List of proposed Melbourne rail extensions

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Melbourne's railway lines
City Loop
Caulfield group
Frankston line
Pakenham line
Sandringham line
Cranbourne line
Northern group
Upfield line
Werribee line
Craigieburn line
Sydenham line
Williamstown line
Flemington Racecourse line
Burnley group
Lilydale line
Glen Waverley line
Belgrave line
Alamein line
Clifton Hill group
Hurstbridge line
Epping line
Greater-metropolitan
Stony Point line
Melton line
Sunbury line
List of stations
Freight railways Closed railways Proposed railways

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In Melbourne's train system several new train lines, electrification of existing lines, extensions to existing lines, and new stations on existing lines, have been proposed by various groups. Some of these plans were so seriously considered at various times that they appeared in the Melway street directory,^[1] and on suburban train destination rolls.^[2] As of November 2006 a number of these plans continue to be discussed by the Department of Infrastructure, local councils, and State political parties.

[edit] Proposals

Some of these proposals include:

[edit] Inner city

[edit] North South Rail Tunnel

• A proposal suggested by the Melbourne City Council in 2005 is to build an underground rail line, the North South Rail Tunnel Metropolitan, through the inner city of Melbourne.^[3][4] This tunnel would run from Jewell in Brunswick, and possibly Newmarket and/or the proposed Doncaster line as well, through to Windsor station, stopping at new stations at Parkville at Melbourne University, Melbourne Central, Flinders Street and a new Domain station to the south. As well as providing train transport to these new areas the proposed line would greatly speed travellers running north-south through the CBD - the same journey by tram takes 36 minutes.^[5] The proposal also suggests the possibility of linking the Caulfield group of lines to this tunnel.

• Another proposal by the State Government involves connecting one of Craigieburn or Sydenham lines through to one of the Caulfield group of lines.^[6][7]

On 2nd April 2008 Sir Rod Eddington released his Investing in Transport - East West Needs Assessment. It features a proposed 17km long tunnel starting from West Footscray station running via the Parkville precinct, under Swanston Street, St Kilda Road, and Dandenong Road to Caulfield. Sunbury, Pakenham and Cranbourne line trains would run through it.

[edit] Western suburbs

[edit] Werribee line

• Two new stations on the Werribee line have been proposed: one between Werribee and Hoppers Crossing at Derrimut Road, and another between Hoppers Crossing and Aircraft to serve Point Cook residents. The current Government's 'Meeting Our Transport Challenges' plan has construction of Point Cook station occurring after 2008.^[8]

• A branch line from Laverton towards Tarneit and surrounding suburbs. The current State Government 'Secure Reservations for Major Transport Corridors Project' has resulted in the reservation of land for a 'public transport link'.^[9]

• Reopening Werribee Racecourse railway station for special events. The platform is still in reasonably good condition.^{[citation needed]}

• Sir Rod Eddington's Investing in Transport - East West Needs Assessment report also recommends a rail line from West Werribee to Sunshine (the non-electrified Tarneit link).

[edit] Melton line

• Electrifying part or all of the Melton greater metropolitan line, creating new train stations at Deer Park West and Caroline Springs, as well as a potential new station at Toolern, south east of Melton Township.^{[citation needed]}Surprisingly there are no proposals for this in the Meeting Our Transport Challenges plan or East West Needs Assessment report.

[edit] Sydenham Line

• Extension of the Sydenham line electrification to Sunbury station. During October 2007 it was announced that design work on the project would commence,^[10] the project also being recommended in Sir Rod Eddington's East West Link Needs Assessment report released in 2008.^[11]

[edit] Northern suburbs

[edit] Melbourne Airport line

• A rail link to the Melbourne Airport, branching off either the Albion-Jacana freight line or the Broadmeadows line.^[12]

[edit] Albion-Jacana line

• Electrifiying the current Albion-Jacana freight line. Stations would be built at Sunshine North, Keilor East, Westfield Shoppingtown Airport West and Gowanbrae. A branch line from this could go to Melbourne Airport.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Craigieburn line

The line between Broadmeadows and Craigieburn has been electrified to become the Craigieburn line, with services beginning on 30 September 2007. New stations also proposed for this extension but built as part of the electrification are Patullos station at Patullos Lane, and Coolaroo station at Pascoe Vale Road. During the 2006 State Election campaign, the Government promised to build Coolaroo Station by 2010.^[13]

[edit] North-eastern suburbs

[edit] Epping line

• An extension of the Epping line to South Morang, along the alignment of the former Whittlesea Line. The current State Government 'Meeting Our Transport Challenges' plan has this occurring between 2016 and 2021. ^[14] This is despite the State Labor Party originally promising in 1999 to construct the line in their first term of government.^[15]

• A second Epping line extension being considered is to the developing Aurora Estate. It may branch off at Lalor, and pass Epping Plaza & Epping North.^[16] The State Government's 'Secure Reservations for Major Transport Corridors Project' has resulted in the alignment for this link being protected.^[17]

[edit] Eastern suburbs

[edit] Doncaster line

Plans for the Doncaster line first emerged in 1969, when The Age announced that the Victorian Railways had started detailed planning for the line, which would branch off the Hurstbridge/Epping lines at Victoria Park and run down the Eastern Freeway median strip,^[18] then to Bulleen Road, Bulleen, where it would travel between houses and proposed tunnels to Doncaster East.^[19]

By 1982 plans to built the line had been shelved by the state government, and by 1984 land for the line once it left the freeway had been sold.^[20] More recent proposals have suggested the line would run in a tunnel from Bulleen Road to a station at Doncaster Hill (Shoppingtown), or branch from the proposed Jewell-Windsor line at Parkville station. In this case, an additional station would be built at Carlton before the line reaches the Eastern Freeway.

