Train Email Alerts To Help Footy Fans Navigate The Crowds

Thursday, 16 July 2009


Train email alerts to help footy fans navigate the crowds

Regional Victorian footy fans made a record quarter of a million trips on V/Line trains to see their AFL
teams play in Melbourne and Geelong last year.

And with almost 80,000 trips made to the footy in just the first 10 rounds of this AFL home and away
season, V/Line is encouraging supporters to spread the load on busy footy trains with a new
personalised email alert to fans.

V/Line General Manager Ursula McGinnes said V/Line runs extra trains to and from most popular
games to support existing services, but the regular services fill more quickly than the specials.

"To help ease the load on regular trains going to the footy, we've developed an email alert for ardent
fans that recommend the best trains depending upon where you're coming from and who you support.

"For example, the email alerts will pick the best trains for Cats supporters from Geelong, Bombers
fans from Ballarat, or Saints fans from Seymour," she said.

Ms McGinnes said V/Line was offering subscribers to the new service the chance to win the ultimate
2009 Toyota AFL Grand Final package, including two tickets to this year's Grand Final, five-star
overnight accommodation and pre and post-match entertainment.

She said the strength of Victorian teams over the past two years especially the only regional team,
Geelong has seen people take up the train in record numbers.

"It's great to see people from Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Gippsland, Seymour and everywhere in-
between are ditching their car and `training it' to the footy.

"All of our regular timetabled trains to and from the footy are normally quite full, but there's still plenty
of room on most special trains we run."

During the 2008 season, 254,224 passenger trips were made on trains to and from AFL games in
Melbourne and Geelong, including finals.

Last year:
231,752 trips were made through the 2008 home and away season, and 22,472 trips were
made during the finals series.
Round 9 was the busiest for footy train travel with 14,018 passenger trips made. This was due
to blockbuster games Geelong v Collingwood, and Essendon v Richmond, as well as the
popular Carlton, Hawthorn and Western Bulldogs all playing games in Melbourne.
The Geelong line was by far the busiest line for football traffic in 2008, with 79,946 trips made,
up more than 60 per cent on the next busiest line, Ballarat, with 48,501 trips in 2008, followed
by the Bendigo line with 48,476 trips made.
The Grand Final played between Geelong and Hawthorn saw 5,670 trips made on V/Line
trains.

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This year:
Figures up to Round 10 (31 May) show 78,933 trips have been made so far in 2009.
Round 9 has again been the busiest round to date, with 11,485 trips made mainly due to
blockbuster games such as Geelong v Western Bulldogs and Essendon v Richmond, as well
as the undefeated St Kilda and last year's premiers Hawthorn both playing games in
Melbourne.

Ms McGinnes encouraged people to visit vline.com.au/footy to sign up to receive their special footy
timetable alerts before 31 August to go in the draw to win tickets to the 2009 Toyota AFL Grand Final
(details below).


Win the ultimate 2009 Toyota AFL Grand Final experience

Log onto vline.com.au/footy and subscribe to receive a V/Line Footy Train timetable by 31 August.
You will then be notified of the special trains running each time your team is playing in Melbourne or
Geelong, and go in the draw for your chance to win:
Two reserved seats at the 2009 Toyota AFL Grand Final
Pre- and post-match hospitality in Centre Square
Return travel for two to Melbourne
Five-star overnight accommodation at the Grand Hotel Melbourne
V/Line prize pack

For more details visit vline.com.au/footy


* All figures quoted include passenger trips made on regular timetabled trains as well as the special Footy Trains
travelling to and from AFL matches in Melbourne and Geelong.


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