Regional Rail Link

Map of the Regional Rail Link, currently under construction, in orange.

The Regional Rail Link is a 47.5 km^[1] railway track currently under construction through the western suburbs of Melbourne from Southern Cross Station, running through Sunshine, Tarneit and meeting the Geelong Line at West Werribee. It is expected to cost $A4 billion. The completion date is likely to be 2016.^[2] The preliminary route between Sunshine and Werribee was released for public consultation in June 2009,^[3] with the route through Footscray not being announced until July 2010.^[4] The ceremonial start of construction was at Southern Cross Station on 27 August 2009.^[5][6] In August 2010 the Regional Rail Link Authority was created by the State Government to manage the delivery of the project.^[7]

In February 2011, the Baillieu government announced that that RRL project was under review because of 'chaotic planning' and a 'massive blowout' in cost. The Baillieu government now believes the price tag for the rail line stands at about $880 million more than estimated by the previous (Brumby) government.^[8] The new Transport minister, Mr Mulder, said the government was now examining the funding and the timing of the railway line's construction, before deciding how to proceed.^[9]

Project

Problem

External videos
	A general overview of the project

The biggest problem facing regional rail passengers in Western Victoria when travelling to Melbourne is delays in the Melbourne suburban area, where the trains operated by V/Line share tracks with Melbourne's metropolitan passenger network, currently operated and managed by Metro Trains Melbourne.^[10] As a result it takes only a single delayed metropolitan service operating ahead of a regional service, to severely hamper the on-time running of the regional service, and late running regional trains are often placed in front of on-time but stopping all stations suburban trains. In major disruptions each operator has been known to blame the other for causing a line to be closed.^[11][12]

Solution

A separate line for regional trains from Geelong, then called the "Tarneit link", was included as a possible long-term rail option in the state government's 2006 Meeting Our Transport Challenges report. Costed at around A$500 million, the link was also recommended in Sir Rod Eddington's East-West Link Needs Assessment study released in April 2008,^[13][14] but by November that year the cost was being reported as A$1.5 billion.^[15]

The project was expanded and rebranded as Regional Rail Link when announced as part of the government's Victorian Transport Plan of December 2008. Now with the aim of separating all regional trains between Southern Cross and Geelong, Ballarat, and Bendigo, from suburban rail movements, it will be constructed between West Werribee, through Tarneit and Sunshine, and then to Southern Cross Station through the western suburbs of Melbourne. In May 2009, the project was fully funded through an allocation of A$3.2 billion in the 2009 Federal budget, adding to funds to be provided by the Victorian government.^[16]

On 12 July 2010, the final route through Footscray was announced by the state government.^[4] Heading away from Melbourne, the pair of Regional Rail Link tracks will run south of the current four suburban tracks until after the line has crossed the Maribyrnong River, where a new bridge will be constructed for it. After crossing the river, the line will pass over the top of the Newport-bound suburban tracks on a flyover, and then run between each pair of suburban tracks to Footscray station. At Footscray it will use the current platforms 1 and 2, and then run on resumed land to the south of the suburban line to Sunshine, past Middle Footscray and West Footscray stations. Suburban trains towards Sunshine will use their existing tracks except at Footscray station, where two new platforms will be built for them, north of the current platforms.^[17][18]

Cost and benefits

In May 2010, the estimated cost was A$4.3 billion, and economic benefits were estimated to be A$6.2 billion.^[19]

On 5 April 2011, the new Liberal government said it would cost closer to $5 billion and two years longer to build.^[20]

In July 2011, the cost was A$5.3 billion and completion date was 2016.^[21]

These costs and benefits do not take into account the human costs associated with the construction of the rail lines.^[22]

Consequences

All passenger movements from the Geelong, Bendigo and Ballarat lines will use the Regional Rail Link, removing the potential conflicts encountered when these services share tracks with metropolitan services, which themselves are heavily overloaded.^[23] The link will also allow for more services to run, which combined with the purchase of new trains,^[24] will alleviate the heavy overcrowding on Regional Fast Rail services, particularly those from Geelong and Ballarat.

Furthermore, commissioning of platforms 15 and 16 at Southern Cross Station will also take place, expanding the number of trains that can arrive and depart from the station and boosting passenger movements at the station. This will also allow regional services using the Regional Rail Link to arrive and depart from Southern Cross without the need to cross tracks, across the path of metropolitan services.

Timeline

• 2 July 2011 - Construction begins, with the shifting of existing railway tracks between Sunshine and Tottenham.^[21]
• 18 July 2011 - Sydenham, Ballarat and Bendigo lines re-open after being closed for 2 weeks during the Victorian School Holidays to allow construction of the RRL^[21]

• 2016 - expected completion of RRL Project

Construction

External videos
	A detailed animation of the actual railway line

Southern Cross Station platforms 15 (undercover) and 16 (external) in 2011 following initial construction work

Construction has commenced from Southern Cross Station, with the completion of platforms 15 and 16,^[25] and is working outwards towards Sunshine - connecting to the Ballarat and Bendigo lines - and then onwards from Sunshine to Deer Park West, where it will run via the Tarneit diversion to join the Geelong railway line at West Werribee Junction, near the site of the former Manor railway station.

