for Geelong and Melbourne were halted, with some services terminated at Deer Park as police and emergency crews attended the scene.

Among the cancelled services were the Geelong-bound 4.10 pm departure and the Melbourne-bound 5.41 pm train, both ordinarily heavily used by weekend commuters, shoppers and holiday travellers.

Services to and from Warrnambool, which rely on the Geelong corridor, were also affected as the disruption widened across the evening peak.

Passengers already on-board trains were left stationary for extended periods while operational staff awaited clearance from emergency services.

Others found themselves stranded at suburban and regional stations as information filtered through in intermittent announcements and on platform screens.

Replacement Coaches Struggle to Meet Surging Demand

Once it became clear the incident would not be resolved quickly, V/Line began deploying replacement coaches to move passengers between Deer Park and Wyndham Vale, and to carry Warrnambool-bound travellers onward from Geelong.

However, the scale of demand rapidly overwhelmed the available bus fleet.

At some locations, hundreds of commuters were reported waiting for a single coach, with long queues spilling across station forecourts.

Travellers described scenes of confusion as staff attempted to triage passengers, direct those heading to intermediate stations, and prioritise people with flight connections, medical appointments and family commitments.

The shortage of buses was compounded by heavy road traffic on key arterial routes west of Melbourne, meaning even those who secured a seat on a coach faced protracted journeys.

Rail-replacement services, which are constrained by road congestion and loading times, struggled to keep up with the flow of displaced rail passengers during what remained a busy pre-Christmas travel period.

Multi Hour Delays and Frustration for Stranded Commuters

For many travellers, the combination of cancelled trains, limited buses and congested roads translated into delays of up to four hours on what is typically a journey of less than 90 minutes between central Melbourne and Geelong.

Some passengers reported being turned away from full coaches and left to wait for the next available bus, without clear guidance on estimated departure times.

Social media posts from stranded passengers captured growing frustration as the afternoon disruption stretched into the evening.

Several commuters said they had boarded citybound trains from Geelong expecting a routine trip, only to be offloaded at Deer Park and told to join lengthy queues for rail-replacement buses.

Others attempting to reach Geelong and coastal destinations for family gatherings and short breaks arrived long after planned, or abandoned their trips altogether.

Among regional travellers, there was particular anger from those heading to or from Warrnambool, who had to transfer onto buses at Geelong and then navigate the knock on delays further along the southwest corridor.

Some described missing connecting services or arriving home close to midnight after setting out in the late afternoon.

V/Line Announces Resumption but Faces Fresh Scrutiny

V/Line confirmed that normal services had resumed on the Geelong line shortly after 8 pm, announcing the restoration of the timetable and issuing an apology to passengers via its social media channels.

The operator thanked customers for their patience and cited the emergency services response as the reason for the protracted suspension of services.

While many passengers acknowledged the need to prioritise safety during incidents requiring police or medical intervention, the disruption added to a growing perception that V/Line’s flagship corridor is struggling to cope with rising demand, operational shocks and seasonal pressures.

Regular users of the Geelong line have in recent months voiced concerns about overcrowding, short notice alterations and a heavy reliance on buses whenever incidents occur.

The latest episode is likely to renew scrutiny from regional advocates and local politicians, who have repeatedly called for more resilient operations on the state’s busiest regional route.

Key questions are expected to focus on how quickly rail-replacement resources can be mobilised, how information is delivered to passengers, and whether additional capacity can be held in reserve for major incidents.

Disruption Follows Hot Weather Timetable and Precedes Track Works

The emergency incident comes at a sensitive time for V/Line and its Geelong corridor. The operator only recently introduced a summer hot weather timetable across parts of its network, designed to manage speed restrictions and infrastructure stress as temperatures climb above 36 degrees.

Under those measures, some services run slower or are replaced by coaches to reduce the risk of track damage and power system failures.

On top of heat related changes, passengers on the Geelong line are already bracing for scheduled construction works at West Tarneit Station in January. Between 10 and 23 January, trains are due to terminate at Wyndham Vale, with bus shuttles ferrying passengers to and from Werribee to connect with the metropolitan network.

While separate from today’s emergency, those works will introduce further complexity for passengers trying to plan summer travel.

Sunday’s incident will therefore be seen by many commuters as part of a broader pattern of instability on regional routes.

With maintenance programs, summer timetables, infrastructure upgrades and unplanned emergencies all intersecting, regional passengers are increasingly forced to build in large buffers and contingency plans for journeys that once felt straightforward and predictable.

