PUBLIC Transport Minister Terry Mulder has turned the first sod on the new Epsom Train Station project.
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Mr Mulder visited the construction site, at the corner of Station Street and Howard Street at Epsom, on Tuesday afternoon.
Plans for the new station include a 160-metre platform with shelters, ticketing services, bicycle hoops, a bus stop and parking for 100 cars.
"This is a great project, it's a fantastic project," Mr Mulder said.
"Any city that's building new railway stations is a city on the move.
"This says an awful lot about what's happening here in Bendigo, particularly in relation to public transport.
"It will be the first time in 40 years that the Epsom community will be serviced by trains.
"It is a great announcement."
Construction started this week with the new train station set to be operational before the end of the year.
It will be the first time in 40 years that the Epsom community will be serviced by trains.
- Terry Mulder
"We gave a commitment in Opposition that we'd undertake this work, to build a station here, (and now) we see the works progressing," Mr Mulder said.
"The contractors have only been on site for a few days but as you can see, Ducon have already made a massive impression in terms of the work they're going to undertake to deliver this new station."
Mr Mulder said construction of the new Epsom station coincided with works at the Eaglehawk station.
"They'll get an additional early morning service out at that location and, of course, when the Regional Rail Link Project is completed you'll see a peak hour service in the morning and a peak hour service in the evening coming in and going out of Bendigo," he said.
"And in the meantime we've also been doing a lot of work on the line.
"There have been thousands of timber sleepers being replaced with concrete sleepers along the line to provide a more comfortable and reliable ride.
"And on top of that, to help facilitate this project, there have been an additional 12 level crossings that have been upgraded .... so there is a significant investment in public transport.
"Once this project is completed, once the regional rail link is completed, the Bendigo community will understand that their wait has been worthwhile."