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The Metropolitan Town Planning Commission, established in 1922 by the Victorian state government, produced a report in 1929 that recommended a new underground railway in central Melbourne running via Exhibition and Victoria streets to reduce congestion at Finders Street station.[ citation needed ] The plan also proposed:
A 1940 report by the Victorian Railways' Chief Engineer for Ways and Works recommended a number of rail improvement works, including an underground city railway, a line to Doncaster via the Kew spur, and the connection of the Alamein line to the Glen Waverley line at Malvern East. [1]
A 1954 strategy released by the Melbourne & Metropolitan Board of Works recommended changes to Melbourne's land-use planning, an extensive network of freeways and a park system. [2] It also recommended some expansions to the rail network, including an underground CBD rail line with three stations beneath Lonsdale Street. [2] It also called for: [2]
The report recommended against a line to Doncaster due to the high cost of tunnelling. [2]
A major plan released by the Victorian state government of Henry Bolte called for the creation of 510 kilometres of freeways, and a number of new rail lines. [3] The plan proposed:
None of these proposed lines were ever built, except for the underground rail loop which began construction in 1971 and progressively opened between 1981 and 1985. [4] [5] [6] The lines to Werribee, Sunbury and Craigieburn were also eventually electrified.
In the words of the authors the Lonie Report aimed to: institute a study into all freight and passenger transport within Victoria, and to and from Victoria, in order to produce a co-ordinated transport system capable of meeting the needs of all residents of Victoria, having particular regard to the effect of transport on the balanced development of the state.
The study suggested reducing public transport services and increasing fares to reduce subsidies. They also suggested that Victoria's major highways should be duplicated and the reservation of land to allow the construction of road bypasses around major towns on these highways. In Melbourne, it was recommended that many freeways needed to be built and extended
A strategy launched in 1999 by the state government of Steve Bracks called for an airport rail link to Melbourne Airport and the reopening of several regional railway lines.
Melbourne 2030 is a strategic planning policy framework for the metropolitan area of Greater Melbourne, intended to cover the period 2001–2030. During this period the population of the metropolitan area is expected to grow by a million people to over 5 million. Population projections now predict Melbourne's population could reach 7 million by that time and the State Government has since changed its strategy on the policy, abandoning the urban growth boundary in the north and west of Melbourne and compromising green wedges.
The Meeting our Transport Challenges was a plan from the Steve Bracks Labor Government, it was a plan to address issues around the transport network and growing suburbs [7] [8]
Some Proposals in the project were:
Upgrades to the SmartBus network, and to busses in the Doncaster Area
Multiple rail Duplication and Triplication including a 3rd track from Caulfield to Dandenong
Rail extensions including the South Morang Line (proposed to be built in 2016) and the Somerton link,
The Deer Park Bypass
Transit Cities: in the areas of Box Hill, Broadmeadows, Dandenong, Ringwood, Epping, Footscray, Frankston, Sydenham and Werribee. and in regional areas of Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo and the Latrobe Valley.
The government of John Brumby responded to a major increase in rail patronage by releasing a plan in 2008 that called for a number of rail extensions, including the Regional Rail Link from west of Werribee to Southern Cross station, a new inner-city rail tunnel called the Melbourne Metro Rail Project, and electrification of the rail network to South Morang (completed in 2011), Sunbury (completed in 2012), Melton and Cranbourne East. [9]
New government agency Public Transport Victoria (PTV) released a detailed 20-year rail development plan in 2013 under the government of Denis Napthine. [10] The report outlined a major expansion of the metropolitan rail network in Melbourne over a number of stages, with the goals of introducing a 'metro-style system' and extending the reach of the network. [11] Significant projects identified for construction included the Metro Tunnel, the Airport rail link, a line to Doncaster, a line to Rowville, a second underground inner-city rail tunnel, and many rail electrification and duplication projects. [12]
The plan outlines the growth of Melbourne to the year 2050 and becoming a "global city" [13]
The plan had 9 Strategic Principles for the plan to follow,
The plan also had 7 Outcomes and Objectives
In the lead up to the 2014 Victorian state election the Victoria Labor Party came out with the Project 10,000 plan. This plan included projects to:
Plan Melbourne is a planning document for the metropolitan Melbourne for the period 2017-2050. [15] [16]
The City Loop is a piece of underground commuter rail infrastructure in the central business district (CBD) of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Parliament railway station is a commuter railway station adjacent to the border between the Melbourne CBD and the suburb of East Melbourne, in Victoria, Australia. The station has two island platforms in a two-floor configuration, connected to street level via two underground concourses.
