Commuters across Melbourne's booming western suburbs will get more trains, more seats and greater capacity under a major announcement from Jess Wilson's Liberal and Nationals team.
A future Liberal and Nationals Government will invest $1.7 billion to deliver 25 new hybrid electric trains for the Melton and Wyndham Vale lines.
This investment will finally deliver suburban rail services for these communities and means additional, potential City Loop services every hour during peaks on the Melton and Wyndham Vale lines, increasing passenger capacity by more than double.
Labor promised to electrify the Melton and Wyndham Vale lines in both 2018, and 2022 - yet eight years later, these communities are still reliant on V/Line diesel trains.
Under our team's plan, the trains will be electric, with hybrid capability allowing them to operate on existing electrified and non-electrified lines across the suburban network.
Importantly, this commitment doesn't preclude electrification of the Melton and Wyndham Vale lines upon completion of the upgrades to Sunshine station, but delivers electrified train services to these communities sooner.
A Liberal and Nationals Government will also establish a new and independent Public Transport Victoria (PTV) board to ensure Victoria's public transport system is fully focused on better service delivery for commuters and taxpayers.
Leader of the Opposition, Jess Wilson said: "My Liberal and Nationals team has a plan to get Melbourne's west moving.
"Labor has twice promised and twice failed to deliver the modern train services communities across Melton and Wyndham Vale deserve. Labor says one thing before an election then does another afterwards.
"Our plan will deliver metro-quality train services to Melbourne's west sooner - meaning more trains, more seats and greater capacity."
Shadow Minister for Public Transport, Matthew Guy, said: "Suburban passengers need suburban trains. Labor has promised electrification but broken it time and again, our Liberal and Nationals team will deliver more trains, more seats and greater capacity for Melbourne's west.
"Our hybrid suburban trains will deliver metro-quality services now and are able to run seamlessly across both electrified and non-electrified train lines.
"The only way to deliver the quality train services Melton and Wyndham Vale communities deserve is to change the government this November."
