COMMUTERS will have to wait up to 10 years before works begin to alleviate stress on the Ballarat train line from Melton, a new report reveals.
Public Transport Victoria released its Network Development Plan: Metropolitan Rail last week, outlining transport projects needed to expand capacity.
Key projects include duplication of the rail line to Melton, to be implemented within 10 years, and electrification to Melton within 15 years.
Melton Labor MP Don Nardella labelled the report as “nonsense” and said work needed to start immediately. “This is an appalling back-track on the position we had in government in 2010. We had duplication earmarked for 2016,” he said.
“We are in the fastest growing region in Australia and we’ve got to wait 15 years. It was [the state government’s] decision to put more people out here as a growth area.”
Melton commuter Adam Craig, who catches the train into the city five days as week, said it was a shame work would not be carried out sooner.
“It’s a bit disappointing that [the government] is not willing to invest in the infrastructure sooner. They keep advertising more and more residential blocks out here so there’s more and more people who need to utilise the services,” he said.
The report states that population growth, road congestion, petrol price rises and environmental awareness have contributed to more people using public transport.
It found a 70 per cent growth in train patronage in the past decade, stretching the capacity of the network.
“Public Transport Victoria has examined how travel needs are likely to change as Melbourne grows and how the demand for train travel will evolve,” the organisation’s chief executive Ian Dobbs said.
“We have examined alternative ways of expanding the network to meet these needs and identified the most cost-effective way forward.”
