A GROUP advocating for sustainable rail solutions for public transport in Victoria has suggested Mildura passenger rail could only be restored from 2041, at the earliest.
The Rail Futures Institute released a plan last week for the staged upgrade of the state’s regional rail passenger network, to assist with regionalisation.
FRI president John Hearsch said the lengthy timeline to reinstate Mildura passenger rail was not a reflection of the merits of the project.
“It’s our policy that if you going to reintroduce a new service then you do it properly, you don’t do it half-baked,” Mr Hearsch said.
“What we don’t want to happen is that the service goes back in, it ends up not being well supported and the next government that comes along just chops it out again.
“It’s got to be done properly and it is going to be quite expensive to do it properly.”
The planning document spells out timelines for a range of projects, with deadlines of 2030, 2031 to 2040, and 2041 to 2060.
While the restoration of Mildura passenger rail was listed between 2041 and 2060, Mr Hearsch emphasised it should be completed as soon as possible in that window.
Projects the Institute recommended an earlier completion date for included stage one of high-speed rail between Southern Cross and Shepparton; the establishment of faster broad-gauge services to Bendigo, Ballarat and Geelong; the reinstatement of rail passenger services to Horsham; a standard-gauge rail service between Ballarat and Geelong; and the introduction of VLocity trains on the Swan Hill line.
“We’re just being, I think, pragmatic as to what the time scale is likely to be for these various projects, having regard for their cost and difficulty,” Mr Hearsch said.
“We did have an internal debate about that quite extensively, including whether it was appropriate to have Mildura further down the priority list.
“In doing so we in no way reflect on Mildura’s needs. The mere fact that you’re by far the furthest regional city from Melbourne … inevitably you know that distance imposes a significant additional cost.”
He said the 2041 timeline hinged on the full Murray Basin Rail Project being completed, and without it, it could be even further away.
“We’ve continued to agitate and advocate for the rest of the project to be completed, which in particular would be to have standard gauge south of Maryborough, through Ballarat over to the North Geelong area and then through to Melbourne,” Mr Hearsch said.
“If there was a direct passenger train between Melbourne and Mildura, that is the way it would have to go. A high-quality one running seven days a week and providing options for a day service as well as overnight service.”
Mr Hearsch said the Institute’s planning document should not be used to justify any delays with returning Mildura passenger rail, stressing that current and future politicians should treat the matter with urgency.
“We would certainly hope that it doesn’t get in the way,” he said. “We’re arguing about the general principles of better passenger train services all over the state.
“We just think (the timeline) is sort of pragmatic, but in no way are we inferring that Mildura doesn’t doesn’t warrant a rail passenger service because we believe it certainly does.
“If (the community is) able to garner the support politically in order to bring it on earlier, we would say good on you.”
