Metro and V/Line replacement,
with driver navigation

Busable turns the replacement plan from Metro Trains or V/Line into driver duties and puts the route on each driver’s tablet with turn-by-turn directions. Every bus and coach is tracked against its timetable. For operators running Victorian occupations.

Rail replacement across all states
Turn-by-turn
Directions from the depot to the first stop and through every trip
From the plan
Duties built from the Metro Trains or V/Line replacement plan
One app
Rail work in the same app as school runs and charters
Every vehicle
Tracked live, with on-time running against the timetable
Rail replacement bus at a station stop

Rail replacement depends on drivers who know the route.

Each occupation brings a temporary route that most drivers have never driven. On the metropolitan network it runs between stations along roads that do not normally carry buses. On V/Line work a coach can replace a whole regional journey. Either way, the work is harder to staff and on-time running is at risk for the operator and for the rail operator.

The replacement plan usually arrives from Metro Trains or V/Line already built. Turning it into duties drivers can legally run, putting a driver and vehicle on each, and showing afterwards what ran is still done largely in spreadsheets. When an occupation is extended, the work is repeated.

Buses and coaches on the replacement route

The driver signs in on the tablet and the replacement duty is listed with every trip in order. For a metropolitan occupation that may be several short runs between stations; for V/Line work it may be one coach journey of several hours.

Driverable on a tablet showing a driver's shift expanded into its services in order, starting with a dead run from the depot, each with times, distance and a start button
The shift on the tablet, every trip in order. Shown here on a regular shift rather than a replacement duty.

Driverable™ then gives turn-by-turn directions along the planned replacement route, planned for the vehicle’s height and length, so a driver on an unfamiliar regional corridor is not relying on a printed run sheet.

Turn-by-turn directions with lane guidance. Shown here on a regular route rather than a replacement corridor.

See the full driver walkthrough

What occupation work involves, and how Busable handles it

Metro Trains and V/Line plan the replacement service. The operator runs it.

Drivers are reluctant to take a replacement route they have not driven, especially a long regional journey.
The route is on the tablet in the cab, turn by turn from the depot to the first stop and through every trip, so a driver new to the corridor is not relying on a run sheet.
Metro Trains shares a replacement plan that is already built and blocked.
Able AI™ reads the plan and drafts the driver duties, including dead runs, for you to check, instead of the plan being retyped into a spreadsheet.
V/Line coordinates allocation and rostering across its coach panel.
Duties and allocations are kept in one place, so changes from the panel coordinator are applied and reissued to drivers without starting again.
Metro work is short trips between stations. V/Line work can be a coach replacing a whole regional journey.
The same process applies to both: route, timetable, calendar and duties, whether the trip is twenty minutes or four hours.
Occupations are extended past their original end date.
The duties are updated from the new dates and the changes go to the drivers’ tablets.
The rail operator needs to know where the replacement vehicles are and how they performed.
Every bus and coach is tracked against its scheduled trip, with on-time running, cancelled and incomplete trips and the Shift Trip Matrix available after the occupation.

What Busable does for an occupation

From the replacement plan through to the drivers and the reporting after the occupation.

Navigation for buses and coaches

Turn-by-turn directions along the replacement route on the tablet in the cab, whether it is a short metropolitan run between stations or a coach on a regional journey, planned for the vehicle’s height and length.
Turn-by-turn from the depot

Replacement plan to duties

Able AI reads the Metro Trains or V/Line replacement plan and drafts the duties, including dead runs. Nothing is created until you confirm it, and every duty is checked against the fatigue limits.
Plan to draft duties

Duties and allocation

Replacement duties sit on the roster board alongside school runs and charters, with a driver and vehicle on each before the roster is published, and reallocation on the day when a driver or vehicle is unavailable.
Gaps flagged before you publish

Reporting for the rail operator

Each bus and coach tracked against its trip, with on-time running, cancelled and incomplete trips against KPI targets, and a trip-level record of kilometres and hours to show Metro Trains or V/Line how the occupation ran.
KPIs from the tracked trips

Able AI drafts, and you decide. Nothing is created until you confirm it, and every duty stays a draft until you have checked it against your fatigue and licensing obligations.

In the depot office: duties and allocation

Driver duty editor showing one duty on a map with its timeline beside it: start depot, pre-departure check, a dead run out of the depot with turn-by-turn directions, a service trip, a dead run back to the depot, and arrive and finish at the depot, with duration and distance totals
One duty from sign-on to sign-off, with the dead runs and checks in order and the distance totalled. Shown here on a school service rather than a replacement duty.
Weekly allocations board with drivers down the side and duties across the week, an unallocated duty count, driver hours, overtime and total wages, and a payroll readiness panel
Duties on the weekly roster board with a driver and vehicle on each, and the unallocated duties counted. Shown here on regular work rather than an occupation.

