This article needs to be updated. The reason given is: the plan has been reworked with there no longer being separation between Regional Rail Link and metropolitan electrified services.(December 2023) |
Western Rail Plan | |
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Overview | |
Status | Planned |
Website | Official website |
The Western Rail Plan is a metropolitan rail infrastructure project being undertaken in Melbourne, Australia. The project was initially announced during the 2018 Victorian state election by the State Government. It includes the electrification of two currently existing regional lines to Melton and Wyndham Vale, and other network capacity upgrades. [1]
The electrification to Melton is part of Stage 3 of the PTV Network Development Plan. [2] Staging of the works component of the plan are being developed alongside the business case for the Melbourne Airport Rail Link.
In 2023, following the cancellation of Geelong Fast Rail, the Victorian Government refuted reports that the project was cancelled, saying instead it was a "work in progress". The plan now places trains on the same tracks as the Regional Rail Link, instead of segregating them. [3] [4] [5]
The Western Rail Plan was announced by the Andrews Labor government just over a month before the 2018 state election, as one of a number of rail projects promised during the election campaign. However, one aspect of the plan, high-speed rail to Geelong, had been proposed by the Victorian Liberal Party on 3 October 2018, about two weeks before the Andrews Government revealed its Western Rail Plan. [6]
Plans for electrification were originally developed by Public Transport Victoria in the 2012 Network Development Plan, which suggested that the line to Melton should be electrified within the next 15 years. [7] Wyndham Vale electrification was Stage 4, which meant the project would be undertaken within 20 years. However, in the revised plan, it was added to stage 3.
Six local councils along the Serviceton line, Brimbank, Melton, Moorabool, Ballarat, Ararat and Pyrenees, initiated a campaign for the electrification to Melton in May 2018, around six months before the 2018 state election. Along with electrification, they called for 12 peak-hour electric trains from Melton, and off-peak services every 20 minutes by 2026, as well as 10-car trains and trains every 10 minutes at all non-peak times by 2030. [8] A publication by the City of Brimbank warned that if those measures were not taken, there would be chronic overcrowding. [9]
Planning for electrification to Melton and Wyndham Vale started in mid-2021 and was scheduled to be completed by mid-2023. [10]
Part of the line between Melton and Deer Park was duplicated during the Regional Rail Revival Project, which made provision for electrification and a future increase in services. [11] Electrification to Melton would potentially triple the carrying capacity of the line, and will allow up to 1500 people to travel on a single train. [12] As part of the electrification, the Melton line would be quadruplicated, to separate regional and metropolitan services. Two level crossings located in Deer Park would be removed to allow trains to run on the line at a higher frequency. [13] [14] [15] There were plans for a station at Mount Atkinson, as well as a station serving the Paynes Road precinct. [16] [17]
The line to Wyndham Vale, connecting with the line to Geelong, was originally built as part of the Regional Rail Link project, including two new stations, Wyndham Vale and Tarneit, opening on 21 June 2015. [18] Since the opening of the two stations there has been patronage growth of 131%. [19] Provision was made for other stations at Truganina, Tarneit West (Sayers Road), Davis Road and Black Forest Road. [20] As with the Melton electrification scheme, quadruplication of the line was proposed, to separate regional and metropolitan services. A link between Wyndham Vale and Werribee was also part of the project, with the potential for that link to become part of the Suburban Rail Loop. Prior to the 2022 Victorian state election, the Andrews Labor Government announced that Tarneit West would be built and planning works for Truganina would begin. [21]
The Geelong Fast Rail project was a proposal for high-speed rail to Geelong which came a few years after the completion of the Regional Rail Link, [22] as part of which, the line to Geelong via Wyndham Vale and Tarneit was constructed. The idea involved more frequent and more reliable regional services, dedicated rolling stock capable of speeds around 250–300 kilometres per hour (160–190 mph), far greater than anything operating in Victoria, and a new transport superhub at Sunshine to facilitate better integration of rail services. The high-speed service would entail a 32-minute journey between Geelong and Melbourne. [23] Daniel Bowen, spokesman for the Public Transport Users Association, said the high-speed train project would boost regional development, and relieve overcrowding and delays on citybound trains from the west. The Andrews state government gave $50 million to develop the business case. The federal government promised to provide $2 billion for the project, provided the Andrews government matched that investment. [24]
In November 2020, the state government agreed to match the funding and both governments announced Stage 1 of Geelong Fast Rail. The works would include: [25] [26]
Construction of the first stage Geelong Fast Rail was expected to begin in 2023, [25] and was to be constructed in conjunction with the Geelong line upgrade as part of Regional Rail Revival program. [26]
in November 2023 the Federal Government announced that the funding for the Geelong Fast Rail project would be cut which caused the project to be cancelled.
