Regional Rail Revival

The Australian and Victorian governments have invested more than $4 billion in the Regional Rail Revival program, which is upgrading every regional passenger rail line in Victoria and creating jobs and supplier opportunities.

Rail Projects Victoria is responsible for the planning and implementation of the program, on behalf of the Victorian Government.

Regional Rail Revival includes the following packages:

Ballarat Line Upgrade

Ballarat Line Upgrade

Major construction for the Ballarat Line Upgrade is now complete, to deliver more frequent and reliable services for the growing communities along the line.

The Ballarat Line Upgrade included:

  • Duplication of 18 kilometres of track between Deer Park West and Melton
  • Building a new Cobblebank Station, between Rockbank and Melton, separately funded by the Victorian Government’s Growth Area Infrastructure Contribution
  • Rebuilding Rockbank Station, including new, longer platforms, a pedestrian overpass and a car park with 350 spaces
  • Upgrading Bacchus Marsh Station including a new platform, pedestrian overpass and 100 new car park spaces
  • Upgrading Ballan Station including a new platform, pedestrian overpass and a new car park on the southern side of the station
  • Upgrading Wendouree Station including a new platform, pedestrian overpass and extra track
  • Duplicating track at Bacchus Marsh
  • Building a new stabling facility at Maddingley
  • Building passing loops at Ballan and Millbrook
  • Signalling upgrades and track improvements.

Bendigo and Echuca Line Upgrade

Bendigo and Echuca Line Upgrade

The Bendigo and Echuca Line Upgrade will deliver three new stations, faster and more frequent services to Echuca, and more services for Epsom and Eaglehawk.

The Bendigo and Echuca Line Upgrade includes:

  • New stations at Goornong, Huntly and Raywood
  • A modernised electronic train order (ETO) system
  • 10 level crossing improvements between Bendigo and Eaglehawk
  • Track upgrades between Epsom and Echuca
  • A business case for track upgrades between Bendigo and Kyneton to deliver trains every 40 minutes in the off-peak
  • A planning study for the reopening of Harcourt Station.

Geelong Line Upgrade

Geelong Line Upgrade

The Australian and Victorian governments have invested more than $1 billion in rail upgrades between Geelong and Waurn Ponds, to deliver more frequent and reliable services and better stations for passengers on the state’s busiest regional line.

The staged upgrade to the Geelong Line includes:

  • Upgrading Waurn Ponds Station with a second platform, additional track, pedestrian overpass and extra car parking to allow more services to be extended to and from Waurn Ponds
  • Planning for the Armstrong Creek transit corridor
  • A new train stabling and maintenance facility at Waurn Ponds
  • The South Geelong to Waurn Ponds Duplication, which will deliver more frequent services for Marshall and Waurn Ponds and includes:
    • Signalling upgrades and track duplication between South Geelong and Waurn Ponds
    • Station upgrades at South Geelong and Marshall
    • Level crossing removals at Fyans Street and Surf Coast Highway.

Gippsland Line Upgrade

Gippsland Line Upgrade

The Gippsland Line Upgrade will deliver improved train services to the growing communities of Gippsland and create hundreds of jobs in the region.

The Gippsland Line Upgrade includes:

  • Building a new rail bridge over the Avon River in Stratford, which is now complete, to allow trains to travel up to 90km/h in this section
  • Second platforms and station amenity works at Bunyip, Longwarry, Morwell and Traralgon stations
  • Track duplication at Bunyip and Longwarry stations
  • Extension of the Morwell crossing loop
  • Signalling and level-crossing upgrades
  • Drainage structure upgrades along the line.

North-East Line Upgrade

North-East Line Upgrade

The North East Line Upgrade will enable improved trains services for passengers and allow VLocity trains to run to Albury/Wodonga for the first time.

The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) is delivering the project, which includes:

  • Track resurfacing
  • New ballast
  • New underground wires
  • Drainage improvements
  • Rail bridge upgrades
  • Mud-hole removal
  • Smoother track surface

Rail Projects Victoria is also delivering upgrades to infrastructure to allow VLocity trains to run on the line, which includes:

  • Level-crossing upgrades and closures
  • Modifications to train stabling at South Dynon
  • Upgrades to train stabling at Albury Station.

The project will upgrade the line from Melbourne to Albury/Wodonga to a Victorian Class 2 performance standard, bringing it into line with other parts of Victoria’s regional rail network.

In addition, the Victorian Government will deliver new modern VLocity trains for the standard gauge line.

Shepparton Line Upgrade

Shepparton Line Upgrade

The Shepparton Line Upgrade will deliver more frequent and reliable services, and will allow modern VLocity trains to travel to and from Shepparton for the first time.

The Shepparton Line Upgrade will be delivered in three stages.

Stage 1, which is now complete, included:

  • 10 extra train services a week between Melbourne and Shepparton
  • A stabling upgrade at Shepparton Station
  • 29 extra coaches between Shepparton and Seymour.

Stage 2, which is underway, includes:

  • Platform extensions and improvements at Mooroopna, Murchison East and Nagambie stations
  • A crossing loop extension near Murchison East to enable trains to pass each other
  • 59 level crossing upgrades between Donnybrook and Shepparton
  • Stabling to house VLocity trains
  • A business case to finalise the scope and costs for delivering nine return services a day between Shepparton and Melbourne.

Stage 3 includes:

  • Signalling upgrades between Seymour and Shepparton to enable nine weekday return services
  • Expanded stabling for VLocity trains to support more services
  • Track upgrades between Seymour and Shepparton to enable trains to travel faster.

Warrnambool Line Upgrade

Warrnambool Line Upgrade

The Warrnambool Line Upgrade will deliver more frequent and reliable train services for passengers.

The Warrnambool Line Upgrade will be delivered in two stages.

Stage 1, which is now underway, will allow more reliable services and a fifth weekday return service for Warrnambool and includes:

  • Building a new crossing loop at Boorcan
  • Signalling upgrades between Waurn Ponds and Warrnambool
  • 12 level crossing upgrades (complete).

Stage 2 will build on the benefits from Stage 1 and will allow VLocity trains to travel on the Warrnambool Line and includes:

  • Upgrades to train detection technology at more than 50 public level crossings
  • A stabling upgrade at Warrnambool Station.

For more information, visit the Regional Rail Revival website(opens in a new window).

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