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V/LINE train services will resume on Tuesday morning on the North-East railway line despite subjecting passengers to longer than normal travel times between Albury and Melbourne. The Victorian carrier announced late on Monday train services would resume even though major speed restrictions have been imposed on the line which had been shut for more than a week due to last month's deadly derailment at Wallan. NSW operator XPT has opted to run buses between Albury and Melbourne due to the 80km/h speed restrictions imposed by the Australian Rail Track Corporation until further notice. "Albury V/Line services will resume running as trains from Tuesday following work to ensure trains can safely operate on the line," a V/Line spokesperson said. "V/Line will adhere to all speed restrictions which require trains to operate at slower speeds and we thank passengers for their patience while these are in place." Albury passengers are being asked to allow an additional one to two hours for their journey on train services. ARTC imposed the 80km/h speed restriction for the entire Albury-Melbourne stretch upon re-opening the track last week following the Wallan derailment which claimed the lives of driver, John Kennedy and pilot Sam Meintanis. XPT services between Sydney and Melbourne resumed on Saturday, but a day later Transport for NSW announced it would be using buses between Albury and Melbourne. "On Sunday a decision to replace the train with coaches between Albury and Melbourne was made to expedite the travel of our customers and ensure travel connections could be met," a Transport for NSW spokesperson said. XPT trains won't return until the speed restrictions are lifted. The speed restrictions have come in response to the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator's call for an additional independent review focused on track condition. "We recognise the importance of the independent audit and it is essential we consider a range of measures to help ensure public confidence in the railway network," ARTC chief executive John Fullerton said. "We will be working closely with the regulator to appoint an experienced and independent rail expert to lead the audit." Border Rail Action Group chairman Bill Traill welcomed the ARTC's response to the broader and more rigorous terms of inquiry of the derailment causes. "The deep-seated track issues which have persisted since the initial upgrade in 2011, and again in 2016 when the Ballast Rehabilitation Program joined the queue of failures cannot be allowed to happen again," he said. Meanwhile, 2.4km of copper signalling wire was stolen between Wallan and Donnybrook in recent days leading to 60-90 minute delays to all rail services.

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