Victoria - Freight

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> Victorian government outlines rail modernisation plans

The Victorian government has outlined a plan to modernise and boost the freight carrying capacity of rail infrastructure in the state's west.

The Murray Basin Rail Project will cost up to 220 million dollars and will involve replacing hundreds of kilometres of outmoded broad gauge tracks.

A new standard gauge railway line from Mildura to Geelong is expected to be complete by 2018.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/victorian-government-outlines-rail-modernisation-plans-20140503-zr3x1.html

[ozbob]

ABC Mildura Swan Hill --> Coalition commits to standardising rail network

Coalition commits to standardising rail network

The Murray Basin Rail Project will convert existing broad gauge tracks to a standard gauge, bringing rail networks in Victoria's west into line with key freight networks across the country.

Construction on the project is expected to be completed by 2018; $41 million dollars in rail maintenance will be spent in the project's first stage for ageing tracks from Mildura to Maryborough and from Hopetoun to Murtoa.

The Member for Mildura, Peter Crisp says he's been working to upgrade Mildura's rail network since he came to Parliament.

"And today we are now able to deliver to the people of Mildura and to the northern Mallee a rail standardisation program, which is probably the biggest that's been done since the Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide standard gauge rail was done many years ago - probably a generation ago," he says.

220-million dollars has been put aside for the Murray Basin Rail Project and it's expected the upgrades will pave the way for further linkages between Mildura and Menindee to connect Victoria to the Perth interstate rail line.

Mr Crisp says it's hoped a business case for the project will be finalised by the end of the year.

"But the government has made a decision to standardise the Mildura line, something that no other government has been able to do or willing to do, and that's something that we the Coalition have been able to achieve, but the business case will go through the detail of how that's going to be done."
Standardisation to 'drought-proof' Mildura

A key architect behind the plan to standardise Mildura's rail line says the upgrade will transform the region completely.

Solicitor John Irwin has campaigned for a standard-gauge rail link between Mildura and the transcontinental railway at Menindee for over 15 years.

"What it means is, you then become a major distribution centre," he says.

"For your Woolworths, for your Coles, I think it's 83 per cent of every Australian can be reached within 24 hours of Mildura by rail, which no other city in Australia can boast.

"So we become a major major centre here for distribution."

He says the says the upgrade paves the way for the region to become a freight hub, enabling the interstate networks to eventually join up.

"People probably don't understand the significance of it, but this will now totally drought-proof Mildura.

"It will make it one of the three great railway hubs in Australia behind Gundiwindi and Wagga, it is just very very exciting news for the whole of Mildura," he says.
ABC Mildura Swan Hill --> Paving the way for a passenger train?

The Victorian Government says the plan to standardise Mildura's rail network opens the way for the return of the passenger train, although there is no formal committment on their part to do this.

But Mr Crisp says the standard gauge has always been a pre-requisite to getting a passenger train to return to the region.

"A sustainable passenger train service for Mildura is one that is on a successful freight line, and a successful freight line is a standardised line," he says.

"So, by doing this we are making sure that we keep passenger [rail] open as an option for the future of Mildura."