Hobsons Bay City Council is continuing its push for genuine commitment to a western region rail connection from all sides of politics as the Victorian election approaches.
This week, Council is letterboxing the community on the benefits of the WEST East Metro Rail Plan, which will provide an essential rail connection to help residents in Melbourne's western suburbs commute to the CBD and beyond.
Hobsons Bay Mayor, Cr Peter Hemphill, and other councillors will attend the 'Transforming Transport in the West' forum on October 26, which will feature the WEST East Metro Rail Plan.
Cr Hemphill said we were overdue for a solution to our public transport issues.
"For too long, Melbourne's west has been ignored by successive governments, but rapid population growth in the west means we can no longer be ignored," Cr Hemphill said.
"One of the major effects of that massive population growth is on public transport, particularly rail.
"Up until now, getting on a train at Laverton, Altona and Newport to head into the CBD during the morning peak hour has been difficult. And it is only going to get worse each year as the population of neighbouring Wyndham almost doubles over the next two decades.
"The WEST East Metro Rail Plan, devised by highly regarded rail industry think tank, Rail Futures Institute, addresses our overcrowded, delayed and cancelled trains. Importantly, it provides the best-connected rail network for the whole of western Melbourne.
"Rail Futures Institute estimates the cost of WEST East Metro Rail Plan at about $32 billion. That's about one-third the cost of the state government's Suburban Rail Loop, which does nothing to solve the transport problems of Melbourne's west.
"I urge the community to consider signing up to support our push for this missing piece of our public transport network."