The primary aim of the Western Rail Plan is to deal with the significant demand on the growing western corridor, which had been growing exponentially over the previous decade, particularly following the completion of the Regional Rail Link, which provided a route into the City for passengers from the growing outer western suburbs such as Tarneit and Wyndham Vale, who had previously had little or no public transport. The project aims to solve that problem by electrifying the lines to Melton and Wyndham Vale to take pressure off crowded regional trains, along with high-speed rail to Geelong cutting down travel times between Geelong and the CBD. The project was welcomed by local councils along the lines affected, [27] as well as public transport advocates such as the Rail Futures Institute [28] and the Public Transport Users Association. [29]
However, the project has been criticised for its slow pace, with some saying the projected 2032 completion date was too far into the future. [30] Geelong and Wyndham councils were concerned that they would be under-served if new suburban services have to share tracks with trains on the Melbourne Airport rail link. [31] There was also concern that the growing community of Bacchus Marsh would not be included in the electrification proposals. [32] The president of the Rail Futures Institute, John Hearsch, said electrification beyond Melton would be necessary to properly serve the growing populations of Ballarat and Bacchus Marsh. [33]
Hoppers Crossing is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 24 km (15 mi) south-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Wyndham local government area. Hoppers Crossing recorded a population of 37,216 at the 2021 census.
Werribee is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 32 km (20 mi) south-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the local government area of the City of Wyndham. Werribee recorded a population of 50,027 at the 2021 census.
Newport railway station is the junction for the Werribee and Williamstown lines in Victoria, Australia. It serves the western Melbourne suburb of Newport, and opened on 1 March 1859 as Geelong Junction. It was renamed Williamstown Junction in January 1869, and renamed Newport on 1 November 1881.
Laverton railway station is located on the Werribee line in Victoria, Australia. It serves the western Melbourne suburb of Laverton, and opened on 1 July 1886.
Hoppers Crossing railway station is located on the Werribee line in Victoria, Australia. It opened on 16 November 1970 to serve the western Melbourne suburb of Hoppers Crossing.
Werribee railway station is the terminus of the electrified suburban Werribee line in Victoria, Australia. It serves the western Melbourne suburb of Werribee, and it opened on 25 June 1857.
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 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.
Tarneit is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 25 km (16 mi) west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Wyndham local government area. Tarneit recorded a population of 56,370 at the 2021 census.
The Geelong line is a regional passenger rail service operated by V/Line in Victoria, Australia. It serves passengers between state capital Melbourne and the regional city of Geelong.
The Warrnambool line is a long-distance regional rail service in Victoria, Australia. Operated by V/Line, it is the state's fourth longest railway line at 267.3 kilometres (166.1 mi). The line runs from Southern Cross station in central Melbourne to Warrnambool station in the south-west, serving 21 stations via Wyndham Vale, Geelong, Waurn Ponds, and Colac. The line has five return services each weekday and three return services on weekends. Trains on the Warrnambool service run with three- to five-car N-class carriage sets, which are hauled by N class locomotives.
Wyndham Vale is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 31 km (19 mi) south-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, one of the fastest growing suburbs of Melbourne, located within the City of Wyndham local government area. Wyndham Vale recorded a population of 20,518 at the 2021 census.
The Ballarat V/Line rail service is a regional passenger rail service operated by V/Line in Victoria, Australia. It serves passengers between state capital Melbourne and the regional city of Ballarat. Beyond Wendouree, it becomes the Ararat line and the Maryborough line.
The Deer Park–West Werribee railway line is a 28 km (17 mi) non-electrified rail line on the western fringes of the metropolitan area of Melbourne, Victoria. The line carries the Geelong-Melbourne rail service operated by the state regional rail provider V/Line. The line also provides commuter service for the suburban stations of Tarneit and Wyndham Vale.
Williams Landing railway station is located on the Werribee line in Victoria, Australia. It serves the western Melbourne suburb of Williams Landing, and opened on 28 April 2013.
Tarneit railway station is located on the Deer Park–West Werribee line in Victoria, Australia. It serves the western Melbourne suburb of the same name, and opened on 14 June 2015.
Wyndham Vale railway station is located on the Deer Park–West Werribee line in Victoria, Australia. It serves the western Melbourne suburbs of Wyndham Vale and Manor Lakes, and opened on 14 June 2015.
Cobblebank railway station is located on the Serviceton line in Victoria, Australia. It serves the western Melbourne suburb of Cobblebank, and opened on 1 December 2019.
Rail Projects Victoria (RPV) is an agency of the Government of Victoria, Australia, responsible for the management of certain major infrastructure projects on the Victorian rail network. Originally established as the Melbourne Metro Rail Authority (MMRA), to deliver the Melbourne Metro Rail Project, the office was later expanded in its responsibilities to include the management and planning of a number of major infrastructure programs on V/Line's regional rail services. It was renamed RPV in 2018 to reflect its expanded scope, and later became one of several project teams comprising the Department of Transport and Planning's Major Transport Infrastructure Authority.
The Regional Rail Link (RRL) was a project to build a 47.5-kilometre (29.5 mi) length of railway through the western suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, the main aim of which was to separate regional V/Line Ballarat, Bendigo and Geelong services from the electrified Melbourne suburban services, thereby increasing rail capacity and reliability. The project involved the building of an extra pair of tracks from Southern Cross station to Sunshine, parallel to the Western line, and a new double-track line from Deer Park, which joins with the Warrnambool line west of Werribee, near the site of the former Manor railway station. New stations were built at Tarneit and Wyndham Vale, while West Footscray and Sunshine stations were rebuilt. Additional platforms were built at Southern Cross and Footscray stations, and two level crossings near Sunshine were replaced by grade separations. The most used station before its construction, North Melbourne, was excluded from the project despite being the main connection hub for regional travellers not needing to go all the way to Southern Cross, and now requires regional rail link customers to change at Footscray.