Survey of commuters backs airport rail that delivers journeys within 20 minutes
Victorians want a 20-minute train trip from Melbourne Airport to the CBD, but will they get it? The federal and state governments are both invested in the project, but disagree over one key issue.
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Victorians want an airport rail line that gets them to the city in 20 minutes, with data showing more than three quarters of people favour a link focused on speed and regular services.
A survey of more than 2700 people by the Tourism and Transport Forum (TTF) found 82 per cent of commuters wanted a dedicated line that would stop once at Sunshine and depart every 10 minutes.
It comes as Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Premier Daniel Andrews are still negotiating a final decision on how the $8 to $13 billion project will look.
The federal and state governments are understood to be at odds over whether a new tunnel is needed between Sunshine and the CBD, with Victorian authorities pushing to use current tracks above the ground.
But passengers would potentially have to change trains before arriving in the CBD without the underground option.
TTF chief executive Margy Osmond said the survey showed Victorians had a clear idea of how they wanted to use the rail line.
“The long-awaited rail link must be a dedicated service for those travelling to and from Melbourne Airport (and) not be part of the suburban rail network which is already at capacity and subject to delays across the commuter network,” she said.
“If it is to be successful and help to solve increased congestion between Tullamarine and the CBD the rail link needs to provide a faster service than current road transport options currently available, frequently depart, be easily accessible and make the commute a good experience for both business and leisure travellers.”
Of those surveyed, nine in 10 respondents also believed the rail link needed to improve journey times between the airport and regional Victoria.
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Ms Osmond said the project should be comparable to similar routes around the world.
“As Melbourne’s status as a global tourism destination continues to grow, this is such an important opportunity to show the city is truly world-class,” she said.
A government spokeswoman said:
“We had a productive discussion yesterday and continue to work closely with the federal government on the best design for Airport Rail.”