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Confirmation of federal funding for the Bendigo Metro project has been welcomed by a public transport lobby group, who cautioned the fundamental problem with the Bendigo line, namely the single track north of Kyneton, still remained.
A letter to Premier Daniel Andrews from Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, released on Monday, confirmed the federal government will contribute the vast majority of the $1.57 billion regional rail revival package announced in the May state budget, including $91 million for the Bendigo and Echuca rail line.
The funding will go towards Bendigo Metro stage two, which will add more services to Epsom and Eaglehawk, while also providing an extra daily service to Echuca.
Public Transport Users Association regional spokesman Paul Westcott said the y-shaped configuration at the end of the of the Bendigo Metro line made it difficult to offer full services to both Epsom and Eaglehawk.
A Bendigo Metro Rail Recommendations Report in 2015 suggested stage two of the project could include a shuttle train between Eaglehawk and Kangaroo Flat, or Bendigo, to connect to with the Epsom-Melbourne service.
However, Mr Westcott said that would be a “very expensive service”, that could be economised with a shuttle bus.
Future funding, if not directed to a duplication of the track north of Kyneton, could be spent on upgrading crossing opportunities, Mr Westcott said.
Lengthening existing crossing loops, or creating “passing lanes”, would mean trains could travel at close to full speed when passing one another, reducing unreliability on the line, he said.
Government figures show patronage on the Bendigo Metro rail network more than doubled at Epsom and Eaglehawk since the project began at the start of last year.
The figures, released by the Victorian Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources recently, show 1535 people boarded the train at Epsom between January and March this year, up from 763 in the third quarter of 2015.
Victorian Minister for Public Transport and Member for Bendigo East, Jacinta Allan, said: “This is a once in a generation investment that will deliver improvements for every regional passenger line in Victoria.”
“It will upgrade track, stations and signalling across the state, to run more trains and get people home sooner, wherever they live.”