Article: Call for little-used line to service new homes

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From the Melbourne Age click here!

Call for little-used line to service new homes

quote]Call for little-used line to service new homes

    * Jason Dowling
    * May 18, 2009

THE dual railway line to Flemington Racecourse and Royal Melbourne Showgrounds is being wasted and should be extended three kilometres to a planned new suburb on the Maribyrnong River, a former lord mayor says.

Kevin Chamberlin said extending the line would allow it to service 3000 homes planned for the suburb and the Highpoint Shopping Centre, potentially taking thousands of cars off inner-city streets.

"This section of the railway line is scandalously under-utilised given it is dual track and it is used two periods a year at the spring racing carnival and the royal show," Mr Chamberlin said.

Last month, Premier John Brumby announced plans to build a new suburb on the 128-hectare former Department of Defence explosives factory site next to the shopping centre.

"If there is no public transport into the city, good developments like this will falter because there is no direct rail link to the city," Mr Chamberlin said.

He said that with an existing rail line for 60 per cent of the distance to the city, a rail link to the new suburb was a prospect worth considering.

New stations could be situated at Victoria University and the shopping centre, and the line could be extended to East Keilor.

A rail link would improve the value of the Government-owned housing site at Maribyrnong. "They would actually earn more money out of the development," he said.

The suburb is expected to be built in 10 years.

Maribyrnong Mayor Michael Clarke said extending the rail line was an an excellent idea.

"To better utilise a poorly utilised piece of rail infrastructure is going to be to everybody's benefit," he said.

Cr Clarke called on the State Government to conduct a study to test if the extension was viable.

Public Transport Users Association president Daniel Bowen said extending the line made sense.

"Highpoint Shopping Centre, like most of our major shopping centres is flooded with cars ? shoppers driving round looking for parking," he said.

"For a rail line, it doesn't get much use, it would make sense to open up those suburbs to the rail network and get more people out of their cars and on to trains."

He said an extension of the line should be incorporated into the construction of the new suburb.

"People need those transport options when they move in, not 20 years afterwards, otherwise they will buy a car for every adult in their household and they will drive everywhere, adding to congestion," Mr Bowen said.
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