Figures from Public Transport Victoria show that just 80.3 per cent of services across the state arrived ‘on time’ in January – with a punctuality rating of 83.7 per cent recorded for the Ballarat line.

The punctuality rating for Ballarat is the second lowest since the introduction of the regional rail link last June, with services plummeting to an all-time RRL low last July at 82.8 per cent.

Trains arriving within six minutes of the scheduling are considered ‘on time’.

The results are unsurprising, with V/Line spokesperson Ebony Jordan attributing service replacements and train faults as primary causes

“With some services being replaced by coaches, the trains that are operating have sometimes been busier than normal,” Ms Jordan said.

“This has led to delays because trains are stopping at stations longer than scheduled to allow customers to get on and off safely. 

“Train faults were another contributing factor to delays on the line last month.”

Services on the Ballarat line also experienced a remarkable drop in reliability, with just 87.5 per cent of services reaching their destination – down from 97.9 per cent on the Ballarat line in December.

Despite the severe drop in service quality, Ballarat was one of the better performing lines across the state, with Geelong (82.7 per cent punctuality), and Seymour (83.3 per cent) suffering similar results.

Gippsland and Bendigo bore the brunt of the performance issues, with just 76.2 per cent and 64.2 per cent of services reaching their destination on time.