{"id":180343,"date":"2025-02-27T10:37:19","date_gmt":"2025-02-27T00:37:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=180343"},"modified":"2025-02-27T10:42:08","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T00:42:08","slug":"prime-minister-announces-2-billion-for-sunshine-station-boost-to-melton-rail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=180343","title":{"rendered":"Prime Minister announces $2 billion for Sunshine station, boost to Melton rail"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Prime Minster Anthony Albanese has announced a cash splash for Victorian roads and rail, including major work at Sunshine station, a boost to services on the Melton rail line and funding to fix potholes in outer Melbourne.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The federal government will allocate $2 billion in funding to create a new rail hub at Sunshine, with new platforms and tracks which would play a key role in the proposed Melbourne Airport rail link.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The planned new station will allow travellers on V\/Line regional services from Geelong, Bendigo and Ballarat to bypass the city and go directly to the airport. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The federal government has budgeted an additional $2 billion in funding to transform Sunshine station. (ABC News)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Mr Albanese also announced funding for the electrification of the Melton line, and $1.2 billion for suburban roads in the Mitchell Shire, Cranbourne West and Carrum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Money is available for roads in the Cranbourne area but not for the rail network the residents have desperately been asking for<\/a>?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Mr Albanese said previous roadblocks that have stymied the Melbourne Airport rail link had been overcome<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“For a while there was the issue of where the station would be at the airport, that issue has been resolved,”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Mr Albanese said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The state government has preferred a cheaper above-ground station, while Melbourne Airport has long advocated for an underground station.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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An underground railway station is exactly what is required for Melnbourne Airport especially when you consider the new terminal developments.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Airport rail link will not be ready until the 2030s<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Premier Jacinta Allan said following the funding announcement, it was a “good day for Victoria”, but that the timeline would stretch into the next decade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The government had announced following its budget in 2024 that the Airport Rail Link would be pushed back by at least four years<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ms Allan said the funding would enable to government to bring forward the development of the Sunshine section of the project, which was a necessary leg of the Airport Rail Link.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She said the Sunshine stage was to be completed by 2030.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This will be the 3rd rebuild of the station with then over $1b invested in a railway station!<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

However, Ms Allan said the final connection from Sunshine to the airport was likely to face further delays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“We now have to go through a process of resetting the timeline for delivery of the overall project,”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Ms Allan said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“In order to deliver the train line to the front door of the airport, we need the airport’s support as well.”<\/p>\n\n\n

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The long-delayed Airport Rail Link will see its timeline pushed back once again. (Supplied: Victorian Government)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

In a statement, the Melbourne Airport said it was co-operating with the government on the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Melbourne Airport is working constructively with both the state and federal governments to ensure this important piece of infrastructure is delivered for Victoria.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The federal government will allocate $2 billion in funding to create a new rail hub at Sunshine, with new platforms and tracks which would play a key role in the proposed Melbourne Airport rail link.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":180344,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[513,9770,47],"tags":[993,12644,11593,8],"class_list":["post-180343","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-melbourne-airport","category-metro-trains-melbourne","category-rail-news","tag-melbourne","tag-melton","tag-sunshine-railway-station","tag-victoria"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t