ONE train per week, with a tourist focus, connecting to a Maryborough service, is achievable and would be a political win for the Victorian Government, Member for Mildura Ali Cupper says.
Ms Cupper said the “shuttle” option would provide a cheaper entry point to returning passenger trains to towns along the Mildura line than a full-scale return of daily services.
Passengers would take the shuttle service to Maryborough and change for another train to take them into Melbourne.
Ms Cupper, who said she was “always in discussions” with the government about passenger rail, believed it would be well received beyond Mildura.
Labor lost Ripon, the seat to Mildura’s south-east that includes Maryborough, by 15 votes at the last state election.
“It’s not just about restoring it to Mildura, which is a major regional Victorian city, but also restoring it to all the towns along the corridor that have long had to experience much greater isolation from the capital city than need be,” Ms Cupper said.
The government was this week urged by Upper House MP Tania Maxwell to consider returning passenger trains to the Mildura line as part of any infrastructure-led coronavirus recovery.
Ms Maxwell said it would also complement efforts to complete the Murray Basin Rail Project.
Questions from Sunraysia Daily to the government on the issue this week went unanswered.
Ms Cupper said while the Murray Basin project needed to be completed, it was a separate discussion to passenger rail.
Because stages 1 and 2 of the project were done, she said the infrastructure for a shuttle was “at least to a significant extent, if not completely” in place.
By adopting a tourism focus, rather than a pure passenger focus, Ms Cupper said there wouldn’t be the same speed expectations as a full-scale service.
“One of the things I continually reiterate in my discussions with the government is, this is not going away,” she said.
“Something that is an essential service, which we not only deserve as a matter of principle, but we need as a matter of practicality, is never going to go away.”
NorthWest Rail Alliance president Christian Mitchell said a shuttle-type journey to Melbourne would take about eight hours and 15 minutes, including the change of trains, comparable to the current Swan Hill bus-and-train route.
Mr Mitchell said once started, the shuttle’s passenger numbers could be used to advocate increased services.
Infrastructure Victoria did not recommend returning passenger services to Mildura in its 30-year strategy, published in 2016, blaming “high cost … compared to the forecast demand”.
Mildura is the largest city in mainland Australia not to have a passenger train to its capital city, or with access to such a service nearby.
Sunraysia Daily last month reported the Victorian Government’s $70 billion transport infrastructure program called Victoria’s Big Build did not include any project within 300km of Mildura.
Treasurer Tim Pallas told Parliament this week the Big Build had delivered 115,000 jobs.
