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BALLARAT RAIL ACTION COMMITTEEMAY 2018
STRATEGY FOR MANAGING EXPLOSIVE PASSENGER GROWTH ON THE MELTON BACCHUS MARSH RAILWAY
‘Melton Electrification is urgent, and needs to happen now’
– Councillor Margaret Giudice, Mayor of Brimbank City Council – Councillor Bob Turner, Mayor of Melton City Council – Councillor Paul Tatchell, Mayor of Moorabool Shire
MELTON ELECTRIFICATION IS NOW URGENT≥ Officialfiguresshowthatsomeofthehighest
populationgrowthinAustraliaincomingyearswillbeinMelton,MooraboolandWyndhammunicipalities
≥ Existingandapprovedinfrastructuredoesnothavethecapacitytohandlefuturepassengerloads
≥ TheregionalraillinkandtheBallaratlinearealreadynearcapacityforpeakperiodtravel
≥ Trackduplication,newpassingloops,electrificationandfutureconnectiontoMelbournemetrowillallhelp,butamorecomprehensivestrategyisneeded.
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TherailwaybetweenMelbourne,Melton,BacchusMarsh,BallanandBallaratprovidesacriticaltransportlinkforthecommunitiesitserves,includingextendedcatchmentsthatareconnectedtotherailwaybybusandcoachservices.Theroleoftherailwaywillbefundamentalincomingyearsasexplosivepopulationgrowthplaceshugestressonourroadandrailsystems.Bothneedtohavethecapacitytohandletheneedsofmuchlargerpopulations.TherailwaybetweenMelbourneandBallaratisalreadyanintenselyusedcommuterline,havingseenusagemorethantripleoverthepastdecadeasjourneytimeshavebeenreducedbysuccessiveinvestmentsintheRegionalFastRail,VLocityrailcarsandRegionalRailLinkprojects.
Afurther$518millionwascommittedtofurtherimprovementsinthe2016Statebudget.Despitetheseinvestmentsmuchofthelinewillstillbesingletrack,resultingindelayswhiletrainswaittopasseachother,andotherinfrastructureincludingstations,signalling,trainstabling,carparking,securityandbusandcoachconnectionsrequirefurtherimprovement.Thenext20yearswillrequiretransformativedevelopmentofrailservicesandinfrastructureinthecorridorfromSunshineviaBallarattoArarattoaccommodatedemandfuelledbyrapidpopulationgrowth,especiallybetweenSunshineandBacchusMarsh,inBallarat,andtoalesserextentinallcommunitiesservedbythecorridor.RapidurbangrowthwestofMelbourneisexpectedtoaddanother300,000peopletoareasservedbytheBallaratrailcorridorby2036(lessthan20yearsaway).ThesixCouncilsalongtheBallaratline—Brimbank,Melton,Moorabool,Ballarat,PyreneesandArarat–areunitedinseekingthebestregionalrailwayinAustralia.Wehavethebasicsandwehavetheneed.Weaskfortheplannedinvestmentthat’sneeded.Thisdocumentpresentsastrategytogetthere.
Suburbs and municipalities west of Melbourne are experiencing unprecedented population growth as they transform from lightly populated outer suburbs and agricultural regions into densely populated suburbs.
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Anefficient,reliableandhighcapacityoutersuburbanrailwaytosupportthetravelneedsofthecorridor’sboomingpopulation,servingMeltonandBacchusMarshwithveryfrequent,reliabletrainsdirectlylinkingourcommunitieswithMelbourne’swesternsuburbs,theParkvilleuniversity/hospitalprecinct,theCBDandthesoutheastsuburbs,andwithexcellentconnectionstoMelbourneAirport,GeelongandBallarat.
