Article: Under-city rail plan to cut Melbourne congestion

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Under-city rail plan to cut Melbourne congestion

Under-city rail plan to cut Melbourne congestion
Article from: Herald Sun

Stephen McMahon

September 09, 2009 12:00am

COMMUTERS sick of chronic overcrowding can look forward to a new underground rail service tipped to slash congestion on north and western lines.

It will come with a $100 million underground station at Parkville to service the hospital and university sector.

The new service will link Flinders St station with Melbourne Central and on to Parkville before joining up with the Footscray line.

The link will allow an additional 14 trains every hour on the Craigieburn, Sunbury, Werribee, Williamstown and Upfield lines -- the equivalent of 12,000 seats.

The line is a key part of the $4.5 billion extension of the city's underground train network, set to revolutionise the way people move around.

Premier John Brumby will unveil plans for the new line and station as part of the $38 billion Victorian Transport Plan.

It will be the first new underground line in Melbourne since the completion of the city loop almost 25 years ago.

Mr Brumby said the service would allow thousands more passengers on the suburban rail network, and shape the future growth of the CBD and inner Melbourne.

"We are building a better transport system so people can spend more time with family and less time commuting," Mr Brumby said.

The service will provide direct rail access to Melbourne University and the nearby Women's Hospital and the Royal Children's Hospital.

Mr Brumby said the Parkville station would also provide a seamless link from the inner west to the St Kilda Road precinct.

The Parkville station will also serve as an interchange point for trains, trams and buses in the inner-northern suburbs.

Soil and engineering testing works are expected to start before the end of the year, but construction is not due to start until 2012.

Transport Minister Lynne Kosky said: "We are now starting the first stage of what will be a massive infrastructure project, which will create thousands of jobs and shape the growth of inner Melbourne."