#vicvotes 2018 - rail

[ozbob]

Herald Sun --> Major parties on track to promise more than $90 billion in rail upgrades ahead of election

MORE than $90 billion worth of rail upgrades have been pledged by Victoria's political parties — and there's more to come.

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy visited Geelong and Ballarat on Wednesday to spruik his $19 billion plan to bring 200kmh trains to regional cities.
As revealed by the Herald Sun, the ambitious promise would see train travel times slashed to 32 minutes on some services between Geelong and Melbourne.

But the Andrews Government said voters could not trust the opposition's promise, given it had failed to deliver on projects like Doncaster rail when last in power.

Questions have been raised about how quickly 35km of metropolitan tracks between Sunshine and Wyndham Vale could be replaced, in order to speed up trains to Geelong and reach the travel times promised by Mr Guy.

But the Opposition Leader said the program would be delivered if he wins the election, and that Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg had expressed interest in contributing to the scheme.

This would help reduce the state cost of the proposal, which comes on top of tens of billions of other rail infrastructure promises made by the major parties.

Once Labor's promise to kickstart a $50 billion suburban rail loop if re-elected is included, there is more than $90 billion of projects on the table.

Premier Daniel Andrews said Mr Guy's plans were "irrelevant" to his agenda and regional rail lines were already being upgraded — through a $1.75 billion partnership with the Commonwealth.

He also suggested the rail spendathon wasn't over yet, even though Labor has a long list of ongoing projects.
"We will add to that list, both in terms of regional rail and many other projects, between now and November 24," he said.

Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allan said if the election was a referendum on infrastructure delivery and agendas then "bring it on".

Ms Allan said the lack of detail in Mr Guy's plan meant it was already "unravelling before our eyes".

Infrastructure Partnerships Australia chief executive Adrian Dwyer said the project was a "bold agenda" but said we should be "cautious about how quickly trains can be on the tracks".

"Attention will need to turn to the detailed planning and funding arrangements for the regional rail network plan," Mr Dwyer said.

Infrastructure Victoria was not consulted on the Opposition's plan but said in a statement that its role was to advise on projects at the request of the "government of the day".

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> Rail cash splash will drive state election

Whoever crosses the premiership finishing line first in the knife-edge state election next month may well be the leader most able to convince voters he can deliver on monumental promises about rail lines. ALP Premier Daniel Andrews and Liberal Opposition Leader Matthew Guy are in an unprecedented $100 billion bidding war, the latest element of which is Mr Guy's $19 billion, 10-year plan to rebuild Victoria's regional network. It promises to almost halve some travel times in an effort to take pressure off Melbourne, which has hit 5 million residents and is forecast to grow to 8 million by the middle of the century.

Mr Andrews and Mr Guy are acutely aware that upgrading transport, particularly rail, is key, rather than emulating the populist clamp on population and thus economic growth the former NSW ALP government under Bob Carr misguidedly imposed to alleviate Sydney's growing pains. Relieving traffic congestion, the biggest brake on the state's economy, and encouraging regional development, are central to dealing with the pressures caused by the surging population of Melbourne, one of the world's most rapidly expanding metropolises.
Such a massive infrastructure investment program is necessary, but fraught - given the history of unmet transport infrastructure commitments by governments of both hues. The rail link to Tullamarine, which looks like it will finally be built in coming years, was, for example, first proposed in 1958 and became a perennial proxy for political cynicism and ineptness.

Mr Guy's proposal is welcome. His vision to stimulate the regions is a formidable and creative response to not only Melbourne's growing pains, but to the unsustainable imbalance in the Victorian economy.

In recent times, the capital has accounted for pretty much all of Victoria's economic growth, 40 per cent of it generated within 10 kms of the CBD; the output of some regions grew, that of others shrank and the net result was zero.

Mr Andrews' earlier announcement of a $50 billion rail loop for outer Melbourne, to be built over 30 years, is also welcome. But in both cases, it is crucial that the public can have confidence that proper planning and due diligence have been done – or will be completed – before such huge sums, ultimately to be carried by taxpayers, are committed.

Mr Guy's fresh proposal does not yet appear to meet this requirement. The plans lack financial and engineering detail. It is also not clear if faster rail alone will be sufficient to attract people to regional cities and towns. If not, the result may be that such places will become dormitories for city commuters.

None of this should be an impediment to implementing the regional rail vision. But, without proper process, the policy risks lacking the credibility needed to get Mr Guy across the line ahead of a premier who is establishing a track record of delivering infrastructure projects. Either way, Victorians should be pleased to know both sides are focused on the top priority, driven by a bipartisan understanding that the best way to manage population growth is to invest in the infrastructure necessary to facilitate the economic growth on which we all depend.

[ozbob]

Herald Sun --> Labor and the Coalition go head-to-head on regional fast train plans ahead of November election


The government's train plan, including fast rail, Sunshine super hub and suburban rail loop. Picture: Supplied

VICTORIA'S major parties have accused each other of promising half-baked fast train projects, amid a fight over regional rail.

