In what has become a regular occurrence, Ballarat peak hour train passengers have once again been stuck in a nightmare ride to Melbourne after a train broke down on the single section of tracks between Melton and Bacchus Marsh.

The breakdown occurred on a train which was not carrying passengers, but the residual delays meant passengers were delayed by more than an hour throughout the morning.

The 6.08am train from Southern Cross to Wendouree was terminated at Caroline Springs, but for passengers heading to the city, it was much worse, with many simply turning around and working from home.

A furious Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allan said the incident showed how crucial a Ballarat-line upgrade was promising such incidents would not happen once the $500 million upgrade was completed.

“It’s very disappointing to see what happened this morning and I’ve raised this with the chair of V/Line and there is apologies to passengers for their disruptions,” she said.

Passengers who contacted The Courier said a reliable service was needed most of all.

But in Ballarat on Friday, opposition leader Matthew Guy reiterated his preference for fast rail.

“I want the trains not to be on time, but want them to be quicker and better,” he said. 

“I want Ballarat to have better connections to Melbourne and Melbourne to Ballarat. The only way to do that is rebuild the line. I want to fix the line from start to finish, I don’t want to see a bandaid solution.” 

V/Line chief executive James Pinder said compensation was available for passengers. “We are extremely sorry for the significant disruption this train fault caused,” he said.

Passengers delayed by more than an hour are eligible for compensation. Call 1800 800 007 or go to vline.com.au to make a claim.

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