The cost of a daily ticket on the entire regional Victorian network is now capped at $9.20 for a full fare or $4.60 for a concession – the same price as a metro daily fare. On a weekend or public holiday, daily fares are capped at $6.70 and $3.35 for concession.

“Getting on our regional coaches and trains just got a whole lot cheaper and easier for everyone across the state,” said Member for Bass, Jordan Crugnale.

“This is a great leveller as it significantly reduces the cost of travel to our Gippsland region, provides a huge benefit to passengers, as well as our local businesses and also means we can travel to places like Ballarat, Shepperton, Mildura and Mallacoota too.

“The regional fare cap also encourages more people to travel to our area to enjoy our stunning surrounds and offerings, and also connects us in with our families, friends and loved ones.”

Ms Crugnale said the fare cap means more money in regional Victorians’ pockets, and ensures families living in Bass can visit family and friends and access vital health and education services right across the state.

For those who take long-distance V/Line journeys, the regional fare cap can save people more than $40 for each and every journey on the regional public transport network.

The cap also applies to interstate travel within 60 kilometres of the Victorian border, to ensure those living in border communities in New South Wales and South Australia benefit as well. The fare cap applies to all PTV regional buses, town buses and V/Line trains and coaches.

Almost 200 extra weekend services are set to be added to the V/Line timetable from 2024 – with a further order of 23 VLocity trains to meet the demands of a growing network. For more information or to purchase tickets visit vline.com.au or ptv.vic.gov.au.