Thinking about returning services for passengers between Geelong and Ballarat and beyond this line would have to be the easiest but for this with stations and good quality track in place.

It's 80km/h with unprotected level crossing and none of the stations are up to standard/ near the track these days.

Thinking about returning services for passengers between Geelong and Ballarat and beyond this line would have to be the easiest but for this with stations and good quality track in place.

It's 80km/h with unprotected level crossing and none of the stations are up to standard/ near the track these days.

Am only writing what I see. Our Train Prep Dockets (basically a daily timetable for drivers and conductors) show us stopping at "Sydenham". The signals there all show "SDM" as their prefix. And our passengers tell our conductors they are getting off to catch the bus to the airport, or have just arrived on their flight from wherever and caught the bus across to catch the Swan Hill home. What the bus number is I have no idea, but I assume there is one at least that forms a good and frequent enough connection, certainly competitive enough with Skybus.

I couldn't say there are a lot of pax using whatever link there is, but usually at least a couple of people with large/multiple suitcases every time I stop the Swan Hill trains at Sydenham. Not the sort of people using a train to go to work, or from the doctors or even a week with the grandkids. Conductors often remark about the number using the connection.

Broadmeadows is a similar stop; people from the north-east (Albury/Shepparton) use BMS as their airport stop.

Broady the bus change is easy, 901. But from Sydenham...if they ain't grabing a taxi could either be back tracking to Sunbury & getting that bus or catching the 476 to where they meet the 477 then getting off that at Airport West SC and then taking what ever of the 478,479 & 482 there to Tullamarine.

NZ is far more progressive than Victoria https://www.railpage.com.au/f-t11399015.htm where they are showing the way on testing community rail services with a new 5 year trial.

This should be a no brainer for the ALP between Ballarat and Geelong.

NZ is far more progressive than Victoria https://www.railpage.com.au/f-t11399015.htm where they are showing the way on testing community rail services with a new 5 year trial.

This should be a no brainer for the ALP between Ballarat and Geelong.

Nice to see you cross promoting one of your famous no-hit wonders to try to get attention!

Has it occurred to you that Auckland and Hamilton are the 1st and 4th biggest cities in the country respectively? With 1.5 million and 230,000 populations respectively?

That is the Enzed equivalent of Melbourne > Geelong not Geelong > Ballarat.

BG

“That is the Enzed equivalent of Melbourne > Geelong not Geelong > Ballarat.“
And the NZ service proposal is equivalent to Geelong to Werribee - all change please. (At Papakura)

Hamilton population 160k.  Geelong Population 234k

Ballarat over 120k

What is it about running a passenger rail service between geelong and ballarat that you hate the most?

Hamilton population 160k.  Geelong Population 234k

Ballarat over 120k

What is it about running a passenger rail service between geelong and ballarat that you hate the most?

I don't know. It's a toss up between

a) not wanting to see millions of $$$ wasted on a service that very few will use and

b) not wanting to see the Victorian Government's excellent work on expanding regional pax rail since the early to mid 2000s blow up because by doing a) they give their opponents a stick to beat them with.

Oh and you missed Auckand, population 1.5 million plus. You know that most people want / need to travel between point a (big joint with ship loads of jobs and services) and point b (littler joint with cheap housing and a good lifestyle).

Your b2b option takes people from one middling sized regional centre to a slightly bigger one. And out here in the regions anyone who can uses a car for that kind of trip. Those few who don't have a car and want to undertake this journey to visit Aunty Jean or have a day at the seaside take a bus.

BG

Can you spell the word innovation?

Can you spell the word innovation?

Can you spell the word reality? Maybe if you practice on the blackboard a hundred times you might even find a sense of it.

No need to be even more rude.

No need to be even more rude.

Oh, i see. You take 2 (limp) jabs at me and when I have a go back at you I am being rude?

By the way that wasn't rude, I resisted the temptation to go down that path.

2 jabs?  What where?  After you consistently pull me up for making valid suggestions about supporting a community willingness for a rail connection between two cities using a model already adopted in progressive NZ?

2 jabs?  What where?  After you consistently pull me up for making valid suggestions about supporting a community willingness for a rail connection between two cities using a model already adopted in progressive NZ?

