The installation of Automatic External Defibrillators, AEDs, has begun on V/Line trains, providing vital assistance to passengers in an emergency.
The rollout began in December last year, with devices that can be operated by either V/Line staff or members of the public to help save lives.
More than 90 AEDs have been installed on V/Line trains, including 65 on VLocity trains – with many more to be progressively rolled out over the coming months.
V/Line chief executive Matt Carrick said having defibrillators on trains would increase a person’s chance of surviving an emergency.
“This is a really important project and will significantly enhance staff and passengers’ ability to respond to these incidents onboard our train services,” he said.
“Each of our different train types have required a different design so we have been working to develop prototypes to ensure the units can be safely installed and are fit-for-purpose.”
Ambulance Victoria data shows combining CPR with defibrillation can increase a person’s survival rate by up to 70 per cent.
To minimise any disruptions to passengers, the devices are being installed on trains during regular maintenance regimes, while portable defibrillators have also been given to each train as an interim measure.
Additional devices have also recently been installed on all V/Line platforms at Southern Cross Station to make them more accessible to staff and members of the public.
