The “Regional Fast Rail” project was launched in Victoria in 2000 to significantly speed up passenger transport in rural areas and make it more attractive. The aim was to increase the line speed to 160 km/h on at least some of the lines. To this end, some routes were upgraded, including fully gated level crossings and the TPWS train control system. The order to develop the appropriate multiple units went to the German Adtranz, which operated a plant in the Melbourne suburb of Dandenong.
Adtranz, which was taken over by Bombardier a short time later, initially developed the trains known as “VLocity” as two-car units. Since the car bodies of the Endeavor trains, also built in Dandenong, were not suitable for the required 160 km/h, the more streamlined design of the Transperth B series was used. As with the Voyager diesel multiple units built by Bombardier in Europe at the same time, a Cummins QSK19 engine with 750 hp was used in each car. However, the power was not transmitted electrically, but hydraulically.
The construction of the first 29 two-car multiple units began in 2004. Due to the good reception of the new, faster connections, repeat orders were constantly being placed. Since the trains only had four instead of five seats per row compared to the earlier V/Line railcars, additional intermediate cars with an additional engine were ordered. Later more trains were built from the factory with three cars. Internally, these were given the type designations 3VL and 3VR and differed only in terms of the interior equipment. Other vehicles for use on standard-gauge routes were listed as 3VS. Production is still ongoing today, so that by May 2022 a total of 94 three-car units had been completed and 24 more had been ordered.
