<span class="" id="parent-fieldname-description"> Six months on from Victorian premier Denis Napthineâs promise for a Melbourne Airport rail link, Melbourne Airport chief executive Chris Woodruff has made a public plea for bipartisan support for the project. </span> <p>Woodruff was quoted by the city’s Herald Sun as saying the train line to the airport would only go ahead if it gained support from both sides of the house.<br /><br />He also reportedly called for purpose-built trains and more frequent services than the ones currently being proposed.<br /><br />“The airport rail link should also be easy for passengers to use and [should have] luggage-friendly rolling stock and a service time that runs at 10-minute intervals around the clock,” Woodruff was quoted as saying.<br /><br />According to the News Ltd. paper, Woodruff believes air travel passenger growth meant an alternative to road transit was needed at the airport.<br /><br />“We are getting ready for a rail link to Melbourne Airport,” he told the paper. “Our new Airport Drive, which will be open by mid next year, will have space for two tracks down the middle.<br /><br />“We’re also looking at station locations and aim to narrow our current three options down to one within the next 18 months. We want to have the station as close to the main terminal as possible.”<br /><br />All three options being investigated are for above-ground stations, but vary on whether the station will be built above the airport carpark to get as close as possible to the main terminals. Underground station designs are considered to be too expensive.<br /><br />Woodruff is keen to get bipartisan support for the rail line ahead of the Victorian elections later this year.<br /><br />Victorians go to the polls on November 29.</p>
