Australian Railway Projects 2020

Ballarat Line Upgrade

The Ballarat Line Upgrade has included:

• duplicating 18 kilometres of track between Deer Park west and Melton
• building a new Cobblebank Station, between Rockbank and Melton, separately funded by the Victorian Government’s Growth Area Infrastructure Contribution
• rebuilding Rockbank Station, including new, longer platforms, a pedestrian overpass and a car park with 350 spaces
• upgrading Bacchus Marsh Station including a new platform, pedestrian overpass and 100 new car park spaces
• upgrading Ballan Station including a new platform, pedestrian overpass and a new car park on the southern side of the station
• upgrading Wendouree Station including a new platform, pedestrian overpass and extra track
• duplicating track at Bacchus Marsh
• building a new stabling facility at Maddingley
• building passing loops at Ballan and Millbrook
• signalling upgrades and track improvements.

The final phase of the Ballarat Line Upgrade will begin later this year, to deliver much-needed extra services for the growing communities along the line.

Crews will carry out commissioning, critical safety testing and driver training to integrate the new track, platforms and passing loops built as part of the project with the existing network.

Following commissioning trains will start using the new second platforms and tracks at Ballan, Bacchus Marsh and Wendouree stations, and the accessible pedestrian overpass at Wendouree Station will be opened to station users.

Passing loops at Ballan and Millbrook will provide more options for trains to pass each other, allowing more frequent services and helping services recover faster from unexpected delays.

The existing Bungaree passing loop will no longer be used by trains once this work is complete, allowing for five level crossings to be removed between Dunnstown, Bungaree, Wallace and Millbrook.

More than 250 workers will carry out work as part of this final disruption for the project and will install 500 metres of track duplication between Bacchus Marsh Station and Maddingley and add two level crossings in Ballan, work which can only be completed at this critical time.

Work has continued throughout 2020 on the Ballarat Line to prepare for commissioning, including installing signalling infrastructure and carrying out testing.

Nearly 1.6 million hours have been worked on the Ballarat Line Upgrade since construction began in late 2017.

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Australian Railway Projects 2020

Waurn Ponds Station Upgrade

The Waurn Ponds Station upgrade includes:

• a second platform on the south side of the station with shelters and seating
• track duplication to enable trains to pass each other
• a new accessible pedestrian overpass to provide access between the two platforms featuring lifts, ramps and stairs
• secure bicycle storage and bicycle hoops
• car park improvements featuring:
• more than 90 new car parking spaces
• sealing 120 existing gravel car parking spaces
• more accessible car parking
• new drop-off zone
• access at both ends of the car park
• additional CCTV, lighting, myki machines and passenger information displays.

A new platform and extra track at Waurn Ponds Station will create enough space for trains to pass each other, allowing more Geelong services to be extended to and from Waurn Ponds and helping to improve service reliability.

Station users will have new and improved car parking and an accessible overpass linking both platforms.

Construction is now underway on the car park upgrade at Waurn Ponds Station.

The works are being delivered in stages to minimise disruption to station users, with the first stage to focus on the upgrade to the gravel and overflow car parks from Bollinger Street to Rossack Drive.

These sections are now closed to the public and will reopen later this year, along with two new access points to the station car park – off Sugargum Drive between Oakwood Crescent and Mumm Street, and via Rossack Drive.

The extra car parking spaces will be the first of a number of new features at Waurn Ponds Station, with the upgrade to also include a second track and platform, an accessible pedestrian overpass with lifts, stairs and ramps, plus an expanded station forecourt with a new drop-off zone and secure bike storage.

The first section of the car park upgrade is scheduled for completion in late 2020, with construction on the station upgrade targeted for completion in late 2021.

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Australian Railway Projects 2020

Warrnambool Line Upgrade

The Warrnambool Line Upgrade includes:

• building a new crossing loop
• signalling upgrades between Waurn Ponds and Warrnambool
• level crossing upgrades (complete).

Construction on signalling upgrades between Warrnambool and Waurn Ponds is now underway, as part of a program of works to deliver more frequent and reliable train services for rail passengers in the state’s south west.

Crews have mobilised at Camperdown and have begun trenching to install underground cabling to support the signalling upgrades along the line, which will make train services more reliable.

Construction on the 2.2km crossing loop between Boorcan and Oswell roads in Boorcan will begin in coming weeks, with a site compound currently being established by contractor Downer, between Camperdown and Terang stations.

The crossing loop is a new section of track which will make it easier for trains to pass each other in this area and allow for a fifth weekday return service between Warrnambool and Melbourne, giving passengers more choice on when to travel.

It will also allow passenger and freight services to recover more quickly from unexpected delays on the line, boosting reliability.

The Warrnambool Line Upgrade is part of the Australian and Victorian governments’ investment of more than $2 billion in Regional Rail Revival, which is upgrading every passenger rail line in the state and creating more than 1,000 jobs.

Local communities and passengers are now benefiting from the completion of level crossing upgrades along the Warrnambool Line in Moriac, Buckley, Winchelsea, Birregurra, Warncoort, Colac, Pirron Yallock, Swan Marsh, Boorcan, Terang and Garvoc.

V/Line delivered the upgrades as part of early works for the Warrnambool Line Upgrade, fitting 12 level crossings between Waurn Ponds and Warrnambool with boom gates, flashing lights, bells and improved train detection technology to boost safety for motorists, pedestrians and train passengers.

These public road level crossings have been rated the highest risk on the Warrnambool Line and include the last on the line to be upgraded from passive to active. They build on the 22 level crossings that were upgraded as part of the Safer Country Crossings Program.

Construction on the signalling upgrades and the Boorcan crossing loop is targeted for completion in late 2021.

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Australian Railway Projects 2020 

Geelong Fast Rail

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced the first stage of Geelong Fast Rail. The project will upgrade the Werribee rail corridor, with new dedicated tracks between Werribee and Laverton for Geelong trains, to enable faster passenger services from Melbourne to Geelong.The project will be undertaken in a number of stages.

Stage 1 will:

• Construct a new dedicated regional passenger track from Werribee and Laverton.
• Upgrade stations at Werribee and Laverton.
• Construct new and upgrade existing bridges and culverts.
• Upgrade signalling and train control systems.

Further stages of the project are being developed by the Victorian Government.

The project will reduce travel times and improve public transport options. It will allow passenger services to travel via Werribee rather than Sunshine. The Werribee corridor is the shortest and most direct route (around eight kilometres shorter than the current route via Wyndham Vale and Sunshine) and will allow express passengers to operate from Melbourne to Geelong.

Stage 1 will reduce travel times by around 15 minutes, taking it from 65 minutes to 50 minutes. Stage 1 will also free up capacity from/to Sunshine, allowing additional passenger services to operate from the new Melbourne Airport Rail Link and regional centres such as Ballarat and Bendigo.

Some Geelong trains will continue to travel via Wyndham Vale and Sunshine, providing Geelong passengers with access to Melbourne’s growing western suburbs and an opportunity to change at Sunshine for Melbourne Airport trains. This solution enables both more frequent and faster services in the long term.

Stage 1 is estimated to cost $4 billion. The Australian Government has committed $2 billion and the Victorian Government $2 billion towards Stage 1.

Planning for the project is underway. Construction on Stage 1 is expected to commence in 2023 subject to relevant planning, environmental and government approvals. Further planning, development and technical investigations for these improvements is required to confirm the timeframe for Stage 1 and the scope, cost and timing of further stages.

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