Victorian Transport Plan
On Monday 8 December 2008, Victorian Premier,
John Brumby announced the Victorian Transport Plan (new window), a $38 billion action
plan that delivers more trains, trams, buses, as well as future road and rail
investments.
Regional Victorians will benefit from $4.8
billion worth of new trains, extra tracks, railway station upgrades and bus
improvements as part of the plan.
Read V/Line’s response to the plan in our Media Centre.
What’s in the Victorian
Transport Plan
New
trains, extra tracks and railway station upgrades are all part of the Victorian
Transport Plan.
A summary
of the projects is listed below, and more details on the plan will be provided
as they come to hand.
Regional
Victorian public transport highlights include:
|
Project
|
Details
|
Timing
|
Funding
|
|
Regional
Rail Link
(commonly
referred to as the Tarneit link)
|
This new
link will run between West Werribee and Southern Cross Station and provide
stand-alone regional rail tracks into Melbourne’s CBD for Bendigo, Ballarat
and Geelong trains. This new 44km link has the potential to double capacity
and allow V/Line trains to avoid congestion on the metropolitan network.
|
Planning
and construction may start as early as 2009 if funded.
|
$4
billion. Subject to joint State / Federal funding.
|
|
Return
of passenger rail services to Maryborough
|
The
State Government has pledged to reinstate passenger train services to
Maryborough, via Ballarat. The project will include upgrading the track,
associated signalling works and train stabling as appropriate.
|
Services
to start in 2010.
|
$50
million
|
|
20
new carriages for V/Line
|
This is
on top of the 54 currently on order, providing 6,000 extra seats across the
network.
|
Ongoing
from 2009
|
$550
million
|
|
Station
upgrades
|
The
upgrades are for the Regional Station and Modal Interchange initiative with
improved access for coaches and buses, upgraded car parks, new taxi zones,
improved signage and lighting, CCTV, toilets, passenger facilities and
disabled access. Stations include Marshall, South Geelong and Bairnsdale.
Later stations include Clarkefield and Riddells Creek.
|
From
2009
|
$30
million
|
|
Level
crossing work
|
Projects
to address level crossings across the State.
|
Ongoing
from 2009
|
$100
million
|
|
Electrification
to Sunbury (and Melton)
|
Extension
of the metropolitan network to Sunbury (and eventually Melton). Sydenham is
one of the north’s biggest growth areas and electrifying the line to Sunbury
will provide more peak hour services for a growing community.
|
Sunbury
construction to start 2010.
Melton
will not start until the Regional Rail Link is complete.
|
$270 for
Sunbury
|
|
Transformation
of the freight network
|
A pledge
by the Premier to transform Victoria’s freight network in a billion dollar
strategy. Includes $180 million to restore and maintain key gold and silver
freight lines and rehabilitate selected bronze lines.
|
|
$1.1
billion
|
More details on the
Regional Rail Link
A major
commitment by the State Government is the Regional Rail Link which will see 44
kilometres of twin track from West Werribee to Southern Cross Station via
Tarneit and Sunshine, providing for the first time separate tracks for regional
and metropolitan trains.
The link
will remove the bottleneck when trains enter the metropolitan network and
provide a faster connection between Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo and Melbourne.
As well as the 44 kilometres of twin track between West Werribee and Southern
Cross Station, Regional Rail Link will also deliver a new rail bridge over the
Maribyrnong River and the rebuilding of Sunshine station with extra platforms.
The first step towards the new link will be the construction of new platforms
15 and 16 at Southern Cross Station, exclusively for regional passenger trains.
Public Transport Minister, Lynne Kosky, said that while the precise timing and
staging of the project is to be finalised, the Government has undertaken
significant planning and works could start soon after agreement with the
Commonwealth.
More details on
Maryborough
With the section of track between
Melbourne and Maryborough already upgraded as part of the Mildura Freight
Upgrade, it is now easier to get it to a standard suitable for passenger
services.
Combined with a $1 million heritage upgrade completed at Maryborough Station
earlier this year, the conditions are just right to restore passenger services.
Once complete, passengers can look forward to a daily return service on a
VLocity train via Ballarat.
Fourteen
weekly services will begin in 2010.
More details on the
Victorian Transport Plan
Read
more about the transport plan at the Department of Transport website (new window).
Read
the Premier’s and Minister for Public Transport’s media releases (new window) outlining the details
of the Victorian Transport Plan (new window).