Population Melton & Moorabool LGAs
CURRENT POSITION 185,000
Population
6 peak hours diesel trains + another 4 at Bacchus Marsh
shared with Ballarat passengers30
Off-peak trains every 30 minutesEvenings and weekends – hourly
BY 2026There will be extreme overcrowding on this railway unless electrification is extended to Melton
260,000Population
12 peak hour electric trains from Melton + 4 each way from/to Ballarat
with connections at Melton20
Off-peak trains every 20 minutes Evenings/weekends half-hourly
BY 2030Electric trains increased from 7 cars to 10 cars to meet demand
315,000Population
12 peak hours electric trains + 6 each way from/to Ballarat with
connections at Melton10
Melton trains every 10 minutes at all non-peak times
BY 2040 435,000Population
18 peak hours electric trains + 6 each way from/to Ballarat with
connections at Melton 10
Melton trains every 10 minutes at all non-peak times
OUR VISION FOR THE MELTON-BACCHUS MARSH RAILWAY
THESE ARE REALISTIC ASPIRATIONS THAT CAN BE ACHIEVED IF:≥ Alongtermcorridorplanis
developedandimplemented
≥ Therequiredinvestmentsareimplementedsequentially
≥ Thereisinvolvementfromalllevelsofgovernment
≥ Thecommunityisengagedandexcitedaseachupgradeisimplemented
THE ACTIONS NEEDED TO REALISE THIS VISION:≥ A corridor development plan
≥ Electrification to Melton
≥ Quadruplication between Sunshine and Melton
≥ Duplication between Melton and Bacchus Marsh
≥ Re-working the junctions at Sunshine and Deer Park
≥ Elimination of level crossings
≥ New and upgraded stations
≥ More car parks
≥ New trains
≥ Better bus connections
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PROPOSED INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT PROGRAM
2018 – 2022≥ Railwayelectrification–SouthernCrosstoSunshine(RRLlines)andtoMelton
≥ ArdeerandDeerPark–stationreconstructiontoallowfortrackquadruplicationwith250mplatformsforlongercurrentdieselandfuturemetroelectrictrains
≥ LevelcrossingremovalsatFitzgeraldsRoad,DerrimutRoadandRobinsonsRoad
≥ CarolineSprings–Rockbank–Meltontrackduplication*
≥ CarolineSprings,Rockbank,Toolern,MeltonandBacchusMarsh–platformextensionsto250m
≥ ProvisionforfuturestationatHopkinsRoad
≥ NewstationatToolern(withprovisionforFerrisRoadlevelcrossingremoval)*
≥ BacchusMarsh–additionalplatform,removalofexistingcarriagesidingsandadditionalcarparking*
≥ Maddingley–newcarriagesidings*
≥ Ballan–new5kmpassinglane,additionalplatformandcarparking*
≥ Bungareedirectline–new4kmpassinglanetoreplaceoldBungareeLoopline*
2023 – 2026≥ OpeningofMelbourneMetrotunnels—releasescapacityonRRLlines
bydivertingMeltontrainsontoseparatetracksatHopkinsRoad
≥ Sunshine–gradeseparatedjunctionofBendigolinewithMeltonsuburbanlines
≥ SunshinetoCarolineSpringsandHopkinsRoad–trackquadruplication
≥ DeerPark–twoadditionalplatformsandre-alignedjunctiontoGeelongline
≥ Re-arrangementofRobinsonsRoadJunction
≥ Melton–third250mplatformforterminatingtrains
≥ TelephoneRoadtoParwanLoopandBacchusMarshtrackduplicationincludingbi-directionalsignallingforovertakingmovements
≥ Allstations–additionalcarparkingandimprovedbusinterchanges
2027-2030≥ Sunshine–newplatformsforfastlinetoMelbourneAirport
≥ HopkinsRoadtoMelton–trackquadruplication
≥ HopkinsRoad–newstation(linkedtolevelcrossingremoval)
≥ LevelcrossingremovalsatHopkinsRoadandLeakesRoad
≥ Rockbankstationre-construction(linkedtoLeakesRdlevelcrossingremoval)
≥ LevelcrossingremovalsatPaynesRoad,MountCottrellRoadandFerrisRoad
≥ PaynesRoad–newstation
≥ LevelcrossingremovalsatStationStreetandCoburnsRoad
≥ Meltonstationre-construction(linkedtoStationStreetandCoburnsRoadlevelcrossingremovals)
≥ MeltontoTelephoneRoadtrackduplication(includingMeltonWeirbridge)andbi-directionalsignallingforovertakingmovements
≥ Parwan–newstation
*These projects form part of the current Ballarat Line Upgrade (BLU) Project.
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THE BALLARAT LINE UPGRADEThe$518millionallocationfortheBallaratLineupgradeinthe2016StateBudgetwilldomuchtohelpimprovetrainservicereliabilityandprovidemorepassinglanesandplatforms.ButmuchmoreisneededtosupportmassivegrowthinMelbourne’swest.Thecurrentupgradedoesn’tincludeplatformextensionsforlongertrainsthatwillsoonbeneededortocommencepreparatoryworksforurgentlyneededelectrificationtoMelton.
MELTON ELECTRIFICATIONElectrifyingtherailwaytoMeltonwilltripleitscarryingcapacity—9-carelectrictrainscansafelycarry1,400ormorepeoplepertraincomparedwith444seatsina6-carVLocityset.PopulationgrowthinBrimbankandMeltonrequireselectrification,buttheimportantconnectionwithBallaratcanberetained,bymakingMeltonaninterchangestationwithaccesstobothsuburbanandregionaltrains.By2026,theelectrifiedtrackswillconnectintotheMelbourneMetrotunnelsgivingdirectaccesstotheuniversityandmedicalprecinctsatParkville,thenewCBDstationsandthesouth-easternsuburbs.
