They will formulate an economic plan to detail the impact of the poor service.

Representatives from Albury, Wodonga, Wangaratta and Benalla councils, along with the Border Rail Action Group, gathered on Wednesday to create a plan.

Wodonga mayor Anna Speedie also met with V/Line representatives in Melbourne on Thursday to continue lobbying for a fix.

The parties discussed improving reliability in the short and long term with investment in infrastructure.

“They were really receptive to working with us and sharing facts,” Cr Speedie said.

Details of the councils’ economic report into the train woes will be discussed when representatives meet again in early August.

Cr Speedie said it would help collate the pain caused to municipalities, both individually and as a whole.

“That’s a really powerful message to government when you understand the impact,” she said.

“We saw the benefits of having a collective voice for the whole North East because it affects us all.”

The councils were concerned freight, business and tourism were missing out because trains were unreliable.

The Victorian government has allocated about $2 million to develop of a business plan for a long-term solution.

Transport Minister Jacinta Allen committed new trains, but would not commit to a timeframe when she visited Wangaratta on June 1.

Wangaratta chair of administrators Ailsa Fox said Ms Allen’s focus was on Bendigo and Ballarat.

“When I asked about the North East, it was very different,” she said.

“There was a concession that there were problems, but no solution.”

Ms Fox said passenger dissatisfaction reached the point where they needed to sway government to listen.

“When start-up businesses are coming to the region, they ask about trains and you can hardly recommend the trains at this point,” she said.

“It seems like it’s at the bottom of the (Victorian government’s) pile.”