Patronage surge after cheap rail tickets jams Albury, Wodonga car parks

In April, V/Line said ticket sales at stations and agents on the Albury-Melbourne line increased about 40 per cent in the first fortnight since the introduction of the capped fee on March 31.

In Albury, many vehicles have been spotted parking on a grassy area at the southern end of the regularly packed station carpark, while in Wodonga, cars were also spotted on the grass after finding no spots in the car park.

Albury man Kevin Dove said his daughter was travelling to Melboune on the King's Birthday weekend to attend a football game but ran into trouble finding a park at the Smollett Street lot.

"My daughter was travelling to Melbourne with seven friends to attend the Essendon and Carlton game and stay overnight," Mr Dove said.

"She texted me to say that when they were leaving Wodonga the train was already full - that's before they got to Wangaratta.

"Earlier, she texted me to say her car's out the front in the 15-minute zone and can I go and move it at some stage because she just couldn't get a car park."

Mr Dove said people were parking in the Officeworks carpark which he understood had "annoyed staff there" because customers had nowhere to park.

"Officeworks is the closest place to Albury train station to park for free but it's obviously supposed to be for their customers," Mr Dove said.

"They're going to other stores' car parks too, but Officeworks is the most convenient free parking."

The Border Mail has contacted Officeworks management for comment.

Meanwhile, no councils and agencies have taken responsibility for whose role it is to monitor the parking situation since the increased patronage.

Albury Council referred The Border Mail to the Australian Rail Track Corporation which said it was not responsible for "operational passenger stations and the associated parking" and suggested the NSW Transport Department could help, while Wodonga Council said it was a state issue and referred the matter to the Victorian Transport Department.

Both state departments have been contacted.

In March, the announcement of cheaper regional rail tickets raised concerns extra passengers would swamp an "already shambolic system".

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