V/Line train delays and compensation

["Reuben Farrelly" <reuben@werple.net.nospam.au>]

Hi,

After an experience missing two trains on Friday, the third being very late
and half a day's work, I'm left wondering what, if any, the laws are on
paying for a service and not obtaining it or not getting it of a reasonable
quality).

I live at Riddells Creek (Bendigo Line).
I went down to catch the 7:36am train but heard that there had been a
breakdown at Macedon and after waiting all of 1/2 hour, heard that the train
wouldn't be there till at least 8:40.  I was told by the stationmaster that
it had in fact arrived at 8:50.
I went home and thought I'd come back soon after that as I knew that the
(ex) 7:52 train would also be coming through, straight after it.
I was waiting at the platform at 9:10 (plenty of time I knew since the
trains had to clear the block out of Sunbury and nothing would be coming
before then).
At 9:15, the train roared past at full speed, without stopping.  It was
scheduled to stop.

At 9:45 I was told by the station master that the 9:49am train would arrive
at about 10:10.  It arrived eventually at 10:20, at good 1/2 hour late.

After I got on the train I questioned the train conductor as to why he was
checking tickets and he told me that "the service was running so we had to
pay".

I don't think that this sort of service is acceptable and I don't feel that
I should have to pay full price for a service that is not even remotely on
time as advertised.  An aggravating condition was that all along, nobody
knew what was going on, not even the stationmaster!

I likened this situation to an (imaginary) incident where I went shopping,
bought a 100 gram item, opened it and found that it was only half full, and
got told that "I got half what it said on the label therefore I should pay
full price".

While I understand that V/Line cannot predict a train breaking down, I do
think they could have done more to avoid the delay.

My question is, what action can be taken in a situation like this?  Am I
legally entitled to compensation?  I lost half a day's pay, my employer lost
my time (I had no warning it was coming), and I still had to pay the normal
price.  I don't think that was fair.  I basically didn't get what I paid
for.

Has anybody looked into this issue before?

Reuben


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