It was in the 1990’s when passengers could take a train between Geelong and Ballarat a service much used and respected by the travelling public. Sadly this stopped when the service was axed during the Kennett years not necessarily because it was not a viable service, but because it was a service to Ararat and with the changes of the gauge systems between Broad Gauge to Standard Gauge for the line west of Geelong and into Ararat through the One Nation programme, V/Line neglected to properly ensure the broad gauge connection into the back platform at Ararat was retained.
This change also meant the end of Ararat V/Line passenger services for many years.
Since that time Ararat has been reconnected to the broad gauge network and trains are servicing this township via Ballarat connecting from Melbourne.
When trains resumed between Ararat and Ballarat the service between Geelong and Ballarat did not resume. The line between North Geelong and Ballarat now is primarily a freight only line also used for the occasional transfer train between Melbourne and Ballarat and the odd special train service such as a steam train excursion.
The line has been upgraded several times over the years (including federal funding) and we find many concrete sleepers on the line between Gheringhap and Ballarat. Over the same period housing and population growth is continuing between Geelong and Ballarat.
A PTV report dated April 2013 states the majority of the line between Gheringhap and Ballarat could sustain a train speed of 160 km/h. These potential speeds could make a journey between Geelong and Ballarat take less than 40 minutes by train.
It is clear this important set of projects and recommendations by the PTV have been ignored and further, key aspects of the infrastructure to deliver regional rail upgrades have been dismantled by Victrack probably due to spite.
Approximately 430,000 people combined live in Geelong and Ballarat, more if you consider the population in the towns en route, but despite this population being almost the size of Canberra, and much larger than the Sunshine Coast, there are only 3 bus services each way per day despite stations and quality track being in place between the two large regional capitals. We all know buses are not popular and trains are what people want and use so the current policy is encouraging the further use of more vehicles on the Midland Highway.
The Midland Highway between Geelong and Ballarat is now under consideration for a billion dollars of road upgrades to accomodation the increased vehicle traffic between the two major regional capitals.
The fact the highway is already in need of an upgrade (what Vicroads state but they are hardly reliable and have over the past few years made our roads in the regions broken and very unsafe with their policies of permitting massive and dangerous trucks even on the smallest of roads) highlights the poor planning by the Department of Transport and Planning.
The state of Victoria is beginning to believe transport planning has become the art of throwing money at Transurban or Chinese road builders and not at sustainable and sensible regional transport projects that benefit the state as a whole. The entire name of the department has become a joke considering the poor planing around the reduction of diesel hauled trains to Melbourne suburbs potentially reducing the amount of poor air quality at Southern Cross.
Where has this department ever shown the paying public they are ahead of the demand for public transport services and begun investing in services as the need arises?
They never have but instead wait until it is at crisis point and then attempt to do something that turns out overpriced and poorly designed. Almost no thought has gone into the replacement of longer distance V/Line trains (being the locomotive hauled N sets) other than to throw an outdated velocity short distance train at passengers knowing this would not cut the mustard. Yes there have been some consultations on the Albury line service but the implementation has been widely recognised as a failure.
The Regional Rail Alliance has recently called for the introduction of trial Mildura to Maryborough services.
When did the charter of the Department of Transport and Planning change to ensure the view of the travelling public who pay their salaries should never be listened to when it comes to important changes in the way services are to be provided? We have gross overcrowding of the regional rail network at the same time V/Line have been withdrawing rolling stock from the network without replacement rolling stock.
For reasons unknown the Department of Transport and Planning and V/Line have refused to return train passenger services for the travelling public between Ballarat and Geelong despite requests from the Ballarat and Geelong regional councils amongst others. This has been entirely frustrating for commuters from both cities. V/Line and especially the Department of Transport and Planning (although those two last words should not be used at the same time when it comes to transport in Victoria) refuse to provide any timeline and aptitude toward providing the services people are requesting.
Sadly Victoria has regional parliamentary sitting members who actually campaign for the lifting and removal of key regional rail assets such as Maree Edwards MP the Member for the seat Bendigo West has called for with regard to the Maryborough to Castlemaine railway line. The 2013 PTV report also advocated for the restoration of passenger trains between Maryborough and Castlemaine.
Victorian transport planning is starting to redefine the definition of lethargy and procrastination.
That line is a bit of a sleeper the population stats speak for themselves on this line almost the pop of Canberra is significant.
I read somewhere else the population of Canberra is also in the south east of Melbourne in Dandenong/Cranbourne LGA not sure if entirely true.
What is preventing the government from making this happen as makes good sense and as they say no one likes buses when you can have a train.
I sometime question their position for representing their people….. Some these MPs are so uppity, the don’t ride the system, not they do like listening to those people who use them!
If some people put more thought and care on who they elect to positions of responsibility as they do when their personal $ at stake by checking their merits and their character and past actions as they do with much caution and thought before placing their hard earn $ on bets on Horses and their Jockey and Footy Players whist tip a bet maybe this could be averted!
Plus I think the title of Hon should be stripped from their titles, should be earned by strict criteria or it makes them too arrogant!
Is it that hard to shuttle a train up and down a rail line between two major cities?
It seems to be in Victoria. If the councils are asking and they have done the planning plus there has been a report prepared then stop wasting money on highway upgrades and make it more attractive to catch a train between Ballarat and Geelong.
There is plenty of capacity on the line and unclear even if any crossing loops may be required on the line as the possible timetable means circa 40 min journeys. Could start with a morning, midday and late afternoon and evening service each way allowing a day in Geelong or Ballarat. Could be connected with the Maryborough and Ararat Services.