Calls for Better Communication, Contingency Planning and Capacity

In the wake of the latest disruption, passenger groups are expected to push for improved real time communication from V/Line, as well as more robust contingency planning for major incidents on the Geelong corridor.

While many travellers received alerts via the operator’s app and social media feeds, others relying on station announcements or ticketing staff reported patchy and sometimes conflicting information about whether to stay on trains, wait for buses or seek alternative routes.

Advocates argue that, given the Geelong line’s status as a key commuter and leisure corridor, there should be a clearer playbook for large scale interruptions, including pre arranged bus contracts that allow for a surge in coach deployments at short notice.

They also want to see more staff on the ground at key interchange points such as Deer Park, Wyndham Vale and Geelong to manage crowds and provide accurate updates.

There is also mounting pressure for longer term capacity upgrades. Regular commuters say that when something goes wrong on the line, the lack of spare rolling stock and tight crew scheduling leaves little flexibility to add extra services once an incident is cleared.

With Geelong and the surrounding region continuing to grow rapidly, the gap between demand and available rail capacity becomes starkly visible during disruptions like Sunday’s emergency.

Impact on Tourism, Events and Regional Confidence

The timing of the disruption is particularly sensitive given the lead up to Christmas and the peak summer holiday season, when thousands of visitors travel from Melbourne to Geelong, the Bellarine Peninsula and the Surf Coast.

Rail reliability plays an important role in supporting regional tourism, with many travellers choosing the train to avoid highway congestion and parking pressure at popular coastal destinations.

Events in central Geelong and along the waterfront rely on predictable train services to bring crowds into the city without overwhelming local roads.

Extended delays and confusion on the line can discourage day trippers, particularly those unfamiliar with the network who may be reluctant to risk being stranded far from home late at night.

Local business groups have previously warned that repeated disruptions on the regional rail network risk undermining confidence in public transport at a time when state and local governments are investing heavily in city centre revitalisation and visitor infrastructure.

For them, the priority is ensuring that high profile lines like Geelong are seen as reliable, modern and easy to navigate even when incidents occur.

FAQ

Q1: What exactly happened on the Geelong line today?
The Geelong line was disrupted by an emergency services incident near Tarneit on the afternoon of Sunday 21 December, leading to a suspension of trains between Deer Park and Wyndham Vale while police and emergency crews attended the scene.

Q2: Which V/Line services were cancelled or delayed?
Multiple services were affected, including the Geelong bound 4.10 pm train and the Melbourne bound 5.41 pm service, along with a series of other trains that were either cancelled outright or terminated short of their normal destinations.

Q3: How long were passengers delayed?
Delays varied across the network, but some passengers reported journeys taking up to four hours longer than usual, particularly those forced to wait for replacement coaches or to transfer multiple times between trains and buses.

Q4: Were replacement buses provided for stranded passengers?
Yes, V/Line arranged replacement coaches between Deer Park and Wyndham Vale and for some onward connections such as Warrnambool services, but capacity was limited and many passengers faced long queues and full coaches.

Q5: When did normal train services resume?
V/Line announced that normal services on the Geelong line had resumed shortly after 8 pm, stating that trains were again operating according to the timetable following the clearance of the emergency incident.

Q6: Why does a single incident cause such extensive disruption?
Incidents on a busy two track corridor can quickly cascade because there is limited room to reroute trains, crews and rolling stock become displaced, and replacement coaches must contend with road traffic, all of which combine to amplify delays.

Q7: How does this relate to V/Line’s summer hot weather timetable?
The disruption itself was due to an emergency services response, but it comes at a time when V/Line is already operating a hot weather timetable across parts of the network, which can involve slower running speeds and occasional coach substitutions, adding further complexity.

Q8: Will there be more changes on the Geelong line in coming weeks?
Yes, separate to today’s incident, V/Line has flagged construction works at West Tarneit Station in January, during which some trains will terminate at Wyndham Vale and passengers will use bus shuttles to connect with metropolitan services.

Q9: What can passengers do to stay informed during disruptions?
Passengers are encouraged to check official apps, station information screens and on platform announcements regularly, allow extra travel time, and consider alternative routes or departure times when major incidents are reported on the network.

Q10: Are there plans to improve reliability on the Geelong corridor?
State authorities and V/Line have discussed ongoing upgrades to infrastructure, rolling stock and timetables, but passenger groups are now calling for more specific commitments on contingency planning, extra capacity and clearer communication during major disruptions like today’s incident.