Malvern railway station is a commuter railway station that is part of the Melbourne railway network in Victoria, Australia. The station is located on the southern border of Malvern, a suburb of Melbourne, and was opened on 7 May 1879. The station complex consists of an island platform and two side platforms all accessed by a pedestrian bridge. There are two red brick Edwardian-era station buildings, constructed in 1914 as ticketing and staff offices. The entire complex is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register because of its architectural significance and its role in the development of Malvern as a significant metropolitan centre. The station is only partially accessible because of multiple steep access ramps.
Caulfield railway station is a commuter railway station on the northern boundary of Caulfield East, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Opened in 1879 and rebuilt from 1913 to 1914, the station complex is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register and is noted as an example of Federation Free Style architecture. It is named after the nearby suburb of Caulfield, located southwest of the station.
Proposals for expansion of the Melbourne rail network are commonly presented by political parties, government agencies, industry organisations and public transport advocacy groups. The extensions proposed take a variety of forms: electrification of existing routes to incorporate them into the suburban rail system; reconstruction of former passenger rail lines along pre-existing easements; entirely new routes intended to serve new areas with heavy rail or provide alternative routes in congested areas; or track amplification along existing routes to provide segregation of services. Other proposals are for the construction of new or relocated stations on existing lines, to provide improved access to public transport services.
The Frankston line is a commuter railway line in the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Operated by Metro Trains Melbourne, it is the city's third-longest metropolitan railway line, at 42.7 kilometres (26.5 mi). The line runs from Flinders Street station in central Melbourne to Frankston station in the south-east, serving 28 stations via South Yarra, Caulfield, Moorabbin, and Mordialloc. The line continues to Stony Point on the non-electrified Stony Point line. The line operates for approximately 20 hours a day with 24 hour service available on Friday and Saturday nights. During peak hour, headways of up to 5 to 10 minutes are operated with services every 10–20 minutes during off-peak hours. Trains on the Frankston line run with a two three-car formations of Comeng, Siemens Nexas, and X'Trapolis 100 trainsets.
The Pakenham line is a commuter railway line in the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Operated by Metro Trains Melbourne, it is the city's longest metropolitan railway line at 57 kilometres (35 mi). The line runs from Flinders Street station in central Melbourne to Pakenham station in the south-east, serving 27 stations via the City Loop, South Yarra, Caulfield, Oakleigh, and Dandenong. The line operates for approximately 20 hours a day with 24 hour service available on Friday and Saturday nights. During peak hour, headways of up to 5 to 10 minutes are operated with services every 20 minutes during off-peak hours. Trains on the Pakenham line run with a seven-car formation operated by High Capacity Metro Trains.
The Sandringham line is a commuter railway line in the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Operated by Metro Trains Melbourne, it is the city's fourth shortest metropolitan railway line at 17.9 kilometres (11.1 mi). The line runs from Flinders Street station in central Melbourne to Sandringham station in the south-east, serving 14 stations via South Yarra, Balaclava, Elsternwick, and Brighton. The line operates from approximately 5am to 12am, daily, with 24 hour service available on Friday and Saturday nights. Services run every 7–8 minutes during peak hour, with services running every 15 minutes during the inter-peak period on weekdays, and every 20 minutes at night and during the day on weekends. Additionally, services run every 60 minutes overnight on Friday and Saturday nights as part of the Night Network.
The Cranbourne line is a commuter railway line in the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Operated by Metro Trains Melbourne, it is the city's second longest metropolitan railway line at 44 kilometres (27 mi). The line runs from Flinders Street station in central Melbourne to Cranbourne station in the south-east, serving 24 stations via the City Loop, South Yarra, Caulfield, Oakleigh, and Dandenong. The line operates for approximately 20 hours a day with 24 hour service available on Friday and Saturday nights. During peak hour, headways of up to 5 to 15 minutes are operated with services every 15–20 minutes during off-peak hours. Trains on the Cranbourne line run with a seven-car formation operated by High Capacity Metro Trains.
The Mernda line is a commuter railway line in the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Operated by Metro Trains Melbourne, it is the city's eighth longest metropolitan railway line at 33.1 kilometres (20.6 mi). The line runs from Flinders Street station in central Melbourne to Mernda station in the north, serving 29 stations including Clifton Hill, Reservoir, Epping, and South Morang. The line operates for approximately 19 hours a day with 24-hour service available on Friday and Saturday nights. During peak hour, headways of up to 7.5 minutes are operated with services every 10–30 minutes during off-peak hours. Trains on the Mernda line run with two three-car formations of X'Trapolis 100 trainsets.