The works have been divided into eight packages - an overall railway signalling and control systems contract, and seven sections of track:^[26]

• Southern Cross Station platforms 15 and 16 (to be carried out by the suburban operator)
• Southern Cross Station to Maribyrnong River (4.75 km)
• Maribyrnong River to West Footscray station (2.35 km)
• West Footscray to west of Sunshine station (5.0 km)
• West of Sunshine station to Deer Park West (8.4 km)
• Deer Park West to West Werribee Junction (25.5 km as a design and construct contract)
• West Werribee Junction / Geelong Line interchange (approximately 1.5 km)

Controversy

Cost Effectiveness

Supporters of investment in public transport have raised questions regarding the high cost of the project, estimated to be up to four or five times more expensive than required. Supporters of public transport have also questioned why infrastructure in existing urban areas, such as the Doncaster railway line, were not funded in priority to such a vast area that is currently mostly uninhabited.^{[citation needed]}

Route Options

Uncertainty has been created by the fact that the precise path of the railway was not fully determined before funding was received and work commenced. One proposal involved the acquisition of up to 49 properties in Railway Place, Footscray to widen the existing railway corridor, and local residents launched a campaign against that proposal in May 2010. Other options floated were the sharing of tracks with freight trains in the existing Bunbury Street tunnel, or the construction of a second rail tunnel under Footscray^[27]

Property Acquisitions

The final route through Footscray was announced on 12 July 2010 with a surface route through Footscray.^[4] The houses at Railway Place were spared, with 26 homes and 84 businesses on Buckley Street being acquired instead.^[28] Many residents did not find out their homes were to be acquired until told by visiting journalists, waiting up to 24 hours for official notification from Department of Transport representatives.^[29] A Government spokeswoman said "every effort" had been made to contact the households affected, but their planned visit had been cancelled because bureaucrats delivering the bad news did not want to be filmed by the media.^[30]

Budget Overrun

With a change of government after the state election in November 2010, the RRL project came in for the scrutiny of the incoming Transport Minister, Terry Mulder. Mr Mulder revealed in a radio interview on 4 February 2011^[31] that:

"The project is currently being re-profiled, as they would say, because the federal government has pulled $500m out of this term of government, pushed $500m out to 15/16 (fin yr). But also, when I took over the role as minister, I was presented with a document that showed me that the project had blown out by $700M plus $180m for level crossing upgrades at Sunshine - or, grade separations - that hadn't been included, plus unfunded rolling stock." ... "The fact of the matter is no decision has been made at this time. As you could understand, Regional Rail Link, the Department of Transport, Treasury and Finance are working through the project." ... "It's going to be re-profiled. We don't have the capacity within our budget to take up what the federal government is pulling out. Well, pushed-back, re-profiled - there's a number of options that are being looked at at the moment - re-scoped, we've got to work out what we can afford to do."

Noise and pollution

Further controversy emerged with the release of reports from the Victorian Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), obtained by the Sunday Age through a freedom of information request.^[32] These reports criticise the methodology and results contained in assessments submitted by the RRL team to former state planning minister, Justin Madden, as part of the project planning referral. The EPA reports state that, "In Footscray, for the most exposed residents, a vast majority of the population will experience chronic noise-induced sleep disturbance, with very significant proportions highly disturbed...For the most exposed residents in other areas, almost half the community will experience chronic noise-induced sleep disturbance.".

The reports also raised concerns about the Footscray park Railway Reserve where, the EPA predicted, the public would be exposed to dangerous levels of nitrogen dioxide from increased diesel train traffic. The EPA noted that planned risk assessments had not been done by the Department of Transport.

Mr Madden viewed the EPA reports in September 2010, but ruled that an Environment Effects Statement (EES) will not be required for Section-1 of the RRL project,^[33] "Section 1 of the Regional Rail Link project– from Moonee Ponds Creek, West Melbourne to Deer Park - is in an urban area along side existing rail infrastructure," Mr Madden said. "I have evaluated the need for an EES for the project against the Ministerial Guidelines for Assessment of Environmental Effects under the Environmental Effects Act 1978 and concluded that, subject to the stated conditions, the proposed works are unlikely to have significant environmental effects."

In response to the emergence of the EPA reports, a government spokesperson accused the former Labor government of a "scandalous cover-up" and vowed that "Potential health and environment issues that have been uncovered will also now be fully investigated".^[32]

Destruction of Heritage

In response to the RRL proposals with respect to the HV McKay Memorial Gardens as part of a grade speration along Anderson Road in Sunshine, the new Liberal Minister for Public Transport Terry Mulder said: "We try our hardest as a government, and Vicroads do as well, to minimise the impact. But there’s always a trade-off on those types of projects and sometimes you can’t keep everyone happy."^[34] Despite claims that "this will complete the destruction of Australia's oldest and most significant industrial gardens", it has been determined that only five square metres of the park will be acquired to allow construction.^[35]

No RRL platforms at North Melbourne Station

RRL platforms will be not be provided at North Melbourne station, so regional passengers will no longer be able to use it. North Melbourne is a key interchange point, which provides access to the City Loop, three other suburban rail lines, the Showgrounds/Flemington Racecourse branch, and the route 401 bus service to the hospital and university precincts. The RRL bypass of North Melbourne means that regional passengers will have to alight at Footscray station or Southern Cross station to travel to North Melbourne. Footscray station does not provide the same choice of services, and Southern Cross has a much less compact layout. Neither of the alternative stations give access to the 401 bus. There has been a suggestion that some amendment to the bus route could be made to lessen the inconvenience.

Lines

Regional Rail Link
Legend 0 km Southern Cross (SSS) Zone 1 6.1km Footscray(FSY) Zone 1 13.5km Sunshine(SUN) Zone 1 & 2 SG to Albury and Sydney Sydenham/Bendigo/Swan Hill/Echuca Lines 15.02km Ardeer(APR) Zone 2 20.82km Deer Park(DEK) Zone 2 Ballarat/Ararat/Melton Lines Tarneit (new station proposed) Wyndham Vale (new station proposed) ← Geelong railway line, Werribee railway line →

References

External links

• Regional Rail Link website
• Fair-go for Footscray Rail Residents
• Public Transport Users Association - Geelong Branch