By Patrick Hatch and Adam Carey
Extending the suburban rail network to Melton needs to be done in the next five years to alleviate overcrowded V/Line trains in Melbourne’s fast-growing outer western suburbs, the state’s infrastructure adviser says.
Infrastructure Victoria says there is no engineering reason why electrification of the line to Melton, and construction of two stations at Thornhill Park and Mount Atkinson, cannot start at the same time as upgrades around Sunshine.
Commuters at Rockbank station on the Melton line, which is still served by overcrowded V/Line trains. Credit: Jason South
But the Allan government confirmed last month that it would wait until about 2030 to turn its attention to Melton, after extensive work to separate tracks around Sunshine had been completed in preparation for the airport rail project.
Infrastructure Victoria chief executive Jonathan Spear said the project should be a top priority.
“[We] would certainly be keen on the Melton electrification being delivered as soon as possible,” he said.
“There is going to be a fair bit of disruption anyway while some of the Sunshine work is done. So while it is disrupted, some work on the other lines like Melton could be started as well.”
The Andrews government promised before the 2018 election that it would electrify the train lines to Melton and Wyndham Vale, which both still rely on regional V/Line trains despite serving the fastest-growing urban corridor in Australia, forecast to be home to 1.8 million people by 2050.
Despite the pledge, the state Labor government has not confirmed a timeline for delivering larger, more frequent Metro trains to Melton, while Wyndham Vale appears to have been put on hold indefinitely.
A $650 million package of works starting next month along the Melton line will extend platforms at Cobblebank, Rockbank, Caroline Springs and Deer Park stations to enable the operation of nine-carriage V/Line trains, rather than the current six-carriage trains, providing a 50 per cent boost to passenger capacity by 2027.
Infrastructure Victoria’s call to bring forward the electrification works is contained in its second 30-year strategy document, released on Tuesday, and is intended to guide the state’s major investment decisions between now and 2055.
The independent advisory body says the Melton project should include an additional set of tracks between Sunshine and Caroline Springs to separate the new Metro services from V/Line trains, allowing faster journeys into the city from Geelong, Ballarat and Wyndham Vale.
Infrastructure Victoria has called for millions to be spent on social housing.Credit: Eamon Gallagher
Infrastructure Victoria estimates the Melton electrification would cost up to $5.5 billion and return benefits of up to $1.70 for every dollar spent.
If completed by 2031, the upgrade would result in 14,600 extra public transport trips and 16,800 fewer car trips every weekday, significantly reducing traffic congestion on the Western Freeway, Melton Highway and Mount Cottrell Road.
A spokesperson for Transport Infrastructure Minister Gabrielle Williams said the $650 million investment to operate longer V/Line trains from 2027 would ensure “capacity is delivered as soon as possible while preparing the line for electrification”.
The strategy also calls on the government to invest up to $19.5 billion building 60,000 homes to tackle the state’s social housing shortage.
Victoria has less social housing per person than any other state or territory in Australia, with more than 55,000 households on the waiting list by last March. Those in the most urgent need have to wait more than 19 months for a home.
Infrastructure Victoria has urged the government to build 3000 homes a year, increasing to 6000 a year, over the next 15 years.
It is the highest-cost recommendation in the advisory body’s strategy and assumes homes could be built on land owned by the state, local government or not-for profit housing providers.
The 15-year program could cost between $6 billion and $9.5 billion extra if the government has to buy land.
But without government investment, rates of homelessness and financial hardship will worsen, Infrastructure Victoria warns. Social housing makes up just 2.8 per cent of housing stock in Victoria, well below the national average of 4 per cent.
“The 15-year program will reduce homelessness and housing stress in Victoria, but it will not end it,” the strategy says. “The government will need to keep investing in social housing. It can create a longer-term pipeline to continue to grow the number of social homes over time.”
Committing to a long-term social housing construction program would give certainty to Homes Victoria and registered housing providers to secure land, develop supply chains and find workers. Costs could be reduced by building homes from prefabricated parts and modular construction.
The report also includes a new assessment of a proposed network of cycling corridors Infrastructure Victoria says would encourage people to swap cars for bicycles on short journeys.
The strategy calls for an investment of up to $620 million over five years, and finds that every dollar spent would return up to $4 in benefits by reducing traffic congestion, public transport crowding, emissions and accidents, and improving health outcomes.
“Cities around the world show when you invest in walking and cycling infrastructure, people choose to walk or take a bike,” Spear said. “Many Victorians would like to ride, but they do not because they are worried about safety.”
Infrastructure Victoria has also called for the Upfield line in Melbourne’s north to be upgraded within the next five years to utilise extra capacity created by the Metro Tunnel. Upfield trains run only every 15 minutes but duplicating a section of track could make them twice as frequent.
Eight level crossings are set to be removed along the line in Brunswick by 2030, and the strategy says the other Upfield upgrades should be done at the same time to reduce passenger disruptions.
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