Kangaroos are colliding with V/Line trains on a daily basis, causing services to be cancelled and forcing trains off the network for up to three days.
Between March and October, V/Line trains hit kangaroos and some livestock about 60 times each month, resulting in long delays for commuters.
The hotspots are along the Bendigo line in areas including Kangaroo Flat and Chewton, and along the Seymour line in Wallan.
At its worst, trains have hit kangaroos nine times in a single day.
Kangaroos often gravitated to drainage near the roadways during the drier months to feed on vegetation, Mr Coulson said.
It was possible the animals were also drawn to tall vegetation near regional railway tracks, he said.
“The bush is very dry, so the kangaroos are coming out and crossing roads to feed on the pasture or crops nearby.
“Most of the roos will be in the bush around Bendigo, they’re already coming out into people’s farms.”
The state estimates that there are nearly 1.5 million kangaroos
About 17,500 kangaroos are in the Greater Bendigo area.
Resource from: https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/kangaroos-cause-delays-on-v-line-trains-20181121-p50hdb.html