A stalemate between Melbourne Airport and the state government over the long awaited airport rail link has come to an end.
The airport has now backed down from its demand for an underground station, clearing the path for the project to proceed, with the hope it could be built by 2030.
Melbourne Airport CEO Lorie Argus hopes the project is built, but told Tom Elliott “it won’t an airport express service direct from the airport to the city”.
Press PLAY to hear her explain why + the new train station which will be a “game-changer”
Who does the research at 3AW ?
Change trains at Sunshine has NEVER been in any version of the plans, yet he and the airport spokesperson went on and on about it.
Just more obfuscation to roadblock the train link, but still saying “we support.. “
A redevelopment of the Sunshine Railway Station to provide additional platforms was a component of the plan and a reason why it is so expensive. I believe the two new tracks for the airport line would be electrified into the airport.
3AW actively dislikes anything to do with the state Labor government. They obviously will say anything to put the government in the worst possible light. The Metro rail from West Footscray to the City via Arden already has the slots available for the trains coming direct from the airport.
Who knows how 3AW decided the change at Sunshine was a requirement, so presumably,their thinking is the airport trains would terminate there and return to the airport?
Airport trains will definitely be stopping at East Keilor, Sunshine then probably all stations to the city after Tottenham.
If the above is correct the only track required is from the portal of the MMT1 to Sunshine as the Sunshine to Ardeer and ontowards to the freight lines has 2 new tracks as i can see from the various announcements?
Sunshine should be an important interchange for the west including for the North East Line (Wodonga and Wangaratta).
Not Ardeer.
It’s veer off at ALBION to the airport, on
the normal Pakenham to Sunbury ( via MM1 )
Where would the new tracks at sunshine be located I assume toward the centre?
Curious thing some people like to know …..what is the rational reasoning aren’t the airport line on a designated track to and from the Airport?
I don’t think those international visitors and some travellers have time to do the scenic not so direct route the International Melbourne Airport as they got planes to catch!
From my understand overseas airport rail links are designated track where they don’t have wait for other trains on that same system.
KL Malaysia Second world nation, Airport line very modern train, drop your luggage at the station, the luggage is checked in and goes direct to the airport whist you board the train, a comfortable ride to the airport get off do your paper work and wait for your plane as your luggage has already being dealt with before boarding your flight.
If their government transport authority can do this system with their Railway link to the Airport, why can’t a first world advanced nation like Australia do it like this too?
That is surely what should happen in Melbourne.
It is not unusual to have an airport line service with commuters on it such as Sydney.
The balancing of express v non express or express with only major stations should be examined. Many will want to travel between the CBD or eastern suburbs to the airport. There will be some who want to access the airport line from Ballarat and Bendigo and Geelong who will be able to do this via Sunshine Major Rail hub they are building or proposing to build.
The compromise might be express to Keilor East, then to Sunshine and then to Footscray and then via the CBD MM1 and then to Dandenong line stopping at stations. This is Limited Express.
It seems like a train operational working time table nightmare managing all those train movements down that rail corridor….one thing goes wrong the knock on effect is horrendous….
Metro and Centro work with each other added another operator to the mix seems a sight to behold and observe…
We don’t have double tracks in most rail corridors only crossing loops, excluding the Waurn Ponds and beyond that duplicating the rail corridor…..We used to have double track operations, not sure why they got rid of em…I don’t understand why either!