Does anyone here have any idea what works are taking place alongside the up section of tracks outside Wyndham Vale station? They've been digging away the entire eastern embankment there for a month or more.

Does anyone here have any idea what works are taking place alongside the up section of tracks outside Wyndham Vale station? They've been digging away the entire eastern embankment there for a month or more.

Maintenance depot for the Vlocity fleet (replacing the current depot In West Melbourne)

Everything in central area stays as is .

Does anyone here have any idea what works are taking place alongside the up section of tracks outside Wyndham Vale station? They've been digging away the entire eastern embankment there for a month or more.

EXCLUSIVE A 200KMH bullet train halving travel times between Melbourne and Geelong will form the centrepiece of a $2 billion Budget commitment from the federal government.

The nation’s first high-speed rail project would cut the journey between Southern Cross Station and Geelong to 32 minutes, and would connect to the Melbourne Metro now being built and the planned Airport Rail Link.

Construction is likely to begin within 18 months.

The European-style Geelong link, estimated to cost at least $4 billion and expected to take 10 years to complete, will require matching funding from the Victorian government.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will unveil his promise today, while stumping up another $40 million to kickstart a 20-year vision of “fast rail” links to Traralgon, in the state’s east, and ­Wodonga, in the northeast.

Mr Morrison told the Herald Sun the investment would return time to commuters and enable more people to live in the regions.

It would also help ease the gridlock on the West Gate Bridge and Princes Freeway, which carries more than 54,000 cars and trucks every day.

CONTINUED PAGE 6 FROM PAGE 1 The Prime Minister said: “This is all part of our plan to manage population growth that I announced this week, to take the pressure off our big cities like Melbourne and make our regional cities like Geelong even more attractive places to live and work.

“As our population grows, fast rail networks are crucial to easing the congestion pressures in our cities and shaping Australia’s future.” The government will create a National Fast Rail Agency to work with states, the private sector, and local communities to determine priorities and oversee fast-rail projects.

The fast trains would travel at average speeds of 160kmh, and would use the new track to be built from Southern Cross to Sunshine as part of the rail link to Melbourne airport. They would stop at Sunshine station, before likely running express to Geelong.

The entire line from Sunshine to Geelong will have to be upgraded, and there would be a big revamp of Geelong railway station. A business case would consider whether the fast trains would stop at other stations along the way.

Though tipped to finish by 2030, the project could be completed sooner, depending n how quickly the airport rail link is completed.

The project builds on the $1.6 billion injection by the Commonwealth into Victoria’s ageing regional rail network which includes extra services, upgrades of stations, and faster trips to all corners of the state.

It could also link into the Andrews Government’s ambitious suburban rail loop, which aims to connect every major Melbourne railway line.

The project could boost the government’s chances of retaining the seat of Corangamite, held by Sarah Henderson by just 0.03 per cent.

Labor, which also has an ambitious high-speed rail agenda, will be under pressure to honour the commitment should it win May’s election.

Opinion piece in The Age

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/fast-rail-to-geelong-do-they-really-think-we-re-that-stupid-20190322-p516kh.html

And yes, the heading carries the line "Do they really think we're that stupid?"

Rick

Opinion piece in The Age

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/fast-rail-to-geelong-do-they-really-think-we-re-that-stupid-20190322-p516kh.html

And yes, the heading carries the line "Do they really think we're that stupid?"

Rick

Clay Lucas is being a little blunt in choice of words, but overall I can't see anything wrong with his assessment.  

Morrison has dreamt this up at the last minute to try and save some furniture in Vic seats, the state government (who would need to stump up a big chunk of $$$ for this to even get to planning stage) hasn't been given any time to actually respond, and the public aren't going to buy it.  So yes, I think he thinks voters are stupid.

How can you achieve an average speed of 160km/hr, when the V/Locity top speed is 160?

Vlocity trains will not be used and a new EMU will probably be ordered to provide the service.  Those Vlocity units made available could be deployed on the Geelong-Ballarat-Maryborough services and Echuca and other network pairs.

Vlocity trains will not be used and a new EMU will probably be ordered to provide the service.  Those Vlocity units made available could be deployed on the Geelong-Ballarat-Maryborough services and Echuca and other network pairs.

????

You must have read a different press release than I did to be so certain about what is promised.

The only real detail in the Morrison government promise was quadruplication between Sunshine and Wyndham Vale, connecting at Sunshine with the new line to Southern Cross.

The rest was wavy hands stuff. There was no mention of electrification, no mention of significant improvements between Wyndham Vale and Geelong (e.g. grade separation), and certainly no mention of new rolling stock.