It is the second most-used regional rail service in Victoria (behind the Geelong line), carrying 4.68 million passengers in the 2022-23 financial year.

Several stations, including Gordon and Warrenheip, were closed in 1981 as part of the New Deal reforms to Victoria's country rail services.

Several parts of the line were rerailed, and new deviations and bridges were built to ease grades, enabling trains to run at speeds up to 160 km/h.

V/Line VLocity diesel multiple unit trains, built as part of the project, started running to Ballarat in 2005.

In 2008, Wendouree Station was built to relieve overcrowding after passenger numbers grew significantly following the completion of the project.

[23][24][25][26] The line received another significant package of works as part of the Regional Rail Revival project, beginning in early 2018 with major construction completed in 2021.

[27] The project, with a budget of $518 million, saw the duplication of 17 kilometres (11 mi) of track between Deer Park and Melton; a new station constructed at Cobblebank; upgrades to Rockbank, Bacchus Marsh and Ballan stations; a new stabling facility built in Maddingley, and a new crossing loop at Millbrook.

Trains originating from Wendouree timetabled between 05:56 to 07:39 inclusive run express through Melton, Cobblebank, Caroline Springs, and Ardeer.

Trains stop all stations the rest of the day, except the aforementioned 15:44 service originating from Wendouree which runs express from Melton to Sunshine.

Trains running from Southern Cross to Melton, Bacchus Marsh, and Wendouree typically stop all stations, except during the afternoon and evening peak.

[40][better source needed] The V/Line service previously used the original line via Bungaree as a long crossing loop between Ballan and Ballarat until December 2020.