We are V/Line

Connection to place, Country and culture is intrinsic to the wellbeing and identity of Aboriginal people. V/Line, as Victoria’s regional public transport operator and one of the fastest growing rail operators in Australia, acknowledges the important role we can play in enabling Aboriginal people to maintain these connections, while also sharing and celebrating this history with the entire V/Line community as they travel across Victoria.

We are committed to fostering reconciliation through our actions, and our Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Action Plan sets the roadmap for this.

The four priority areas of our Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Plan include:

• Cultural Safety
• Engagement and Communication
• Employment
• Procurement

Some of our recent initiatives

Garramugudjina (now, footprints)

V/Line is proud to have unveiled our own Aboriginal artwork, designed by Aboriginal artist Dixon Patten and developed in-conjunction with Little Rocket. The artwork captures V/Line's journey across Victoria and connects stories of Aboriginal people, land, histories and cultures.

Acknowledgement of Country

When you board our services at an originating station or attend a meeting at V/Line, our staff are encouraged to make an Acknowledgement of Country.

Our website was also recently updated to include an Acknowledgement of Country.

We recognise that traditionally the rail industry has been male dominated, but this is changing and there are so many opportunities for women in our industry! We are actively working towards equal gender representation across our business.

We are particularly focussed on the recruitment, development, engagement and retention of women at V/Line.

V/Line has partnered with both the Victorian Department of Transport and the Australasian Railway Association to promote meaningful rail and transport careers to women. Our workplace flexibility offerings support these career options.

Some of our recent initiatives

International Women’s Day 2021 - #choosetochallenge

Staff across V/Line’s were encouraged to participate in range of activities for International Women’s Day including a #choosetochallenge selfie initiative. Watch V/Line’s International Women’s Day film from our Gender Working Party and senior leaders at V/Line.

Women's Forums

Our Women’s Forums bring together women from across V/Line. The Forums provide an opportunity to network, share stories and hear from guest speakers, who share their career journey and provide insights on how to succeed in your career.

During COVID-19 we have continued to provide the forums virtually providing another way to stay connected with colleagues from across Victoria.

Mentoring Programs

Women at V/Line can participate in mentoring programs offered by the Australasian Railway Association and the Department of Transport (Women in Transport program).

These programs are designed to support, guide and retain women currently employed in the rail industry through professional and leadership development and expanding their industry knowledge.

Our workforce encompasses five distinct generations from Gen Z to Traditionalists.

This presents us with the opportunity to leverage the skills, knowledge and experience of our mature age workers to mentor and develop the next generation of rail operations staff and professionals.

We also have a range of initiatives to support young people to find and make meaningful careers in the rail industry.

Some of our recent initiatives

V/Connect Generational

Launching in 2021 our reciprocal mentoring and learning program provides opportunities to connect and build relationships with colleagues from another generation, to develop awareness and understanding of the perspectives, experiences and challenges of different generations.

We are aiming to make V/Line an employer of choice within the LGBTIQ+ community.

Along with attendance and support at key pride events throughout the year we focus on building awareness, capability, inclusion and LGBTIQ+ networks at all levels, across the organisation and externally with Victorian communities.

Some of our recent initiatives

Pride @ V/Line - 2021 Chillout Festival virtual parade

Members of our LGBTIQ+ working group came together to make V/Line's 2021 Chillout Festival virtual parade video.

We have a simple message. Everyone is welcome and included at V/Line – whether you are travelling or working with us.

Pride Train - Connecting and supporting our regional communities

Launched for the 2021 Pride season, V/Line’s Pride train will travel around our network. Our train wraps are an important tool for us to demonstrate our ongoing support of our diverse communities and our diversity and inclusion journey.

Midsumma Festival

We’re proud to show our support for the LGBTIQ+ at the annual Midsumma Festival.

In 2020 we participated in the Carnival Day and our employees also walked in the Pride March.

Victoria's cultural diversity is one of our greatest strengths and V/Line’s broad footprint means we are intrinsically linked to this diversity. We are working to increase the cultural diversity of our workforce, including in the leadership of our business.

We are committed to ensuring that all our employees:

• are treated with dignity and respect
• have equitable access to employment opportunities
• can participate in all aspects of work life
• can achieve their full potential.

Some of our recent initiatives

Harmony Week celebrations

Harmony Week is all about celebrating the many amazing cultures that make up our country. Australia is one of the most successful multicultural countries in the world and we both celebrate this and are committed towards sustaining it.

Harmony Week is about emphasising inclusiveness, respect and belonging for all Australians, from all cultural and linguistic backgrounds.

People at V/Line Recipe Book

An initiative to celebrate our diverse cultures in V/Line. The book is full of recipes from staff with stories about what the dishes mean to them.

We understand the challenges faced by people with disability when finding and securing employment.

We are committed to overcoming these challenges through interventions to remove environmental and social barriers, while providing personalised and individualised supports, services, equipment and technology as required.

We are focused on improving our employment practices to support equitable and inclusive outcomes for people with disability.

Some of our recent initiatives

International Day of People with Disability

Each year V/Line proudly celebrates International Day of People with Disability (IDPWD) with staff across the state.
 
In 2021 staff from across the network came together virtually to hear from guest speaker accessibility advocate, Martin Stewart.
 

Championing Inclusive and Person First Language

We recognise the important role that language plays in creating an inclusive workplace. We continue to evolve in this area and have developed resources to support staff on how to speak in ways that include everyone and the impact their words have on those around them.