Victorian Government announced that under its 2017/18 budget, AUD 1.45 billion (USD 1 billion) will be delivered for the Regional Rail Revival package for major upgrades across regional Victoria.
The Regional Rail Revival package includes AUD 435 million (USD 328 million) for Gippsland Line upgrade, which will create a more frequent and reliable Gippsland Line and create hundreds of new jobs.
AUD 110 million will be invested for the Surf Coast rail upgrade, including work towards track duplication at Waurn Ponds, and reserving land for a new spur line to Torquay.
The Warrnambool Line will benefit from AUD 100 million in upgrades to run more services, and AUD 91 million will benefit passengers in Bendigo and Echuca with faster trains, an extra daily service to Echuca, and delivery of Bendigo Metro Stage 2.
More upgrades will also take place on the Ballarat Line to Ararat, the Avon River Bridge on the Gippsland Line, and the North East Line, where we will start work to run new trains.
This massive package on major lines across Victoria will be funded from Victoria’s full AUD 1.46 billion entitlement under the agreement on Asset Recycling signed by the Commonwealth Government in 2014.
On top of the Regional Rail Revival package, USD 32.8 million in this year’s budget will build new stabling and an extra passing loop to run more trains to Shepparton from 2020, and run extra coach services in the meantime.
To give regional Victoria the best trains, the Budget provides USD 234.5 million for 39 new VLocity carriages, building on the 48 we’ve already funded – all of them built in Victoria. This investment will also fund a major re-design of VLocity trains, to enable them to run on long-haul services, including on the North East Line.
The Budget includes USD 9.4 million to refurbish V/Line’s classic train fleet, to ensure they remain safe, reliable and comfortable for passengers.
To improve reliability of the whole network, USD 238.5 million will go to replacing sleepers, fixing tracks and delivering the nuts-and-bolts work needed to keep the system working properly.
Almost USD 7.5 million will fund the package of level crossing upgrades already underway on the Warrnambool Line to boost safety and restore services to timetable following the horror crash at Pirron Yallock in July last year.
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