Rowville Rail to be built, but division remains on whether trains or trams

WOULD you prefer to catch a tram or train to the outer eastern suburb of Rowville? Two levels of government want some mode of transport to the suburb, but nothing has been locked in.

WOULD you prefer to catch a tram or train to the outer eastern suburb of Rowville? Two levels of government want some mode of transport to the suburb, but nothing has been locked in.

ROWVILLE RAIL AGE-OLD SOLUTION FOR AGE-OLD PROBLEM

‘CONNECT THE DOTS’ CAMPAIGN FOR ROWVILLE RAIL

Mick Van de Vreede, long time Rowville Rail campaigner, and Shing Hei Ho, documentary filmmaker. Picture: Steve Tanner

But Aston federal Liberal MP Alan Tudge said political jostling meant there was not yet consensus between State and Federal Governments on whether it would be heavy or light rail.

Mr Tudge told a Rowville community forum his preference was for a train line.

The Federal Government announced in its May budget it would allocate $475 million on planning and pre-construction work.

“That won’t necessarily build the whole lot in heavy rail but it is the first massive instalment to actually start to get the work done,” Mr Tudge told the forum.

“That creates momentum, which hopefully will be unstoppable.”

He said the next step was working out designs in a process that will be led by the State Government.

“We’re advocating very strongly from a federal level for heavy rail, although we acknowledge it’s the more expensive option.”

The State Government will spend $3 million on designs of a tram route linking Caulfield railway station to Monash University’s Clayton campus, with stage two extending to Rowville.

Hayley Best, spokeswoman for Transport Minister Jacinta Allan, said the State Government welcomed the federal funding and would work together “on options going forward”.

But she confirmed their plan was for trams.

“We are planning a new tram route to enable people to travel more efficiently and effectively between Caulfield and Rowville, with connections to key education, employment and retail precincts,” she said.

The State Government said their advice was that building a train line would cost billions of dollars and patronage would not justify the expense for many years.

Transport planner William McDougall, who put together the 2012 Rowville Rail feasibility study for the State Government, recently described the State Government’s tram plan as “inferior” to heavy rail and “a bit of a cop out”.

He said the long-term cost-benefit analysis of heavy rail needed to be considered.