The Andrews Government today hit back at the Opposition's $16 billion promise of fast trains to Geelong, and later regional cities across the state.

Labor promised $100 million, if re-elected in November, to plan the separation of regional and metro line west of Melbourne, arguing fast trains could not run without dedicated tracks.

Under its plan, Wyndham Vale and Melton would be taken off the regional network and added to metro lines via new electrified rail.

They would connect to a super station at Sunshine, which would also be linked to airport rail and Labor's promised $50 billion suburban loop.

A tunnel between Sunshine and the CBD would be considered as part of the overhaul.

Construction on the government's plan would begin in 2022 — the same year the Opposition has promised to have fast trains running to Geelong.

Premier Daniel Andrews suggested the opposition's plan "some sort of magic wand proposal".

"That is not a plan, that is a con," he said.

"If you try to run regional fast rail and metro services on the same track, you just can't do it."

The government was today attempting to leverage its work on the Melbourne Metro Tunnel and level crossing removals to claim only it could overhaul the network.

But the Coalition labelled the government's plan "farce rail".

Opposition public transport spokesman David Davis said while electrification to Wyndham Vale and Melton should happen longer-term, it should not hold up the delivery of regional fast rail.

He said the Coalition was confident it could "get a line out (of the CBD) to do what we need", and was considering a number of options including a tunnel to Sunshine.

"It could not be more stark: the choice is between Daniel Andrews' plan for a plan or our plan, which is to get on and build," Mr Davis said.

"We will have fast trains to Geelong in the first term. We will do the whole thing quicker."

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> Leaked rail plan shows few extra services for regional commuters

Most of Victoria's biggest regional cities could see no more than three trains an hour in future, even after promised multibillion-dollar upgrades to the state's rail network have been delivered.

A leaked long-term rail plan for Victoria, developed by the Andrews government's lead transport planning authority, Transport for Victoria, suggests the cities of Ballarat, Bendigo, Traralgon and Seymour would be serviced by a train every 20 minutes at best in future years.

Geelong would be serviced by six trains an hour, or one every 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, most suburban lines will receive a major boost to frequencies, sometimes more than double current service levels, in the years after the Metro rail tunnel opens in 2025, if the plan materialises.

Both sides of politics have pitched major regional rail upgrades to woo voters ahead of the November 24 election, and to promote regional population growth as a way to ease Melbourne's growing pains.

The Andrews government announced plans on Tuesday to link Geelong and Ballarat to Melbourne via fast trains running at speeds of up to 250 km/h, with work beginning in 2022 and taking a decade to complete.

It followed a Coalition promise earlier this month to slash rail travel times between Melbourne and Geelong from 58 to 32 minutes within four years, with travel times to every other regional city to be cut within about 10 years.

But Transport for Victoria's leaked six-stage plan proposes only modest boosts to current service frequencies.

At peak periods, there are two services an hour to Melbourne from Ballarat and Bendigo.

David Davis, the Coalition's public transport spokesman, said the plan revealed regional commuters could again be made to wait in line behind Melbourne commuters for service improvements.

"You need quality connections to country Victoria now and you need to get on with it," Mr Davis said.

"I'm in no way diminishing the importance of those city projects in the long run, but country Victorians should not be forced to wait in line, begging."

Other key aspects of TfV's "Victorian Rail Plan" include:

    A new tunnel to Chadstone, in stage six. The Cranbourne line would branch off from the congested Dandenong rail corridor at Caulfield, run underground to Chadstone, then rejoin the Dandenong corridor at Huntingdale station.
    Altona and Williamstown services would be separated from the Werribee line in stage four. The Werribee line would be connected to Southern Cross Station and Flagstaff via a new tunnel beneath Fishermans Bend.
    The Craigieburn and Frankston lines would no longer run via Flinders Street or Southern Cross stations, requiring many passengers to switch trains at Flinders Street or Southern Cross.
    The Upfield and Glen Waverley lines would be cut from the City Loop, requiring passengers to switch trains at Flinders Street or Southern Cross stations. These changes would be made at stage three, shortly after the Metro rail tunnel opens, to free up capacity in the loop for other lines.
    Warrnambool line passengers would be required to change trains at Geelong, as part of stage five.

Transport for Victoria's plan also reveals that as recently as mid-August, state transport planners had yet to work out how to link Melbourne Airport to Southern Cross Station without cutting services to the western suburbs, such is the level of congestion on those lines.

The government said on Tuesday it was now considering building a tunnel between Southern Cross Station and Sunshine to connect to the airport.

A government spokeswoman said the Victorian Rail Plan was an internal working document, not government policy.

"Transport for Victoria conduct a range of modelling on potential works that could get Victorians home safer and sooner," the spokeswoman said.

