North-East train travellers are being asked to factor in an additional 60 minutes for trips after a signal hut at Wallan was destroyed by fire earlier this month.
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Passengers have experienced lengthy delays, including up to 100 minutes in some instances with V/Line and Australian Rail Track Corporation having differing opinions on when repair works will be completed.
V/Line expects them to take up to a month, but ARTC says the signal hut and signalling system will be back up and running this weekend.
The latest dramas on the trouble-plagued line, which are the subject of a $235 million upgrade starting this year, come as the Albury to Melbourne service remains the worst performing V/Line long distance service in the state from a punctuality perspective.
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Just 63 per cent of trains ran on time last month with the Warrnambool line being the next worst with 84.9 per cent of trains being on time.
"We would like to sincerely apologise to passengers travelling Albury services, which are experiencing significant delays while works are underway to rebuild an ARTC signal hut which was destroyed in a fire," a V/Line spokesperson said.
"We acknowledge these disruptions are extremely frustrating for passengers.
"We are working together with ARTC to help services move through the area as quickly and safely as possible while the signal hut is rebuilt."
The ARTC has revealed a power line came down and connected with the local power supply of a signal relay hut at Wallan with a resulting electrical fire causing extensive damage to the signal hut, power supply and all internal wiring and circuitry.
This in turn impacted all signalling infrastructure controlled between Donnybrook and Kilmore East.
"The loss of the signalling system and the need for a complete rebuild of the signal relay hut meant potential delays of more than 120 minutes per train service as a result of the requirement to run in 'degraded mode' operations at 25km/h," an ARTC spokesperson said.
"In response, ARTC consulted with its customers and has invested tens of thousands of dollars a day in an interim train authority system while repairs are undertaken.
"This is a safeworking system to allow trains to run at normal operating speed but includes stopping at Donnybrook and Kilmore East.
"It has reduced delays for freight and passenger customers travelling through this section."
North-East line trains are presently using a different system to travel between Donnybrook and Kilmore East following the signal hut fire.
V/Line trains are running at reduced speeds through the area.
Wednesday train passengers on the 6.02pm Melbourne to Albury service had to endure another delay resulting from a rail equipment near Tullamarine.
