THE lack of a rail link between Melbourne’s CBD and its airport has been a major failing for a city which prides itself on its ability to attract interstate and international visitors.
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Plans to resolve the issue have been plentiful, particularly in recent years as visitor numbers have increased, but few have been seen as viable.
So Premier Denis Napthine’s announcement that his government will kickstart the project will come as music to the ears of Melbourne leaders and business and tourism groups alike.
The plan potentially has significant connotations for Ballarat travellers as well.
According to the few slices of information released on the weekend, the service will travel along the route towards Sunshine, the same route which currently caters for V/Line services between Ballarat and Melbourne.
That creates two significant options. Firstly, it opens the possibility for travellers to and from Ballarat to use outer metropolitan stations as a transfer point for travel to the airport.
Secondly, with services expected to run every 10 minutes, it suggests that it could increase traffic in an already overcrowded rail corridor.
The massive Regional Rail Link project, currently under construction, identified the need to create independent routes for V/Line services through the same lines.
Therefore, it stands to reason that planning would include the potential for the airport service.
We might need to wait a little longer to ascertain exactly what impact this announcement might have, as the Premier awaits budget night to release further information.
What we do know is that the over-arching principle of rail between the airport and CBD is needed to cope with expected increases in travellers.
It might not make CityLink happy, it might impact on taxi services and there would be questions about how it compares with the current bus public transport options, but for the Melbourne of tomorrow, it is needed.
Let’s just hope it is also of benefit to train travellers from the west, and that the numbers do stack up.
Given that the focus on transport is seen as so crucial to the outcome of November’s state election, Dr Napthine’s ability to deliver on the detail of the project might prove a defining moment.