THE CRITICAL NEED TO REDUCE CAR DEPENDENCYSuburbsservedbytheMelton/BacchusMarshrailwayarehighlycardependent,witharound85%ofweekdaytripsbeingmadebycar.Theroadnetworkcannotabsorbthisever-increasingdemand.Overrelianceoncarsreflectsthepresentinadequacyofavailablepublictransportoptionsandresultsinhigheconomiccostsandsocialdisadvantageforresidents.Thesetrendsareunsustainable.
Majorrailserviceimprovementswithbetterbusconnectionsareneedednowandintothefuture.Theyarecriticalforaccesstoeducation,employmentandleisureopportunitiesforthefast-growingcommunitiestothewestofSunshineinBrimbankandthroughouttheCityofMeltonandMooraboolShire.
MELTON’S PEAK PERIOD TIMETABLE CHALLENGETherearefewMelbournemetropolitanstationswithalessfrequentandlessconsistentpeakperiodtrainservicethanMelton-thebusieststationontheBallaratline.WeekdaytrainsarrivingatSouthernCrossbetween07.00and09.00leaveMeltonat06.30,06.43,07.19,07.31,07.48and08.15.Intheafternoonpeak,it’sslightlybetterwithtrainsleavingSouthernCrossat16.10,16.35,17.00,17.10,17.19,17.35and17.59.Mostofthesetrainsarealreadyatornear100%seatoccupancywithmanystandees.
WhenthelineisduplicatedbetweenCarolineSpringsandMeltonbylate2018orearly2019,serviceswillbemorereliableandoff-peakfrequencyisexpectedtoimprove.ButtheRegionalRailLinklinesbetweenSouthernCrossandSunshinearealreadyatnearfullcapacityatpeaktimeswithlittleroomforadditionalservicesbeforeMeltonisconnectedtotheMelbourneMetrotracksby2025.That’s7yearsaway!Bythen,thecombinedeffectsofpopulationgrowth,roadcongestionandthenewstationatToolernwilllikelyseerailpatronageinboundfromMeltonmorethandouble.
Howthencantherailwaycopeifalmostnoadditionalpeaktrainscanbeprovidedforanother7years?Theshort-termanswerliesinoperatinglongertrainswithmoreseats,hencetheneedforplatformlengthening.ItalsoliesinbringingforwardMeltonandWyndhamValeelectrificationworkswithinterimservicesprovidedtoMelton,initiallyusinghighcapacity9-carelectrictrainsservicedandstaffedfromanewdepotatWyndhamVale.
Acommitmentin2018couldhavetheseservicesrunningby2022.
QUADRUPLICATION TO MELTONTheBacchusMarsh/Ballaratlinecurrentlytriestoservebothsuburbanandregionalpassengers–butmixingregionalandsuburbantrainsmakesregionaljourneysmuchslower.Ballarattrainswillincreasinglybecaughtbehindfrequentsuburbantrainsthatrunatmuchloweraveragespeeds,becauseofstopsatsuburbanstations.Itisthereforevitalthatsuburbanandregionaltrainsaresegregated.Quadruplication(twoadditionalexpresstracks)fromSunshinetoMelton,extendingthepreviouslycompletedRegionalRailLinktracksbetweenSunshineandSouthernCross,togetherwithduplicationfromMeltontoBacchusMarshincludingsignallingdesignedforovertakingbyBallaratexpresstrains,ishowthissegregationcanbeachievedontheBallaratline.
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN 2018 – 2026 PROPOSED INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT PROGRAM
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COMPLETING DUPLICATION BACCHUS MARSH TO BALLARATUltimately,theentirelinebeyondMeltontoBallaratneedstobeduplicated.Italsoneedstobeprotectedbyactivecrossingprotectionandgradeseparation.Whereverpossible,itshouldbeupgradedfor200km/hoperationwheregradesandcurvesallowit.Theseinvestmentswillallowtheworldclasstrainservicetheregionneeds.TheFreewayhasbeenduplicated;therailwaywillalsoneedduplicationsoon!
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN 2018 – 2026 PROPOSED INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT PROGRAM
TRACK AND ROLLING STOCKToprovidefortheneedsofpassengerscurrentlyandintothefuture,investmentisneedednowinextratracks,lengthenedplatformsandlongertrainswithmoreseatstosupportthelevelofservicethatwillbeneeded.Thisplanningmustbedonenow!