The Andrews government launched Transport for Victoria in late 2016 as the central authority to plan for the future of Victoria's transport system, but locked it out of any role in planning the $50 billion suburban rail loop.

But Daniel Bowen, Public Transport Users Association spokesman, said the authority's plan made a lot of sense.

"The continued morphing of Melbourne's suburban rail network into a metro system, with dedicated lines, is just what is needed as the city continues to grow," he said.

But he criticised Victorian politicians' habit of announcing big-picture rail upgrades like the suburban rail loop and high-speed services in isolation from the transport planning bureaucracy.

"Presumably straight after the election, the bureaucrats will be hurriedly revising their plans to take into account the plans of whichever party wins on November 24th," Mr Bowen said.

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https://twitter.com/andrew_lund/status/1053794611225780224

https://twitter.com/andrew_lund/status/1053796329766305792

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https://twitter.com/skateanderson/status/1053800661232414720

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https://twitter.com/DanielAndrewsMP/status/1053834425731956736

[#Metro]

Wow, where did Daniel get the catchy music from!   

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https://twitter.com/TimnaJacks/status/1054903423093530624

[ozbob]

Herald Sun --> Victorian state election 2018: Morrison Government backs Sunshine route for airport rail

EXCLUSIVE: The route for Melbourne's long-awaited airport rail link has been locked in by the Morrison Government, paving the way for construction to start as soon as 2020.

The Herald Sun can reveal the federal government has backed Victoria's preferred option for a rail line from the city to the airport via a new super-station in Sunshine, which would also allow for major regional rail upgrades.

The agreement means the project can move quickly towards construction once this weekend's state election is decided, with both major parties in Victoria broadly supportive of the Sunshine route.

Federal Urban Infrastructure Minister Alan Tudge wrote to the Victorian government before it went into caretaker mode to agree on the route, with sources saying the decision was made to urge Victoria to "get on with the job" of building the link.

Premier Daniel Andrews locked into the Sunshine option earlier this year and Opposition Leader Matthew Guy has described it as "the only sensible route".

A private consortium — including Melbourne Airport, Southern Cross station and Metro Trains — has put $5 billion on the table to help build the project, with its version including a massive new tunnel from the CBD to Sunshine.

The Andrews Government is considering the tunnel as part of its "Western Rail Plan" to enhance train services to Geelong and Ballarat.

It is understood the state Opposition also prefers the Sunshine route to tie in with its planned regional rail overhaul, and has a favourable view of the consortium's proposal.

The federal government has offered $5 billion for the project but Mr Tudge, in his letter, raised concerns that Mr Andrews's equivalent commitment was not detailed in the state Budget.

The state Opposition has not confirmed its airport rail spending pledge and it is unclear if both major parties will account for the project in election costings released on Thursday.

The election winner will review the full business case — due to be completed next year — to determine the project's final cost, and what Victoria needs to commit in partnership with the Commonwealth and the private sector.

The Sunshine option, costing between $8 and $13 billion, has been chosen over other routes including a line through Maribyrnong, or using the Craigieburn line with a spur between Essendon and Tullamarine.

Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has also backed airport rail but has not made concrete funding commitments if he wins the next election.

[ozbob]

Rail Express --> Currie calls for bipartisan approach to grow transport

Public transport expert Graham Currie says Melbourne needs to grow its public transport network three-to-four times over if it is to significantly improve congestion by 2050.

Speaking days ahead of the Victorian state election, Currie said the only way Melbourne could cope with anticipated population growth was for the state to develop a proper, bipartisan plan for transport.

Public transport has been a major issue in the lead-up to this year's election. The Labor Government has promised to build the $50 billion Suburban Rail Loop, a big-ticket item the Liberal Opposition has countered with its own plans to upgrade regional railways to accommodate 200km/h services. Both sides have also presented different ideas for the Cranbourne Line, and both are also at odds over how key level crossings will be replaced around Melbourne.

Currie this week said the election once again highlighted Australia's politicisation of public transport.

"We don't have proper planning in Australia," he said. "We have a series of statements designed to capture media attention."

Estimates suggest by 2050 Melbourne's population could grow to similar levels seen in London in the present day. But given London boasts 1,000 trains to Melbourne's 200, and 8,000 buses to Melbourne's 2,000, Currie says there's no way Melbourne can expect to cope with this growth without a "300 to 400 per cent" growth in public transport.

And this, he says, can't be achieved without a significant shift away from Australia's politicised approach to infrastructure spending which – as well as being messy – also favours road building.

"Historically, Melbourne has always followed a path of building new roads to solve traffic congestion problems," Currie said.

"But in the medium- to long-term they don't solve the problem. In London they're not building new roads, they're building new rail lines."

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1066363561297928192

[verbatim9]

Looks like Vic Labor are going ahead with the Airport line and Circle line (suburban loop), with the first stage Box hill to Cheltenham