City of Greater Geelong and Wyndham City councils are calling on the Victorian Government to immediately trial a direct rail connection between Geelong and Werribee by rerouting existing Warrnambool services through Werribee.
City of Greater Geelong and Wyndham City councils have written to Minister for Public Transport Vicki Ward to advocate for the practical, low-cost trial, which could provide a direct rail connection between two of Victoria's fastest-growing municipalities without waiting for major new infrastructure to be built.
Under the proposal, the daily Warrnambool-Melbourne services in each direction would travel via the existing Werribee corridor instead of Wyndham Vale.
The tracks between Little River and Werribee remain active for freight and maintained, meaning the trial would be making use of existing rail infrastructure, rolling stock and crews. The proposal could be implemented relatively quickly - with costs limited to timetable changes, passenger information and communications - and provide valuable evidence to inform future investment and service planning.
A direct Geelong-Werribee service would improve access to jobs, education, healthcare, Avalon Airport and other key destinations for communities across Greater Geelong and Wyndham.
Reinstating the Geelong-Werribee passenger rail corridor is a 2026 Priority Project leading up to the Victorian state election.
City of Greater Geelong Mayor Stretch Kontelj OAM
This proposal is a practical first step towards better connecting two rapidly growing communities. We know the long-term case for reconnecting Geelong and Werribee is strong, but our communities shouldn't have to wait years to start seeing the benefits.
This trial makes use of the infrastructure and services we already have, while giving us an opportunity to demonstrate what a direct connection could mean for commuters.
Better connections between Geelong and Melbourne's west mean better access to jobs, education, healthcare, economic and social opportunities. That's something worth acting on now.
Wyndham City Mayor Mia Shaw
This trial is a simple way to test the demand for a direct link between our two growing regions. Listening to our residents, this is something that is desperately needed and would reopen an important connection for work, learning, visiting loved ones and travel.
We're not asking for a new railway. We're asking to use infrastructure and services that already exist, collect the evidence and see what works.
This is a low-cost, practical opportunity to reconnect two communities that have a strong case for being better connected.
