STRIKE action by the Victorian branch of the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) in coming weeks will have minimal impact on local scheduled coach services in the Hamilton area.

The RTBU notified V/Line of its intention to take industrial action involving four 3am-7am network wide stoppages on Monday February 12, Friday February 16, Monday February 19, and Friday 23 February 23, 2024.

V/Line chief executive Matt Carrick said there was “likely to be minimal impact to scheduled coach services in the Hamilton area”.

“We have been negotiating in good faith with the union and have made progress towards reaching an agreement with the drivers,” he said.

“We will continue to communicate with passengers and work hard to minimise the impacts of this action.”

V/Line said it had been negotiating with the union for several months and after considerable negotiation and compromise from both parties, believed they were nearing an in-principle agreement with train drivers.

In an attempt to progress negotiations, with the operations division V/Line has actively appointed an independent mediator to work towards a resolution with both parties.

In a statement V/Line said it would be focussed on minimising the impact of strike action and will work hard over coming days to finalise a plan for replacement coaches if needed.

V/Line encouraged passengers to check the V/Line website, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter) pages, for the latest information.