The Australian Government provided AUD 700 million (USD 498 million) million to deliver Stages 2 and 3 of South Geelong – Waurn Ponds rail upgrade in Victoria, bringing its total commitment to AUD 750 million (USD 533 million).
Stage 2 will duplicate 12.6 km of track from South Geelong to Waurn Ponds, boosting capacity to allow more frequent services.
For the Stage 3, involving the works to increase capacity on the 422-metre-long South Geelong tunnel, the final costs will be determined by the business case.
The project also includes signalling upgrades between Geelong and Waurn Ponds and upgrades at South Geelong, Marshall and Waurn Ponds stations.
“Better rail services for the region are crucial for greater access to jobs, education and other services in the Melbourne CBD, as well as affordable housing,” Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Michael McCormack, said.
This vital improvement compliments government earlier commitment to improve rail services tin the Geelong region through an AUD 2 billion (USD 1.4 billion) commitment for fast rail between Melbourne and Geelong. The project will bring fast rail to life between Geelong and Melbourne, cutting the 80-km journey in half to 32 minutes.
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