A consortium led by Lendlease, Coleman Rail and SMEC have will now develop a final proposal for the rail project with work due to start early in 2018. 

Key elements include duplicating 18 kilometres of track between Deer Park West and Melton and extra passing loops on the Ballarat line to help prevent delays having a concertina effect down the line, holding up other trains unable to pass late services. 

The duplication to Melton is also a key step toward separating the lines at least as far Melton and eventually creating dual regional and metropolitan lines into Melbourne’s outer west. 

But full electrification to Melton and incorporating it into the metropolitan system requires a quadruplication of the track to keep regional V/Line trains on their own lines and is currently unfunded by either State or Federal Governments. 

At the same time incorporating Melton into a metropolitan system will require the completion of the Melbourne Metro tunnel due for completion in 2026. This is the State Governments major plank in unclogging the City Loop/ Southern Cross choke point currently a key cause of V/Line service delays. 

But for now, the $518 million Ballarat line upgrade, due for completion in 2019, will ease pressure on delays as well as freeing up space for more trains to the Ballarat line. This includes a government commitment for trains every 40 minutes off-peak. 

The project announced in the 2016 State Budget also includes new train stabling, better stations at Ballan and Rockbank, passing lanes at Warrenheip and relocating stabling at Bacchus Marsh station to Maddingley.

The Government announced the project would also create up to 400 jobs during construction. 

The $518 million was committed by the Andrews’ Government last year and was not dependent on the Port of Melbourne Sale asset recycling fund from the Federal Government.

But Premier Daniel Andrews was keen to spruik his victory from last week when the Turnbull Government agreed to pay out the full $1.43 billion to that fund.

A resolution to the six month funding dispute also underpinned the State Government’s Regional Rail Revival including extra services to Ararat.

 “We won the fight to revive regional rail and now we’re getting on with building the projects that regional Victorians need,”  Mr Andrews said.

The Government reported its investigative work on the Ballarat corridor project was well advanced with  more than 200 site investigations conducted and nearly 90 boreholes dug since February. 

It also claimed extensive community consultation had been undertaken, including meetings with councils and landowners and an online survey completed by more than 150 people.