{"id":562919,"date":"2026-10-03T10:43:51","date_gmt":"2026-10-03T00:43:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=562919"},"modified":"2026-10-03T10:46:26","modified_gmt":"2026-10-03T00:46:26","slug":"benallas-new-rail-precinct-sparks-concern-over-station-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=562919","title":{"rendered":"Benalla\u2019s new rail precinct sparks concern over station design"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

More than halfway through completion, Benalla<\/a>\u2019s new railway station precinct has become a focal point of community debate after the Rural City of Benalla\u2019s mayor raised concerns that the development may not \u201cmeet the needs of all users”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Accessibility, connectivity and amenity sit at the heart of Benalla Rural City Council<\/a>\u2019s concerns about the new station precinct, with council urging Inland Rail<\/a> and Australian Rail Track Corporation to address these points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to accessibility, Mayor Bernie Hearn said council was seeking assurances that the precinct provided safe, equitable and user-friendly access for all members of the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAccess to public transport should be practical, dignified and inclusive,\u201d Cr Hearn said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur community wants confidence that the station precinct has been designed to meet the needs of all users, including older residents, people living with disability and those with limited mobility.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Council is calling for transparency around accessibility outcomes throughout the precinct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This includes demonstrated compliance with contemporary accessibility standards, any independent accessibility and human rights assessments undertaken, and measures incorporated to support passengers with mobility challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An Inland Rail spokesperson said the organisation had worked with V\/Line and the community to deliver \u201cimportant outcomes\u201d for improved safety, accessibility and connectivity at the precinct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cInland Rail has worked closely with V\/Line to ensure the new Benalla Station will meet all required accessibility standards, including those from the Disability Discrimination Act 1992,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Council has also noted its concern that the northern and southern sides of the station had not realised their full potential as a major gateway to Benalla.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is about more than accessibility. It is about ensuring a major infrastructure project delivers lasting benefits for the community,\u201d Cr Hearn said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAll access points to the station should be welcoming gateways to Benalla, supported by quality roads, landscaping, drainage, pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, and public spaces that enhance safety and connectivity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The spokesperson said Inland Rail had worked extensively with community, stakeholders and technical specialists to develop, review and determine the best solution for the precinct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cInland Rail engaged regularly with the Benalla Rural City Council throughout the consultation process for the design of the new Benalla Station and has continued to consult with council during the construction period,\u201d the Inland Rail spokesperson said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBenalla Rural City Council has reviewed all designs, with their comments being addressed by Inland Rail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cInland Rail conducted a briefing and site visit of the Benalla Station works with representatives from the Benalla Rural City Council in May, and accessibility issues at the station were not raised with Inland Rail.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Council is pushing for improved outcomes at the precinct and has welcomed the advocacy of federal Member for Indi Helen Haines around the topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A key oversight of the project has been the lack of a rail connection between the station and the branch line to Yarrawonga. The current configuration of the station and track does not in any way allow for the resumption or seasonal provision of rail passenger services between Benalla and Yarrawonga. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

V\/Line does not have a great track record in delivering substantive outcomes for rail passenger use. ARTC should have been required to provide a connection between the DOWN MAIN line to the branch line at the down end of the platform. This has not been provided and another opportunity has been lost to improve transport options for the North East. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A current track diagram for the location can be found at: https:\/\/www.sa-trackandsignal.net\/Pdf%20files\/ARTC\/AR213.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We all hope ARTC and V\/Line have not made it impossible to implement this upgrade in the future when you consider the current station design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe believe there remains an opportunity for ARTC and Inland Rail to work with council and the community to improve the final outcome and create a station precinct that reflects Benalla\u2019s role as a growing regional centre,\u201d Cr Hearn said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The spokesperson said Inland Rail would continue to work closely with council to address all appropriate issues before the project\u2019s completion.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Accessibility, connectivity and amenity sit at the heart of Benalla Rural City Council\u2019s concerns about the new station precinct.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":562920,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[35,47,186],"tags":[9999,8],"class_list":["post-562919","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-breaking-news","category-rail-news","category-v-line","tag-benalla","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