Consultation with local communities about the potential re-opening of Victoria’s Maryborough to Ararat railway line has begun.
Disused for over a decade, the Andrews Labor Government plans to reopen the line as part of a “massive upgrade” of the freight network in the state’s north-west.
The Government said more than 100 level crossings on the line have been individually assessed for safety, traffic volume and the potential availability of alternate routes nearby.
Public transport minister Jacinta Allan said such factors will be considered along with feedback from residents and other stakeholders, to help determine which crossings will be closed or upgraded to keep motorists and local communities safe when trains return.
“This is an important step in this critical project, which will allow primary producers to get more produce to port, more efficiently – boosting jobs and the regional economy,” the minister said.
“Reopening the line will be a big change for people between Maryborough and Ararat, and we will be working closely with them.”
Land owners along the rail line will receive letters this week detailing the outcome of the assessments of crossings on their property, and inviting them to meet with the project team.
Community consultation will begin in November, after the completion of a local government election caretaker period.
The Maryborough to Ararat rail line reopening is part of the Murray Basin Rail Project, which aims to standardise the entire region’s freight network and increase the loads it can carry, allowing larger trains to move more product with every trip.