The Australasian Railway Association has praised Tuesday’s Victorian budget announcement, saying more than $1.5 billion had been committed to Victoria’s metropolitan and regional rail networks.
Victorian treasurer Tim Pallas on May 1 unveiled the state’s budget for 2018 – the last the Andrews Government will deliver before the next state election, which is scheduled to take place later this year.
Included in the budget is $572 million for power and signalling upgrades from the city to Cranbourne and Pakenham on the Metro Trains Melbourne network, and for planning for the duplication of the Cranbourne line and detailed design work to allow new high capacity metro trains to run to Sunbury.
For regional commuters, there’s a $313 million commitment for the second stage of the Shepparton Line Upgrade, $50 million to plan a Melbourne Airport rail link which can also deliver fast rail to Geelong, and $130 million in track and signalling upgrades across the rail network in and around Maryborough, Ararat and Ballarat.
The budget also includes $173 million to build new train stabling and maintenance facilities around the regional network, and to upgrade the Southern Cross Rail Yards to provide more room to house the 87 new VLocity carriages already ordered from Bombardier’s workshops in Dandenong.
$103.5 million will be used to buy 30 new X’Trapolis carriages (five 6-car trains) for the metropolitan network, which will be delivered from Alstom’s workshops in Ballarat.
“We’re continuing our record investment to improve regional public transport, support local jobs, and get people home safer and sooner,” public transport minister Jacinta Allan said.
Citing the continued delivery of the level crossing removal program, and several smaller funding commitments to improve accessibility, security, and parking at Melbourne’s railway stations, Allan said the budget was a clear sign the Andrews Labor Government was building for the future.
“This budget continues our overhaul of Victoria’s public transport system, to run more services, more often,” she said. “We’re not wasting a minute to deliver better public transport for every Victorian, wherever you live.”
ARA boss Danny Broad was pleased with the direct commitments to rail spending, and also praised the $172 million the Andrews Government committed to make 30 key TAFE courses free for students.
“It is much welcomed news,” Broad said. “[The free TAFE courses] will provide an entry ticket to a pathway into the rail industry. The Victorian Government has identified the skills needed in the future work force to remove level crossings and to build the rail lines of tomorrow.”
Broad also praised a $109 commitment to help school students make the right career choices earlier, and a $49.8 million investment in Head Start Apprenticeships and Traineeships, aimed at giving secondary school students an opportunity to learn a trade at school.
“These are all welcomed initiatives which the rail industry embraces, that will invest in the future rail skills of tomorrow.”
Victoria ‘sets the pace’
Infrastructure Partnerships Australia chief executive Adrian Dwyer praised the Victorian Government for the budget, which he said was built off the back of prudent financial management, and the state’s continued asset recycling program.
“The Victorian budget has set a high standard for next week’s federal budget, with an investment boom in road and rail infrastructure that will put the state in a good position to accommodate its rapidly growing population,” Dwyer said.
“None of these projects would have been possible without the hard reform work of successive Victorian governments, and their commitment to repair the budget through asset recycling.”