During the 2006 state election, the Victorian Liberal Party promised to extend the number 48 tram to Doncaster Hill, claiming that constructing the heavy rail line would cost around $1 billion and was deemed too expensive an option.^[21]

[edit] Lilydale line

• Extending the Lilydale line to Coldstream by electrifying an additional stretch. This would require reusing the former rail link between Lilydale and Healesville.^{[citation needed][22]}

• An additional station at Cave Hill, between Mooroolbark and Lilydale.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Rowville

• A new line to Rowville has discussed extending from Huntingdale station along North and Wellington Roads to Monash University, Waverley Park and on to Rowville.^[23]

• A second option to serve the Rowville area is an extension of the Glen Waverley Line to Rowville via Wantirna South.^[24]

[edit] Alamein line

• Extending the Alamein to Oakleigh, along the old Outer Circle line reservation, primarily to serve Chadstone Shopping Centre.^[25]

[edit] South-eastern suburbs

[edit] Frankston line

• Extending the Frankston line to Baxter by electrifying part of the Stony Point greater metropolitan line.^{[citation needed]}

• Building a station between Highett and Cheltenham on the Frankston line to serve the Southland shopping centre.^[26] This station is currently the focus of a feasibility study.^[27]

[edit] Pakenham line

• Re-opening General Motors Station. The platform remains intact and possible names include Doveton or Eumemmerring.^{[citation needed]}

• Building a new station between Officer and Pakenham on the Pakenham railway line. The State Government 'Meeting our Transport Challenges' strategy lists the new station for construction after 2008, as Cardinia Road station.^[28] According to the Melway street directory, edition 33, the proposed station will be called Lakeside (p215, E6), despite the fact that this clashes with the Puffing Billy station Lakeside.

[edit] Cranbourne line

• Building Lynbrook station between Dandenong and Merinda Park stations on the Cranbourne line. The State Government 'Meeting our Transport Challenges' strategy lists the new station for construction after 2008.^[29]

• Extending the Cranbourne line to Cranbourne East. This extension was first promised in 1999 by the State Government led by Steve Bracks^[30] but has since fallen by the wayside.^[31] One proposed location for the new station would be the corner of Berwick-Cranbourne Road and Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road.

[edit] Status and future of these proposals

Many of these proposals were created decades ago, and are no longer seriously being considered by transport authorities. Of these, only the Cardinia Road, Coolaroo, Lynbrook and Point Cook stations, and the South Morang line extension are mentioned in the current government's 2006 'Meeting Our Transport Challenges' plans.^[32]

In the case of South Morang on the Epping Line, both the Department of Infrastructure and the local council have recommended its construction, and development work is being undertaken. This would fulfil a promise by the last Premier, Steve Bracks (who has recently retired, as of mid-2007) upon coming to power in 1999. At the subsequent 2002 election this promise was deferred, with the "Trainlink" bus service discussed below introduced instead. Until recently, this project had been sidelined in favour of the extension of the Broadmeadows line to Craigieburn. The main reason for the delay is the capacity problems on the Epping line (& in turn the Hurstbridge line) mainly related to the various sections of single track. Meeting our Transport Challenges was released by the Government in 2006 and indicates construction could commence between 2016 and 2021.

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The Cranbourne East proposal has re-emerged in recent years, and a commercial feasibility study conducted by M>Train, former operator of that half of the city's rail system, found that it should be examined as a long-term project.^[33]

While some of the other proposals here have also come back into the spotlight in recent years, one which might one day be built is the Rowville line. While the Department of Infrastructure does not appear to be taking this seriously at present, the local council has begun a campaign to demand the construction of the line. Mooted routes are from Glen Waverley, tunnelling under residential areas and along the Dandenong Creek valley, or from the Dandenong line near Huntingdale and following the alignment of North and Wellington Roads.^[34]

As a medium-term solution, the government introduced two "Trainlink" bus routes in late 2003. No. 896 serves estates in Cranbourne East and the other, No. 571, is serving Plenty Valley Shopping Centre, Mill Park North, and South Morang. These link to Cranbourne and Epping stations respectively, connecting with each train arrival and departure, seven days a week, from 4:30am to after 1am. These have recently received State Government funding to continue until mid-2009.

[edit] External links

• Department of Infrastructure - Linking Melbourne: Metropolitan Transport Plan (November 2004)
• Department of Infrastructure - Meeting our Transport Challenges (March 2006)
• Public Transport Users Association proposals

[edit] See also

• List of Melbourne railway stations
• List of closed Melbourne railway stations

[edit] References