Greens Western Metropolitan MP Colleen Hartland has added her voice to the growing chorus calling on the state and federal governments to electrify the Melton rail service as the region experiences unprecedented growth.
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Earlier this week Planning Minister Richard Wynne gave a green light to the Mount Atkinson housing estate in the city’s west, which is expected to house 22,000 residents in the next 15 years.
A space along Hopkins Road has been allocated for a future train station which has been touted as a potential addition to the Ballarat line.
Ms Hartland, whose region takes in the rapidly growing City of Melton, said getting all stops past Bacchus Marsh onto the Metro system needed to be addressed as a priority.
“It’s fine and dandy (to announce new housing estates) but unless there’s a really good service that’s a metro those people are going to have real problems getting to work,” Ms Hartland said.
“Do you really want a situation where you’re building a huge new estate but these people are waiting years and years for a proper train service?”
The Hopkins Road station is one of three touted for the expanding western suburbs, and while no timeline has been given for its construction, Mr Wynne said “we want to ensure the timely delivery of the (Hopkins Road) railway station”.
The nearby Caroline Springs station also came online earlier this year.
Melton City mayor Sophie Ramsey has also voiced her concerns around the addition of new stations prior to electrification, telling The Courier “the line is almost at a maximum capacity which is why it needs duplication before we can entertain adding other stops”.
The Victorian Greens first called for Melton electrification in February 2016 after it was identified as a priority project by Infrastructure Australia.
While the state government has invested $518 million in upgrading the Ballarat line, both it and the opposition are yet to state a position on Melton electrification.
While Ms Hartland acknowledged the current capacity constraints on the Metro system, she said construction needed to begin on within the next three to five years to allow the Melton Metro service to be activated upon completion of Melbourne Metro in 2026.
“The planning money has to be in the next budget and then a five-year plan for how this is going to happen needs to be developed.”
