<span class="" id="parent-fieldname-description"> The Victorian Government announced significant investment for the stateâs public transport network in last weekâs budget, however, roads got the lionâs share of transport funding. </span> <p>By Jennifer Perry</p><p>$807.6m was allocated for 50 new trams and the establishment of a new low floor tram maintenance and storage depot at Preston announced earlier this year.<br />Minister for public transport Martin Pakula said the government will complete an order for the tram fleet by the end of the year, with the first 50 trams entering service in 2012-13.<br />$83.7m was allocated for 20 metropolitan train stations to be upgraded to “premium” status.<br />$37.7m was also allocated towards the total project cost of $188.5 million for four new train stations in growth areas, with construction to start on all stations before the end of this year.<br />Pakula said the budget delivered commitments previously made in the $38bn Victoria Transport Plan (VTP) including:<br />&bull $37.7m towards the total project cost of $188.5m for four new train stations in growth areas as announced earlier this year, (construction to start by end of year) <br />&bull $15.3m over the next two years to upgrade more than 30 level crossings<br />&bull $22.8m to continue the Transport Connections program which provides flexible and tailored transport links serving rural and smaller communities and <br />&bull $4.3bn brought to book for Regional Rail Link which will deliver a new rail line through Melbourne’s west, two new stations at Wyndham Vale and at Tarneit and stand alone tracks for trains from Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo to improve capacity and reliability.<br />Pakula said $6bn worth of projects were underway for Victoria’s public transport network including the $65m extension of the Epping rail line to South Morang and the delivery of 38 new suburban trains. This year has also seen the completion of the $140m Springvale road rail separation project.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
