In an opinion piece to The Courier (on page 8), Ms Dore writes that increased investment in rail will deliver important benefits to Ballarat that extend beyond just a pleasant commuting experience.

May’s state budget saw the Labor government announce a $518 million package of upgrade works that include a 17-kilometre stretch of duplicated track between Melton and Deer Park west, passing loops at Bacchus Marsh, Ballan and Bungaree and three kilometres of duplicated track near Warrenheip.

More than $280 million will also be invested in 27 new V/Locity carriages to allow space for 2000 extra passengers across the regional V/Line network, however, it could be four years before all carriages are operational.

Ms Dore said the allocation was a “fantastic” investment for Ballarat, but stressed that full duplication is required for Ballarat to become a destination city for people who wish to use the area for education, work, sport and tourism.

“That (the state budged allocation) is a fantastic investment and the kind of investment we need,” she said when contacted by The Courier on Thursday.

“The answer to Melbourne’s congestion problems lie in the regional areas. It’s not just about the rail, we need to accommodate urban growth.

“We start work now on building relationships with the federal government. We need to make the case for the kind of infrastructure we want.”

Public Transport Users Association Ballarat convener Ben Lever said while a sub-one hour service would no doubt be attractive for Ballarat residents seeking employment in Melbourne, or vice-versa, the focus should remain on improving the punctuality of current Regional Rail Link services.

“The $518 million project is a fantastic start, but we support Committee for Ballarat's call for funding to fully duplicate the line,” Mr Lever said.

“A more frequent, more reliable service will have the biggest impact on getting commuters home to their families quicker.

“Just looking at the different journey times for the non-express trains, it doesn't make much difference to me if my train is timetabled to take 79 minutes or 86 minutes - but if it's five minutes late and I miss my connection, that's really frustrating.”

Commuters have been hit hard by poor punctuality since the opening of the RRL last June, with trains on the Ballarat line yet to reach V/Line’s punctuality goal of 92 per cent of services arriving on time.