BOOMING POPULATIONBallarat’spopulationisgrowingat1.9%ayear,andthepresentlevelof100,000willreach198,000by2031and250,000by2050.Tothatadd400,000inMeltonandMoorabool.Wemustprovidetheinfrastructuretoservicethatpopulation.
High capacity electric trains being built now can carry 1,500 passengers; platforms will be built or extended to suit them. They need to run to Melton.
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The journey to work on Melton/Bacchus Marsh/Ballarat BOOMING POPULATION line trains sometimes looks like this…
CurrentdieselVLocitytrainsarepopularbutweredesignedforfastrunningfromregionalcentressuchasGeelong,Ballarat,Bendigoandfurtherafield.Withseatsforonly444peopleper6-carset,internallayoutsanddoorsthatdonotallowrapidpassengeraccessandegress,theyarenotsuitedtothefrequentsuburbanservicesessentialtoaccommodatetheburgeoningurbangrowthfacingMelton,BrimbankandWyndham.
The fastest growing metro municipality to 2051 will be the city of Melton,
served by the Ballarat line (4.4% growth)
The second fastest regional growth area
to 2051 will be Moorabool (2.4% growth)
Ballarat is not far behind (1.9% growth); Ballarat’s*
population will be over 250,000 by 2051
The largest growth in numbers to 2051 will be
Wyndham – (an additional 198,000 people)
– Wyndham Vale trains will still be sharing the inner
end of the Ballarat line
ACCORDING TO THE VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT’S OFFICIAL POPULATION GROWTH FORECASTS VICTORIA IN FUTURE 2016:
*Ballarat Statistical Area (SA4) official projection. By 2051, population of the Ballarat Local Government Area (SA3) could be around 175,000.
(Quadruplication will allow electric trains to Melton to operate on separate tracks).
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REJUVENATING STATION PRECINCTSThewholecommutefromBallaratlinestationstoMelbourne,orviceversa,includesthetimeneededtogettothestation,waitforthetrain,andcompletethejourney.Thejourneytimeonthetraincanbeexpeditedbybetterrailinfrastructure,fewercurvesandstopsandfasterrollingstock.Butthejourneytoandfromthestationisveryimportanttoo.
Manypeoplewanttodrivetothestation,andtheyneedtobeabletofindaparkingspoteasily,leavetheircarinasafeplace,andgeteasilytotheplatform.WithelectrificationandquadruplicationMeltonStationanditsimmediatesurroundswillneedtobecompletelyredesignedandrebuilt,withthelevelcrossingsremovedatStationStreetandCoburnsRoad.Thiswillpresentanopportunitytoimplementcuttingedgedesignintheareaandrejuvenatetheentirestationprecinct.
Busesandbikesalsowillplayanincreasinglykeyroleingettingpeopletothestation.Safebikeparkingneedstobeprovided,andrelevantbusroutesenhancedtoprovideconvenienttrainconnections,withawell-designed,brightandsafeinterchange.
A VISION FOR MELTON STATION
QuadruplicationtoMeltonwillnecessarilyincluderemovaloftheStationandExfordRoadslevelcrossing.Anoptionwouldbetore-constructMeltonStationandrejuvenatethesurroundingstationprecinct,openinguptheentirestationprecinctforawiderangeofnewpossibilities.
Source: Level Cross Removal Authority.
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Explosive population growth over the next 30 years will require electrification and quadruplication of the Ballarat line to Melton. A corridor development plan is needed now!
STEPS IN PLACE NOW1. The current $518 million Ballarat
line upgrade project will help, with duplication from Caroline Springs to Melton, extra platforms, passing lanes and elimination of the circuitous bungaree loop.
2. Electrification of the Melton line by around 2026 and its connection to the Melbourne metro tracks and tunnels is planned but not yet committed. It will allow higher capacity and more frequent trains as far as Melton.
3. High capacity electric trains now on order can take 1,500 passengers per train compared with 444 seats in a 6-car Vlocity set.
EXTRA STEPS THAT ARE NEEDED 1. A corridor development plan,
involving the community and all levels of government.
2. A commitment to early electrification to Melton.
3. Quadruplication Sunshine to Melton to allow regional trains to bypass stopping suburban trains.
4. New station/interchanges at Deer Park, Toolern, Melton and Bacchus Marsh.
BALLARAT RAIL ACTION COMMITTEE
For more information, contact:
Kwabena Ansah Melton City Council PO Box 21 Melton VIC 3337 03 9747 7200
Email: [email protected]
Technical Input: John Hearsch Consulting Pty Ltd
A joint project of: