Wednesday, 17 August 2022

Metro Tunnel

Ms CONNOLLY (Tarneit) (19:17): (6495) My adjournment is for the Minister for Transport Infrastructure, and the action that I seek is that the minister update me on our government’s outstanding Metro Tunnel project. As the minister knows, the Metro Tunnel project is going to drastically transform the way trains move around Melbourne, especially in Melbourne’s west. With five new underground stations between South Kensington and South Yarra stations, this project will have a trove of benefits for commuters in Melbourne’s west, including those folks in the Tarneit electorate who commute to the city on the Werribee line as well as the V/Line services on the Wyndham Vale line.

This means that by 2025 an additional 63 000 passengers will be able to get on the Werribee and Williamstown lines every single week during peak periods. That is a 24 per cent increase to our peak-hour capacity. It is up to 10 minutes off a journey to Parkville and 5 minutes off a journey to St Kilda Road for commuters heading to work in the city, and what is more, if someone needs to access the Metro Tunnel from an existing line, they can just swap between Flinders Street station or Melbourne Central to access the new Town Hall and State Library stations that are currently under construction. This project is an absolute game changer for all on our network, and I cannot wait to see it open in 2025. That is why I know commuters in Tarneit would greatly appreciate an update from the minister on this very, very important infrastructure project.