THE Victorian Government has given a new lease on life to retired V/Line trains while also facing criticism for the lack of services to Euroa and surrounds.

A long-term lease agreement announced on Tuesday, 1 April will see Victoria’s freight capacity grow through the re-purposing of ten N-Class trains.

The diesel trains will be leased to private freight operator Southern Shorthaul Railroad on a long-term agreement, where the trains will haul freight across the network to support the significant growth in grain and intermodal haulage.

This is expected to improve operation capacity and efficiency as well as support the deployment of longer trains on the freight network.

More of V/Line’s classic fleet trains are being replaced with modern VLocity trains, allowing further opportunity for locomotives to be repurposed.

The state government has invested almost $370 million in rail freight maintenance since 2020, with the 2024/25 budget delivering $104.3 million to increase rail freight.

Minister for Ports and Freight Melissa Horne said freight volumes were expected to increase 'significantly' in coming years.

“This initiative to repurpose passenger locomotives is an important step in getting more freight onto rail and off local roads,” Ms Horne said.

“We look forward to seeing these locomotives out and about moving product to port, ensuring we continue to grow Victoria’s rail freight business for generations to come.”

Member for Northern Victoria Region Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell used a constituency question to quiz the government on the lack of services to northern Victoria and accused transport minister Gabrielle Williams of favouring Premier Jacinta Allan's hometown of Bendigo.

V/Line announced in February an additional 50 weekend services on the Ballarat, Ararat, Warrnambool, and Bendigo lines, which commenced this month.

Mrs Tyrrell said the government was ignoring many parts of northern Victoria.

“People living in the Echuca, Shepparton, Swan Hill, and Wodonga regions already have to put up with limited rail services to Melbourne and this announcement is just another example of the Allan Government ignoring the public transport needs of the majority of my electorate,” Mrs Tyrrell said.

“For the Government to increase rail services on lines that already have many services while ignoring those that need more trains is unfortunately true to form and not good enough.”

Mrs Tyrrell also said the poor condition of roads in northern Victoria caused many of her constituents to look at public transport as a safe and cost-effective way to get to Melbourne.

“It seems this announcement confirms that this city-centric government has forgotten that Victoria extends all the way to the border, not just to the Premier’s hometown," she said.

“I have asked Minister Williams to explain the reasons for this unfair decision.

"Hopefully she will add additional rail services to other regions throughout northern Victoria that need them.”

The Minister's office was contacted for comment.