Passengers stranded in the 'never, never' as train breaks down

A passenger phoned The Standard saying they were in the "never never".

"We didn't get to Terang," she said.

"The power went to the train. They said they lost power. It was like it ran out of petrol. We still have lights on.

"We are stuck out in the never never."

She said the break down would inconvenience passengers.

"One guy will miss his plane, another man needs to get his daughter to the children's hospital at 3.30pm for an operation," she said.

"He is very stressed. It is a very unreliable train.

She said the staff on the train "have been lovely".

"We are surrounded by farmland," she said.

"We can't see a road.

"The SES are coming and they are getting coaches.

"It's like a third-world situation.

"Talk about the fast train, we have the slow train."

A V/Line spokesman said the train had broken down near Vickers Road happened about 12.30pm.

"We are currently arranging alternative transport for passengers on board the 12:07pm train from Warrnambool to Melbourne, which has experienced a fault near Panmure," he said.

"We are extremely sorry for the inconvenience this disruption has caused our passengers today."

It was the 12.07pm service with 130 people on board, three conductors and a driver.

The spokesman said passengers would be helped off the train by SES members and onto coaches.

It is a 200 metre walk for passengers to the coaches.

There will also be taxis available for people with urgent travel needs.

Coaches are arranged for other stations down the line.

The Melbourne to Warrnambool lunchtime train will retrieve the broken down train.

The 5.43pm Warrnambool to Melbourne train will start at Terang. Customers travelling from Warrnambool or Sherwood Park are advised to board coach replacements.

The spokesman said there would be flow on impacts on tonight's services, but V/line was confident no trains will be affected tomorrow morning.

The V/Line Geelong twitter feed advised the 1.05pm Melbourne to Warrnambool service would not run the whole way, with coaches from Geelong.

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