The Werribee line is a commuter railway line in the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Operated by Metro Trains Melbourne, it is the city's ninth longest metropolitan railway line at 32.9 kilometres (20.4 mi). The line runs from Flinders Street station in central Melbourne to Werribee station in the south west, serving 17 stations via Footscray, Newport, and Altona. The line operates for approximately 19 hours a day with 24 hour service available on Friday and Saturday nights. During peak hour, headways of up to 5–20 minutes are operated with services every 20–30 minutes during off-peak hours. Trains on the Werribee line run with a two three-car formations of Comeng, Siemens Nexas, and X'Trapolis 100 trainsets.
The Williamstown Line is a commuter railway line in the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Operated by Metro Trains Melbourne, it is the city's third shortest metropolitan railway line at 16.2 kilometres (10.1 mi). The line runs from Flinders Street station in central Melbourne to Williamstown station in the inner west, serving 12 stations via Footscray, Yarraville, and Newport. The line operates for approximately 19 hours a day with 24-hour service available on Friday and Saturday nights. During peak hours, the line operates with headways of up to 20 minutes, ensuring frequent service for commuters. During off-peak hours, the service intervals are adjusted to provide service every 20–30 minutes, accommodating the lower demand. Trains on the Williamstown Line run with two three-car formations of Comeng, Siemens Nexas, and X'Trapolis 100 trainsets.
The Melbourne rail network is a metropolitan suburban and freight rail system serving the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The metropolitan rail network is centred around the Melbourne central business district (CBD) and consists of 222 railway stations across 16 lines, which served a patronage of 99.5 million over the year 2021–2022. It is the core of the larger Victorian railway network, with regional links to both intrastate and interstate rail systems.
The Stony Point line is a greater-metropolitan commuter railway line in the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Operated by Metro Trains Melbourne, it is the city's only diesel service on the metropolitan network and the tenth longest line at 31 kilometres (19 mi). The line acts as an extension of the Frankston line with services running from Frankston station to the small town of Stony Point in the south-east, serving 10 stations via Leawarra, Baxter, Hastings, and Bittern. The line operates for approximately 13 hours a day, unlike other lines on the network, which provide 24-hour service on Friday and Saturday nights. Headways of 90 to 120 minutes are operated throughout the day due to limited patronage and infrastructure constraints. Trains on the Stony Point line run as two one-car formations of V/Line Sprinters.
Transport in Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia, consists of several interlinking modes. Melbourne is a hub for intercity, intracity and regional travel. Road-based transport accounts for most trips across many parts of the city, facilitated by Australia's largest freeway network. Public transport, including the world's largest tram network, trains and buses, also forms a key part of the transport system. Other dominant modes include walking, cycling and commercial-passenger vehicle services such as taxis.
The Doncaster railway line was a long-proposed suburban railway in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, that was anticipated to be built by the late 2020s, as a branch, along with the Hurstbridge line, of the planned future Clifton Hill Loop Line, as part of the 2013 PTV Network Development Plan.
The 1969 Melbourne Transportation Plan was a road and rail transport plan for Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia, instituted by Henry Bolte's state government. Most prominently, the plan recommended the provision of an extensive freeway network, much of which has since been built.
The Eddington Transport Report was a major transport study undertaken in Victoria, Australia, by infrastructure consultant Sir Rod Eddington to propose improvements to transport links between the eastern and western suburbs of Melbourne. The report, titled "Investing in Transport–East West Link Needs Assessment", was commissioned in 2006 by the Government of Victoria following the model of the Eddington Transport Study in the United Kingdom and was released in April 2008. Eddington's report recommended new road and rail tunnels, further rail network electrification and improved cycle and bus routes in a bid to reduce congestion. Some of the report's recommendations were implemented by the Brumby Labor government, but many others remained unfunded.
Melbourne Metro 2 (MM2) is a proposed extension to the Melbourne rail network, consisting of a tunnel from Newport to Clifton Hill via the city centre. Conceived as a follow-up project to the under-construction Metro Tunnel, MM2 would link the Werribee and Mernda suburban rail lines and include stations in the Fishermans Bend development precinct, at Southern Cross and at Parkville, allowing passengers to connect with Metro Tunnel and City Loop lines. Although MM2 has been proposed and refined by a number of government-led and independent reports and proposals, no funding or policy commitment to its planning or construction is in place as of 2022.
The Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) is a group of new rapid transit lines planned or under construction in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The project is divided into four distinct sections. The two main sections, SRL East and SRL North, would together form a single 60 km (37 mi) fully automated orbital metro line through the city's middle suburbs, with 13 stations between Cheltenham and Melbourne Airport connecting to eight existing Melbourne rail lines. SRL East is currently under construction and is planned to open in 2035.