BUSES will replace trains on a section of the Bendigo train line as intensive work is done as part of the Regional Rail Link project.
The works, scheduled for tonight until January 13, mean buses will ferry Bendigo V/Line passengers from Sunbury to Melbourne.
Trains will run from Bendigo to Sunbury.
Passengers are advised to allow an extra 45 minutes travel time.
Hot weather speed restrictions are also expected to make trains run slower than usual over the next few days, with heatwave conditions forecast.
Trains are slowed by up to 30 minutes when the temperature is forecast to reach 36 degrees Celcius.
V/Line acting chief executive officer Ross Pedley said the work was scheduled for one of the quietest commuting periods of the year and temporary timetables were available from the V/Line website.
“The temporary timetables provide certainty for people travelling during this time,” he said.
“People with disabilities or other special needs should get in touch with us as soon as they know they will be travelling so we can make arrangements for them.”
The Regional Rail Link project will give Bendigo, Ballarat and Geelong dedicated tracks through the metropolitan system in the regional rail link.
The link is a joint state and federal project that the governments expect will increase capacity and reduce travel time for regional train passengers.
The regional rail link is expected to be completed in early 2016.