Bendigo will soon have five train stations, while Ballarat only has two with no plans for more - what's the go?
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There have been several attempts over the years to build support for new V/Line stations in Ballarat, but none have gained enough steam.
This could end up being a problem, given the exceptionally rapid growth to the city's west, and more people choosing to move from Melbourne because of the perception of an easy commute.
Right now, for all their faults, Ballarat's two stations are at least acceptable - there's plenty of parking at both, reasonable investments in security, and despite the desperate need for better accessibility at Ballarat, Wendouree has a brand new overpass with lifts and a master plan on the way to make the most of the site.
The current bus network, while crying out for a review, is oriented around getting people from across the city direct to Ballarat station.
But what if we had a third station, further west from Wendouree, amid booming Lucas?
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Wendouree only opened in 2009, and the city is unrecognisable compared to that time - particularly in terms of land prices.
In fact, the branching Skipton rail line, which loops south through Cardigan and what's now Lucas, only closed for good in 1989.
The City of Ballarat has considered the idea for new stations - last year's Integrated Transport Plan called for more focus on "activity centres" like BWEZ, Delacombe Town Centre, and Mars Stadium, and to explore creating "transit hubs".
There's also a suggestion for a potential future "transit hub" in Mount Rowan, one of two growth zones identified by council, and conveniently already on the Maryborough line.
Mayor Daniel Moloney said this week a third station is "not such a silly idea", particularly given the rate at which Ballarat is growing - eight houses a day were approved in March.
"We want to clearly understand where train stations three, four, and five are going to go in the next 10 years," he said.
"It's such an anomaly that Ballarat just has two train stations, versus Bendigo with five and I think eight in Geelong, Corio to Armstrong Creek.
"We're seeing a big growth in the west and the north, and that's where the train lines already go - anyone would think we'd planned the thing."
Thinking about where to put new stations is not new to the Public Transport Users Association's Ballarat convenor Ben Lever.
He said Geelong and Bendigo had built themselves along the "spine" of a rail corridor, while Ballarat's growth "ballooned" to the south.
"We need to remember it's not just about having the stations, the services have to be there to support them - Geelong's railways are fairly useful for intra-town travel because it's just one line with a decent frequency, but Bendigo's are basically useless for intra-town travel because the frequencies are too low on both branches," he said.
"(Ballarat) council and the state government should definitely be thinking ahead to plan out future stations for Ballarat, and a "west of BWEZ" option could definitely have potential in the short term.
READ MORE: What is the Integrated Transport Plan?
"It would be crucial to get the land-use planning right as well - planning where the station would go, and ideally getting a commitment from state government to build it, then planning for higher densities of mixed-use residential and commercial property around the station site, rather than surrounding it with the same kind of low-density detached houses we see in other new developments."
He said another station for Mount Rowan, and even in-fill stations within the city, should also be considered, including one potentially in Ballarat East and at Mars Stadium.
"f we have more stations along the Ararat line, the trains that currently go to Wendouree can just have an extra stop or two, but if we start putting stations on the Maryborough line, it means that half the trains arriving at Ballarat will go one way, and half will go the other - meaning a lower frequency for both lines," he said.
"Hopefully in the future the trains will be frequent enough that this doesn't matter as much, so it makes sense to start planning, but it's probably a longer-term ambition.
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Despite the urgency, there are no plans for any new station in Ballarat yet, the Department of Transport confirmed.
"I'm aware of the 10 million additional boardings that V/Line has had through our major city centres like Ballarat, Bendigo, and Geelong," Public Transport Minister Ben Carroll said on Friday.
"It's continually something we look at, we'll continue to make investments, and continue to focus on making sure we get every dividend we can from our regional rail network."
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