Ballarat train upgrades kept under wraps

BALLARAT commuters will have to wait until the Regional Rail Link is closer to completion - expected to be at the end of 2014 - to see whether travelling times to Melbourne will be quicker.The route of the metropolitan section of the $4.3 million project was finalised earlier this week.The state government has promised commuters between Ballarat, Geelong and Bendigo faster and more reliable train services.Under the plan, regional trains travelling between Southern Cross Station and western Victoria will have their own dedicated line.But exactly how much faster the train services will be remains under wraps.A Regional Rail Link spokeswoman said it was too early to say how much time would be cut off a trip from Ballarat to Melbourne."... timetabling and stopping patterns will be determined closer to project completion, based on an assessment of demand and travel patterns," the spokeswoman said."Construction is scheduled to be completed at the end of 2014."The Regional Rail Link together with the $4.5 million Melbourne Metro projects will provide capacity for an extra 20,000 passengers every hour, reducing congestion on the system and providing more services.It will include the development of two new train stations at Tarneit and Wyndham Vale.