Andrews government denies promising new Melton, Wyndham Vale train lines

The Andrews government has denied promising two new train lines in Melbourne’s west, saying “commitments are always evolving over time”.

The Andrews government has sidestepped questions over plans to axe new train lines in Melbourne’s west, with one minister now denying they’ll be scrapped and another saying the election promise had simply “evolved”.

Commuters in the west were dealt a bitter blow on Wednesday following reports the Andrews government’s promise to build two more train lines in the area had been axed.

Under the government’s proposed “Western Rail Plan” which was revealed before the 2018 election, two new electrified lines to Melton and Wyndham Vale were to be introduced.

These lines would have serviced some of the west’s most booming suburbs, including Cobblebank, Caroline Springs, Deer Park and Tarneit.

Currently, the closest train services available for residents in these areas are diesel-powered V-line services with most stations typically overcrowded or running on an irregular timetable.

The promise to expand the tracks would have brought much-needed relief to commuters, while preventing delays and congestion on the network.

Commuters in Melbourne’s west will not see tracks expanded on the network in their area after the proposal was squashed. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

But now this long-awaited expansion of the network in these areas appears to be off the cards.

Instead, revised plans suggest metropolitan trains will be rolled out on to the existing Regional Rail Link.

However, Public Transport Minister Ben Carroll on Wednesday said the government had allocated $650m to “get more trains on the Melton lines and bigger trains” but had not pledged to deliver the electrified lines.

“They are getting the types of trains that were promised before the election,” he said.

“We made very clear that we were going to make the Melton line level crossing free, that we were going to put new trains on the Melton line and that is what the recent state budget did.”

Deputy Premier Jacinta Allan, however, said the electrified train lines would go ahead, calling the reports “incorrect”.

“Those documents are internal working documents and do not reflect any government decision,” she said.

“The electrification work comes as a consequence of other series of investments. You can’t just turn on the electrification of a network,” she said.

“We need to remove level crossings along that corridor before we can move to electrification.”

The Deputy Premier couldn’t say when Victorians living in the west could expect to see the electrified rail lines delivered.

In 2019, the government confirmed the two new electrified metro lines to Melton and Wyndham Vale would be rolled out.

But at last year’s election, the Premier couldn’t say when the two train lines would be electrified.

Public Transport Minister Ben Carroll says the government had not pledged to deliver the electrified lines. Picture: Ian Currie

“We promised to undertake a massive transformation of rail services throughout the west and that has to be done in stages,” he said in the lead up to the 2022 election.

Mr Carroll said the shifted commitment was “the right investment”, denying that the government was neglecting the west as it focused on delivering the Suburban Rail Loop.

“Commitments are always evolving over time,” he said.

“We’re getting on with the job of ensuring that Melbourne’s western suburbs — but literally all of our suburbs — are getting the public transport needs and requirements that they deserve.”

John Hearsch, President of Rail Futures Institute, responded to Mr Carroll’s claims plans were evolving by arguing the government’s new proposal is a “bandaid fix”.

“It’s not a solution, it will buy them some time, but it’s not the right fix for what these people need and it certainly won’t satisfy them,” he told the Herald Sun.

Mr Hearsch added commuters in the west have no public transport alternative to using cars, with increasing population causing congestion on the roads.

“That congestion is just gonna get worse. It’s not it’s not the way of the future, quite apart from the environmental aspects,” he said.

“The government’s got to face up and have got it bite the bullet … it will take 10 years to build all this so the sooner they decide to do it and get on with it, the better.”

While the news comes as a disappointment to locals in Melton, Dr Ian Birchall, who ran as an independent candidate for Melton in last year’s election, said if the lines were to be axed he would be “shocked, but not surprised”.

“They’ve never delivered anything they promised out here in Melton and we’re used to it,” he told ABC Radio.

“We still don’t have a tafe, a university, a hospital or an electrified rail line so things aren’t happening out here, they’re delegating us to being a third world suburb and it’s just not fair.”

Dr Birchall argued “all the (government’s funding) is going to the other side of town”.

“(The government) have no priorities that look after their loyal constituents that voted Labor for over the last 30 years out here. What do we get for loyalty? Nothing,” he said.

“(Melton is) fast filling up and if we don’t have the infrastructure it’s going to be horrible.”

The Cobblebank community near Melton is one of the stations that will be impacted by the plans being axed. Picture: David Crosling

Meanwhile, Daniel Bowen, campaigner and spokesperson for the Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) said it was disappointing to hear plans for additional rail capacity in the outer west have been put on hold.

“Currently passengers from fast growing areas such as Wyndham Vale and Melton have to rely on crowded V/Line services, which can’t cope with demand,” he told the Herald Sun.

“The lack of extra tracks also means that passengers coming in from Geelong and Ballarat will continue to get a slow run behind stopping services.

“We urge the government to ensure that Melbourne’s west has access to the fast, frequent, reliable public transport services they need as the population continues to grow.”

Deputy Liberal Leader David Southwick also responded to the news and slammed the government for leaving west Melburnians with “overcrowded and infrequent” transportation.

“Melbourne’s west has been neglected by this decade old Andrews Government, always sold candy at an election, before it is snatched away immediately after,” he said.

Dr Ian Birchall said the Andrews government’s funding is going to “the other side of town”. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

“The combined population of the Wyndham and Melton local government areas has grown 70 per cent over the decade to 2022 and is forecast to grow another 50 per cent by 2036.

“The Western Rail Plan was vital in unblocking the bottleneck at Sunshine and freeing up capacity for faster and more frequent regional and suburban trains.”

The news comes as frustrated commuters living in the Western Suburbs had to put up with weeks of delays and bus replacements after the train network shut to undergo track works in recent months.

Meanwhile, West Gate Tunnel works meant coaches had to replace peak-hour trains at Wyndham Vale and Tarneit lines on weekdays between July 10 and July 21. These bus replacements occurred again on Monday and will continue until August 11.