Department of Transport says police patrols ensuring train passengers travel for the right reasons

V/Line trains are still operating as normal for people who are making essential journeys during Melbourne's current lockdown.

The only V/Line services that have stopped are coach services that usually travel to NSW or South Australia due to restrictions on cross-border travel.

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A Department of Transport spokesperson said Victoria Police is responsible for monitoring people leaving Melbourne to ensure they are travelling for one of the permitted reasons.

"While restrictions have eased in regional Victoria, there remains only five reasons for people in Melbourne to leave home, and this means only travelling to regional Victoria if absolutely essential and permitted," the Department of Transport spokesperson said.

"We're continuing to run the public transport timetable as normal between Melbourne and Bendigo to support those who need to make essential journeys in line with the permitted reasons to travel."

A Victoria Police spokesperson confirmed police members conducted roving patrols on the public transport network.

"Transit Police are performing roving patrols across the public transport network to enforce the Chief Health Officer directions and prevent anti-social behaviour," the police spokesperson said.

"This includes monitoring major transport hubs and arterials, to ensure everyone travelling into regional Victoria is doing so for lawful reasons.

"Anyone who is deliberately, obviously or blatantly flouting these travel restrictions faces a fine of $5452."

In an effort to keep passengers COVID-safe, Victoria's public transport network regularly deep cleans trains, trams and buses while encouraging passengers to travel responsibly by travelling outside of peak times, practicing good hygiene, social distancing and wearing masks.

"We're keeping passengers and our frontline workers safe on public transport by cleaning high-touch surfaces regularly and deep-cleaning trains, trams and buses every night," the Department of Transport spokesperson said.

"QR codes have been rolled out across the public transport network to keep passengers safe and support the Department of Health's contact tracing efforts.

"We're seeing patronage down across the network as people are doing the right thing by staying home and limiting their movement."

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