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.

2

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.

3

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

4

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.

5

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

6

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.

7

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).

8

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.

9

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: kwabena.ansah@melton.vic.gov.au

Technical Input: John Hearsch Consulting Pty Ltd

A joint project of: