Melbourne Rail Link

[ozbob]

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> State budget 2014: $27 billion building blitz

The Melbourne Metro Rail project, a tunnel from Footscray, through Parkville, under the CBD to South Yarra has been dumped and replaced by an $8.5-$11 billion Melbourne Rail Link.

The new link combines the Airport Rail Link with a new underground city train which will run from Southern Cross to Fisherman's bend then to South Yarra via a new station at The Domain.

The project will receive no federal funds and the state has contributed $830 million over the next four years, including $40 million for planning this year. It will create 3700 jobs during in construction.

"It will be the biggest expansion since Henry Bolte created the City Loop,'' Mr O'Brien said.

The rail network capacity will increase by 30 per cent. Mr O'Brien said the old alignment would have only lifted the network capacity by 19 per cent.

Importantly, Mr O'Brien said it removed the need to rip Swanston Street up and divide the city for years.

The creation of six new lines will mean commuters travelling on the Frankston and Belgrave and Lilydale lines will not travel to Flinders St Station ...

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/state-budget-2014-27-billion-building-blitz-20140506-zr5n6.html

[ozbob]

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Twitter

Andrew Lund ‏@andrew_lund

Under new metro plan Frankston trains will run though Fishermans Bend, then Southern Cross and City Loop out to Belgrave and Lilydale

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Twitter

Jill Hennessy MP ‏@JillHennessyMP

Govt abandons Metro project that would actually bring commuters into the busy parts of the CBD. http://t.co/CSVQ71EwXh

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[Stillwater]

Victorian Budget big on Infrastructure spending, and so relief for public transport fares also.  Trams to be free across Melbourne CBD:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-05-06/budget-reveals-details-of-big-ticket-rail-projects/5433988

[ozbob]

Daniel Bowen Blog --> Revised (and renamed, again) rail tunnel plans – not as bad as first thought

[BrizCommuter]

Oh dear, another city where politics has resulted in a half-baked solution. As someone who occasionally has to get to the now bypassed Parkville area by public transport, this is very bad news.

[SurfRail]

Back of a napkin.  Not sure how the long suffering Franga commuters will react to being sent on a leisurely trip around the periphery of the CBD nowhere near where most of the existing peak loads are headed.  South Yarra is going to need a lot of work to function as a proper interchange...

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> Napthine's rail tunnel plan has no business case

No kidding ... 

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> Melbourne Metro supported but dropped for Melbourne Rail Link

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Melbourne Age --> Melbourne Rail Link could require compulsory land acquisitions

[ozbob]

ABC News --> Melbourne Rail Link: City Loop construction photos give glimpse of what is ahead and what has been