A CONNECTED train line from Bendigo to Geelong is unlikely to ever become a reality, even with large shifts in population to the state’s regional cities.
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Infrastructure Victoria threw cold water on the idea in its recently released 30 year infrastructure strategy, All Things Considered.
The Rail Revival Alliance has long called for the reopening of the lines from Bendigo to Ballarat, through Castlemaine and Maryborough, and down to Geelong to create a continuous route.
But Infrastructure Victoria determined reviving the train lines all the way from Bendigo to Geelong would be too costly.
“While rail performs best where there are high volumes of people travelling between concentrated origins or destinations, there may be other alternatives that would be more appropriate in supporting the need, such as more frequent and direct bus services between the three cities,” the report states.
“Were a fundamentally different population distribution to occur in Victoria, with vastly more growth in these regional cities, this option could become more viable.
“However, even with the substantial growth projected for these cities, our initial findings are that more cost-effective options should be considered.”
The Infrastructure Victoria report, which includes more than 200 ideas to address the state’s future infrastructure needs, stated the use of shared taxis and hire cars could make public transport more accessible in regional areas.
On Monday, the state government released its Regional Network Development Plan, which included a goal of peak trains every 20 minutes, and every 40 minutes off-peak, from Bendigo to Melbourne. No time frames or costings were provided with the plan.
Other ideas listed in the Infrastructure Victoria report included the potential use of recycled waste water for agricultural purposes, with the idea potentially providing “an opportunity to provide a reliable water resource for businesses”.
Recycled waste water for drinking was considered an unattractive option, given the likely negative community reaction.
“It is likely that significant efforts would be required to gain community acceptance of this proposal, and it will also likely have an appreciable impact on domestic water bills,” the report reads.
The benefits and challenges of improving infrastructure in the Bendigo Law Courts, establishing a regional rail control centre and the electrification of regional rail lines were also included in the report.
Electrification of the Bendigo line would require a separate assessment, the report found, and it could prove too costly.
The massive project could make the commute to Melbourne easier, however.
“The increase in service provision would allow people to more easily commute between Victoria’s regional cities and Melbourne while also enabling further development along the rail corridors,” the report stated.
“Electrifying the Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo rail lines will provide a significant service increase to the important public transport link from these high growth regional centres to Melbourne.”
Infrastructure Victoria is calling for public feedback to its 400-page report, with a survey available at yoursay.infrastructure.com.au