Monash University has long advocated for enhanced public transport options for our campuses and the broader south-east Melbourne region to help reduce traffic congestion and streamline the commute for tens of thousands of people each day.
Together with our partners in the Monash Technology Precinct and the South-East Economic Zone, we are continuing to work with the Federal and Victorian governments and opposition parties to deliver mass-transport solutions for the region.
There are two initiatives we are actively partnering with governments on - the Suburban Rail Loop and the proposal for Trackless Rapid Transit (TRT).
We are pleased that both of these transport initiatives are being progressed at the state and federal level and have received various levels of government support for development.
The innovative Caulfield-Rowville Trackless Rapid Transit (TRT) offers a genuine, cost-effective east-west service for Melbourne's congested south-east corridor. We look forward to finalisation of the business case and then announcements from governments on the funding of this critically important mass-transport project.
We understand that the heavy rail link along the Wellington Road corridor is no longer an option and governments have now pivoted to the high-capacity TRT. This would provide a cost-effective transport link between Caulfield and Rowville, including to the Monash Technology Precinct – a hub of world-leading innovation that will soon include the Victorian Heart Hospital and Moderna's Southern Hemisphere mRNA manufacturing facility
The TRT, which would cost a fraction of a dedicated rail line, is a proposal of Monash University and Vicinity Centres, which owns Chadstone Shopping Centre with support from local councils and the Eastern Transport Coalition.
The 19km route could carry 1800 passengers per hour in each direction, helping to significantly reduce traffic congestion and improve access to jobs and services. The high-capacity electric TRT vehicles would be up and running by 2025, before the Suburban Rail Loop begins operating, and has potential for integration with the new station.
Monash looks forward to ongoing discussions with the Federal and Victorian governments about how they can support jobs, opportunity and those who live in Melbourne's south-east with innovative public transport solutions.
A statement from Monash University
