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BALLARAT commuters to Melbourne are back on the bus, but Victorian Premier Denis Napthine yesterday insisted the gain would be worth the pain.
The Ballarat train line is closed for the school holidays, as work on the Regional Rail Link is fast-tracked for a fortnight.
While that means boarding coaches for hundreds of commuters and the potential for traffic jams and lengthy delays, Dr Napthine said the result would be a far more reliable and punctual
V/Line train service when work on the rail link is completed in 2016.
“It’s definitely worth the pain,” Dr Napthine said.
“Time savings on regular services will not be as significant as absolute reliability. That will be the biggest improvement.
“The current issue with dependability and punctuality (on V/Line trains to and from Ballarat) is getting stuck on the Metro system. What people get angry at is sitting at West Footscray or Sunshine when there is a hold-up.
“With the Regional Rail Link we will be able to guarantee a more reliable system. It will give commuters greater confidence the trains will run on time.
“The other beneficiary will be that Metro will also get better services. At the moment we are stymied to put new services in the system but with the dedicated Regional Rail Link there is the opportunity to put more services on. Frequency of services is another issue for commuters.”
The Regional Rail Link was running within its time frame and on budget, according to Public Transport Minister Terry Mulder.
Once the Regional Rail Link is completed, V/Line and Metro trains will run on separate lines between Sunshine and the city, allowing V/Line trains to skip past Metro trains that have been held up for a variety reasons, from signal failure to passenger welfare.
The V/Line trains will stop at a redeveloped Footscray station to connect with City Loop Metro trains, relieving congestion at North Melbourne station.
The $4.8 billion project was originally announced under the previous Labor government in 2009, although the current Coalition government adjusted it to include money for trains and signalling.
It is being funded by federal and state governments, the Australian government contributing $3.2 billion and the Victorian government $1.6 billion.