Thursday, 15 August 2019

In reply to  Ms VAGHELA (Western Metropolitan) (19 June 2019)

Ms ALLAN (Bendigo East—Leader of the House, Minister for Transport Infrastructure):

I thank the Member for Western Metropolitan for raising the constituency question on the transformative impact the Western Rail Plan will have on those living within the Western Metropolitan region.

Building on the success of the Regional Rail Link project, the Andrews Labor Government has committed $100 million to support detailed planning for the Western Rail Plan in the 2019- 20 state budget.

Melton, Wyndham Vale and suburbs along these rail corridors are among Melbourne’s fastest growing suburbs. These areas are currently only served by V/Line services, creating a significant pressure point on Victoria’s public transport system with metropolitan and regional customers sharing services.

As part of the Western Rail Plan, the Andrews Labor Government will create two new electrified metro lines to Melton and Wyndham Vale. These works will give these communities frequent high-capacity services on the metro network, relieving pressure on one of Melbourne’s biggest transport bottlenecks and returning regional rail lines to regional passengers.

Extensive planning and design development work for the electrifications is currently underway, with a range of site investigations and technical studies being undertaken to better understand existing conditions along the rail corridors to Melton and Wyndham Vale.

All operational requirements, including journey times and future service patterns are being investigated as part of these technical studies.

The Andrews Labor Government is fully committed to meeting Melbourne’s transport needs and delivering reliable, fast and safe public transport services for Victoria’s future.