City of Melton residents were left stranded in the cold this morning after a telecommunications outage crippled the V/Line rail network, disrupting services and preventing many people from getting to work and other commitments.
The incident has strengthened calls from Melton City Council on the need to fast-track the electrification and duplication of the Melton rail line - a project first promised under the Western Rail Plan in 2018 and identified as critical to supporting Australia's fastest-growing community.
Council has long been advocating for the electrification and duplication of the Melton rail line with residents in the fastest growing area of Australia currently cramming into overcrowded, infrequent regional train services.
With the City of Melton's population expected to double over the next two decades, more than 300,000 residents will ultimately rely on the Ballarat rail corridor. Yet the network is already under significant pressure, with trains reaching capacity during peak periods and station car parks filling before 7.30am.
Modelling shows that electrification of the rail line would increase public transport use by 27 per cent and remove 12,000 cars from local roads every day, while delivering faster, more frequent and more reliable services for residents.
The Victorian and Australian Governments have committed $152.7 million towards planning and preparation works for the electrification of the Melton rail line, however, Council is calling for a fully funded commitment to deliver electrification by 2030 and two additional stations at Mt. Atkinson and Thornhill Park, in line with Infrastructure Victoria's recommendation.
Quotes attributable to City of Melton Mayor Cr Lara Carli:
"Today's disruption further reinforces the urgency for our residents to have reliable metropolitan rail services like other parts of metropolitan Melbourne."
"The City of Melton is Australia's fastest-growing area and thousands of our residents rely on the Ballarat V/Line corridor every day to get to work, education and essential services."
"When a single outage can bring services to a standstill and leave commuters stranded on platforms in the middle of winter with no other options to get to work, it highlights the urgent need for a more reliable and resilient public transport network."
"That is why Council is advocating for the electrification and duplication of the Melton rail line to happen now. We can't afford to wait another 10 years for it to be delivered."
"Infrastructure Victoria has recommended that electrification needs to be delivered by 2030. That is why we need a clear commitment, funding and a timeline for delivery so our residents can get where they need to go without spending hours each week dealing with unreliable and infrequent public transport."