Reporting to Metro Trains and V/Line

On-time running is reported for each replacement route, at the first, middle and last stops, so the operator can show the rail operator where time was lost and what was done about it.

Trip performance table listing routes with start time, drivers, trips, and first, mid, last and overall on-time running bars, with an issues column showing resolved issues
First, middle, last and overall on-time running for each route, with issues logged against them. Shown here on a regular network.

Cancelled and incomplete trips are reported against their KPI targets, with each trip listed by date, route and depot, ready for the contract review after the occupation.

Cancelled and incomplete overview showing total, cancelled, incomplete and complete trip rates, with daily cancelled and incomplete trip rate charts marked against KPI targets
Cancelled, incomplete and complete trip rates against the KPI targets. Shown here on a regular network.

See every KPI report

Integrated modules for Victoria rail replacement

The modules used for a Victorian occupation.

Driverable™ – The driver in the vehicle

The duty in order, the pre-departure check, and turn-by-turn directions along the replacement route.

Able AI – The replacement plan

Reads the Metro Trains or V/Line replacement plan and drafts the duties, including dead runs, for you to confirm.

Rosterable™ – Duties and allocation

Replacement duties on the roster board with the rest of the work, fatigue limits checked, and a driver and vehicle on each before the roster is published.

Planable™ – Routes and timetables

The replacement routes, stops and timetables, with each route on the map to check.

Reportable™ – KPI reporting

On-time running, tracking coverage and cancelled or incomplete trips against KPI targets, and the Shift Trip Matrix with kilometres and hours for every shift.

Victoria rail replacement, in detail

Common questions

What is an occupation in Victorian rail?

An occupation is the Victorian term for taking a section of track out of service so engineering or project work can be done. It is the equivalent of a NSW possession or a Queensland track closure.

Who contracts rail replacement buses in Victoria?

Two separate bodies. Metro Trains Melbourne engages suppliers for rail replacement bus services on the metropolitan network, and V/Line engages coach operators for Rail Replacement Coach services across regional Victoria.

What is a Rail Replacement Coach or RRC?

RRC is the V/Line term for a coach replacing a regional train service, often for the whole journey. V/Line procures RRC capacity through a statewide panel.

Who does allocation and rostering on the V/Line panel?

V/Line contracts Rail Replacement Coordination Services covering planning, panel allocation, rostering and supervisor duties, so allocation is coordinated across the whole panel rather than per operator.

Is rail replacement in Victoria still run by PTV?

No. The Public Transport Victoria statutory authority was wound up in 2019 and the PTV brand was retired in late 2025. The passenger-facing brand and journey planner are now Transport Victoria, under the Department of Transport and Planning, while the replacement services themselves are contracted by Metro Trains Melbourne and V/Line.

Does Victoria require a TODIS file like NSW?

No. TODIS is a Transport for NSW specification. In Victoria the replacement plan comes from Metro Trains Melbourne or V/Line, and Busable turns it into duties, driver navigation and a trip-level record of what ran.

Can Busable run Victorian rail replacement work?

Yes. Able AI drafts the duties from the replacement plan, the roster board puts a driver and vehicle on each, Driverable guides the driver along the replacement route, and the depot tracks every bus and coach with on-time running and KPI reporting.

Terminology

Occupation

The Victorian term for taking a section of track out of service so engineering or project work can be done. Equivalent to a NSW possession or a QLD track closure.

Rail Replacement Coach (RRC)

V/Line term for a coach service replacing a regional train, often for the entire journey. Procured through a statewide panel.

Metro Trains Melbourne (MTM)

The operator of the metropolitan Melbourne train network, which engages suppliers for rail replacement bus services across it.

V/Line

The operator of regional Victorian rail, which engages coach operators for Rail Replacement Coach services statewide.

LXRP

The Level Crossing Removal Project. Its occupations are a major and recurring source of Victorian rail replacement work.

Panel allocation

The coordination function V/Line contracts to plan, allocate and roster rail replacement coach work across the whole panel of operators.

myki

The Victorian ticketing system. Passengers touch on and off replacement coaches with myki as they would on a train.

PTV (Public Transport Victoria)

The former brand for Victorian public transport. The statutory authority was wound up in 2019 and the brand retired in late 2025; the passenger-facing identity and journey planner now sit under Transport Victoria, within the Department of Transport and Planning.

Transport Victoria

The current passenger-facing brand and journey planner for Victorian public transport, at transport.vic.gov.au, authorised by the Department of Transport and Planning.

Running a Victorian occupation?

Send us a replacement plan and we will show you the driver duties and navigation built from it.

Or see rail replacement in all states and see the process on a QLD railbus shift file.

Talk to us about rail replacement