A Coalition commitment of three return passenger rail services a week to the Wimmera by mid-2029 is on the table if it forms government after next month\u2019s state election.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Liberals and The Nationals announced on Monday they would return passenger rail services to Dimboola, stopping at Horsham, Murtoa and Stawell, then connect with the V-Line network at Ararat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They also pledged to return passenger services on the Mildura line, via Red Cliffs, Ouyen, Birchip, Donald, St Arnaud and Dunolly, connecting with Melbourne-bound services at Maryborough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The passenger trains would travel on the standard gauge tracks that freight trains use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Currently many Wimmera and Mallee towns are serviced only by bus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Coalition leader Jess Wilson said under the Wimmera Mallee Rail Plan, an initial $51.2-million investment would fund infrastructure improvements, potential train acquisition and refurbishment, and operating costs across four years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhere you live shouldn\u2019t determine your access to opportunity. We\u2019re
reconnecting communities, opening up travel options and making sure regional Victoria isn\u2019t left behind,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBringing back passenger rail will give people across the Wimmera and Mallee a more affordable way to travel and stay connected to the rest of Victoria.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shadow minister for public transport Matthew Guy said it was a \u2018sensible first step\u2019 in the return of passenger services to both regions, with the opportunity to \u2018grow them as demand increases\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Nationals Member for Mildura Jade Benham said people across the Mallee had been calling for passenger trains to return for years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis isn\u2019t just about getting from A to B. It\u2019s about connecting our communities, giving people more freedom and affordable options to travel and making regional Victoria a better place to live,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Member for Lowan Emma Kealy said it would be amazing to see the return of passenger trains through Horsham and to Dimboola.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019ll be so good for our region to have those rail connections back, connecting into the Ballarat line and into Melbourne, and it\u2019ll be a great extension throughout the Wimmera,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt will be stopping at Ararat, Stawell, Murtoa, Horsham and Dimboola, and we\u2019re going to do our best to extend it through to Nhill as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s something our region has been calling for for a really long time \u2013 it\u2019s been many election commitments in the making, and I\u2019m just so hopeful that The Nationals are in government come November and we can make this happen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ms Kealy said the Wimmera Mallee Rail Plan was a \u2018novel approach\u2019 \u2013 a concept the Coalition had not looked at previously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s actually a looping train that will connect in at Ararat, but it will go through the Wimmera region, stop in Ararat, and then go up to Mildura,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPassengers from right across the region will look at rail a little bit differently because it\u2019s not just about the daily commute or getting to Melbourne \u2013 this is about unlocking different parts of the state as a tourist destination.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ms Kealy said it would not only help attract tourists to both regions, but provided an opportunity for local businesses to unlock better connections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Liberal candidate for Ripon Megan Read said ensuring there were efficient and affordable transport connections to metropolitan areas would ensure \u2018regional Victoria keeps pace\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPeople across our community are telling me these services are desperately needed and they\u2019re something our region needs sooner rather than later,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis commitment proves we are listening and taking a commonsense approach to policy to actually deliver a government that works for people right across the state, not against them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rail Revival Alliance welcomed the commitments to restoring regional passenger rail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur campaign remains independent of political parties. We will continue working with all sides of politics to secure bipartisan support for the return of the Mildura service,\u201d a spokesperson said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAfter more than three decades without passenger rail, this is important progress. The campaign continues.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Labor was critical of the Coalition\u2019s costings to return passenger rail. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Public Transport Minister Vicki Ward said the Liberals shut down the train to Mildura in 1993 and could not be trusted to bring it back again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Liberal costings are also flat out wrong \u2013 line upgrades cost anywhere from almost $200-million to more than $500-million \u2013 we know this because we have upgraded every regional passenger train line,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Labor believes the Mildura track is only appropriate for freight trains and will require significant upgrades to accommodate and make regular passenger services safe, including track work, signalling, level crossings and station upgrades to operate the service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While Labor failed to match the passenger train commitment for the Wimmera and Mallee, it announced its own public transport election pledge of capping fares at $30 a week, or $15 for concession holders, whether for train, tram or bus travel. The two-year commitment will cost the government $206-million.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cIt\u2019s actually a looping train that will connect in at Ararat, but it will go through the Wimmera region, stop in Ararat, and then go up to Mildura,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":304957,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[47,186],"tags":[12857,21387,10333,8],"class_list":["post-582566","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rail-news","category-v-line","tag-ararat","tag-dimboola","tag-mildura","tag-victoria"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\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\n\t\t