Getting faster and more frequent trains to and from Ballarat took another step with an additional $30 million from the federal government allocated to the Western Rail Plan.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In 2019, the state government committed $100 million over four years to the plan, which seeks to electrify the line to Melton, adding it to the metropolitan system, and investigate quadruplicating the line to fully separate Ballarat trains.
A similar upgrade on the Geelong line to Wyndham Vale is also part of the plan, and an additional $50 million was added to continue work as part of federal and state commitments to fast rail to the city.
READ MORE:
The additional $30 million announced in Tuesday night's federal budget is for "further planning", according to a federal Department of Infrastructure spokesperson.
"The Australian Government committed $30 million in the 2020-21 Budget to the Western Rail Plan - Further Planning project. The Victorian Government will also be providing $30 million," they said in a statement.
"Projects recommended through the planning process are expected to start in mid-2021 and be finished by mid-2023."
The state government will continue working with the federal government to get the project underway, a spokesperson said in a statement.
Seasonal ecology surveys along rail corridors west of Melbourne have been provided with an exemption to continue under the recent coronavirus restrictions, given the specific timeframes throughout the year allocated to identifying certain species. These ecology surveys will assist with planning and environmental approval processes.
The engineering and design work is being undertaken alongside planning for the Melbourne Airport Rail Link.
It was noted the plan will need to interact with the rest of the state's rail network, and "sequenced to deliver the right benefits for the Victorian community".
Independent rail advocate Nick Beale said there should be more investment on the line, to fully complete the works needed, particularly as population growth in Ballarat continued to increase.
"I appeal to all Ballarat business groups, the City of Ballarat and major employers to urgently and collectively get to Canberra as soon as the borders open and advocate directly to the Prime Minister, the Treasurer and the Minister of Transport," he said in a statement.
Committee for Ballarat chief executive Michael Poulton said the funding was welcomed but questions remain about the Airport Rail Link, which would be co-funded by the state and federal governments.
The committee's position has been to build a tunnel connecting Southern Cross Station to Sunshine, which would increase capacity and allow more frequent and faster trains to the regions.
The state government has repeatedly said all options are still on the table - if a tunnel is not built, an above-ground connection or a link to the new Metro Tunnel could be used for airport trains, but there are fears this would lock out regional trains.
"The Victorian government needs to declare their position on it," Mr Poulton said.
"It's a state-wide infrastructure project, and the MARL is the single most important thing to enable regional growth - Ballarat, Bendigo, and Geelong will be early adopters, early recipients, and most beneficial recipients of a commitment to a proper regional rail network that includes a tunnel from Sunshine to the city.
IN THE NEWS
"Our fear is that it'll be made in the dead of night and we need to put the state government on the hook for their decision
"There's a $7 billion question that needs to be put to the state government, and that is why are they not seriously considering the IFM partnership (a private investor which offered to build the tunnel)?
"It's a $7 billion cash injection into the state to build a major piece of infrastructure, why would they not be talking to their partner about that?"
If you are seeing this message you are a loyal digital subscriber to The Courier, as we made this story available only to subscribers. Thank you very much for your support and allowing us to continue telling Ballarat's story. We appreciate your support of journalism in our great city.
