Commuters at the Bendigo Railway Station will find themselves with a few extra dollars in their pocket after buying daily tickets as V/Line's cheaper fares take effect.
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From Friday, March 31, daily one-way ticket prices across the entire regional Victorian network have been capped to match metropolitan daily fares, coming in at just under $10.
Commuters using the Bendigo line can to save more than $40 on a round-trip to Melbourne, with tickets previously priced at $34 for a one way trip Melbourne or $23.80 in off-peak times.
For Cathy Brodie, of Pyramid Hill, who was heading to Melbourne for an event, the price decrease had come as a blessing - in fact, she was "absolutely rapt".
Not just for her own hip-pocket, but for her town - she hoped more people would travel by rail.
"There's only two trains that go to Pyramid Hill, so we'll use it - I mean, who wouldn't?" she said.
"We've got to support these things, if we don't use it, we'll lose it."
One-way tickets are $9.20 for a full fare or $4.60 for a concession, and on a weekend or public holiday, daily fares are capped at $6.70 and $3.35 for concession.
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The Minister for Public Transport Ben Carroll said the move to cap prices would "transform" travel for Victorians.
The price cap applied to all Public Transport Victoria regional buses, town buses and V/Line trains and coaches and interstate travel within 60 kilometres of the Victorian border, including Albury, Merimbula, Deniliquin and Mt Gambier.
A Public Transport Users Association spokesperson said the fare cut was "very welcome", though there was concern surrounding the services' capacity.
"Crowding has been a reality on some V/Line services for some time - including in the evenings and on weekends when fewer trains are running, and many of them have fewer carriages," the spokesperson said.
"With no additional services currently planned until 2024, there is a real risk that in the short term, crowding will become much worse, with passengers either unable to board, or forced to stand for long distances."
The spokesperson said passenger demand would need to be closely monitored to minimise cancellations and short trains.
"The government must be ready to invest in more capacity and services," they said.
"Coming disruptions when coaches replace trains will also present challenges, V/Line must ensure that enough coaches are provided to cater for the increased passenger numbers."
Works on the state Government's $4 billion Regional Rail Revival project will see major disruptions to the Bendigo and Echuca lines.
From Wednesday, April 12 to Friday, 21 April, V/Line trains on the Bendigo and Echuca lines will be replaced by Metro Trains services between Southern Cross Station and Sunbury.
Coaches are also set to replace trains on the Echuca Line between Bendigo and Echuca stations from Sunday, April 30 to Wednesday, June 21.
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