BIKES will be banned from buses that replace V/Line trains to the North East and tourism experts fear that may put the brakes on one of its emerging markets.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
They say an advertising campaign targetting train travel out of Melbourne has attracted large numbers of riders to the Murray to Mountains bike trail.
But from November 8, when work begins on the conversion of the rail line to standard gauge and the buses take over, bikes will be banned from the route.
A V/Line spokesman said it was “purely about space limitations” but admitted negotiations with private bus operators were continuing.
Clayton Neil, cycle tourism officer for the rail trail on behalf of Indigo, Wangaratta and Alpine councils, said the ban hit the rail trail’s peak seasons.
He said 45,000 people used the 83km trail last year, almost 8000 at Easter alone.
“We know the work has to happen but we are disappointed with the timing,” Mr Neil said.
“Spring and autumn are our peaks, the weather is a bit cooler and in spring everything is coming to life while in autumn there is the change of leaves as you travel up the valley.
“And the Christmas holidays are also very busy.
“But having said that we know that over the June long weekends three groups of more than 30 people travelled from Melbourne to Wangaratta by train to use the rail trail.
“The aim is to try to position the region as the premier cycling destination in the country and now this has happened just a year into the campaign.”
Myrtleford Chamber of Commerce president and bike tour operator Geoff Scott said train travellers were a growing part of rail trail users.
“The rail trail itself has been enormously successful and it is probably our strongest growth area in tourism,” he said.
“If that is going to happen it will have a dramatic impact throughout the valley.
“One of the things the rail trail committee have been pushing is the train trips out of Melbourne.”
Mr Neil said while no figures were available he believed rail travel to the Wangaratta start of the trail was on the rise.
“Over the past six to eight months the increase in train travellers has been quite noticeable and perhaps that has something to do with petrol prices, green travel or people looking for a different holiday experience,” he said.
Bikes are permitted on the XPT service from Melbourne that also stops at Wangaratta.
Commuters are charges $12.10 to travel with their bike.
- Editorial — page 20