As I have already pointed out there is no comparison between the NZ service between the nation's largest city and one of it's largest regional cities and your Geelong > Ballarat sightseeing tour.

If you were proposing a service from Melbourne > Ballarat then the comparison would be valid. Oh, hang on.......

there are a couple of knuckleheads here arguing with each other, a bona fide already exists between Ceelong and Ballarat , change trains at Deer Park, simple...…….A direct service would have very few bums on seats, the coach service is hardly full, can u spot my spelling miztakes.??????????????

And goodwill to all men at Christmas ????

there are a couple of knuckleheads here arguing with each other, a bona fide already exists between Ceelong and Ballarat , change trains at Deer Park, simple...…….A direct service would have very few bums on seats, the coach service is hardly full, can u spot my spelling miztakes.??????????????

The People of Bannockburn, Lethbridge and Meredith are going to have to be the driving force to get a Geelong - Ballarat rail service happening.

The People of Bannockburn, Lethbridge and Meredith are going to have to be the driving force to get a Geelong - Ballarat rail service happening.

Bannockburn in particular will continue develop into a commuter town of sorts outside of Geelong (whose median house price has risen about 100k in the last year or so) and some of these people may consider commuting to Melbourne regularly if the connection is doable over morning/evening peak. Batesford is another locality that is very much earmarked for growth, particularly between it and Fyansford as part of Geelong's western development, however the duplication of the Midland Highway is seen as more important than reinstating the passenger rail service it would appear.    

Lethbridge is is basically just Little River but on the wrong side of Geelong, Meredith is much the same, and serves more as a hub for produce/industry, I doubt these towns will grow much quickly beyond where they are currently sitting at about 1000 people or so, doesn't seem that the Golden Plains Shire is interested in subdividing and providing a 'suburbia' type feel in either of these towns.

As Ballarat's housing market continues to grow could anywhere on the old line within commutable distance of Ballarat become relevant with regards to a passenger service? I'm not familiar with where the Ballarat council/state government is attempting to funnel the influx of people in Ballarat.

Thinking about returning services for passengers between Geelong and Ballarat and beyond this line would have to be the easiest but for this with stations and good quality track in place.

The track 'quality' would best be described as average and the stations in between that the train could potentially serve are FAR less than average.

Mike.

What is it about running a passenger rail service between geelong and ballarat that you hate the most?

Rather than ask the same question over and over X31, how about you answer some questions. How do you propose to overcome the following hurdles?

Wrong gauge (the line is due to be converted to Standard Gauge within the next 2 years)
No protected level crossings (most crossings only have stop signs or at most just flashing lights)
No station infrastructure (existing stations at Bannockburn, Lethbridge and Meredith will NOT be acceptable)
No SG track from North Geelong C (Separation St) to Geelong Station
No SG rollingstock

The reality is that these hurdles all contribute to the lack of regular passenger services on this line. They must be dealt with. @x31, you are trying to prosecute the case for the re-instatement of this service, so you tell us how to deal with these problems.

Geelong to Ballarat would be great - intercity Vline again. Just need to upgrade the track to 120-130km/h and have a good, quick and reliable service. Not sure if reopening stations at Elaine and Yendon have merit if you want to reopen the line.

Could potentially add a passing loop or two and run the line at 40 minutes in peak and 60-80 mins off peak. Castlemaine extension as stage 2 of the intercity vline project

Geelong to Ballarat would be great - intercity Vline again. Just need to upgrade the track to 120-130km/h and have a good, quick and reliable service. Not sure if reopening stations at Elaine and Yendon have merit if you want to reopen the line. Could potentially add a passing loop or two and run the line at 40 minutes in peak and 60-80 mins off peak. Castlemaine extension as stage 2 of the intercity vline project

If you go back and read the rest of this thread you'll see all the reasons why this is, to put it mildly, not likely.

By coach: 1 hour 39 minutes.

By Train, changing at Deer Park: Between 1 hour 52 minutes and 2 hours 32 minutes.


As long as the frequencies on both lines keep improving, and the interchange times at Deer Park likewise decrease, then point to point travel via train is basically just as good already.

By coach: 1 hour 39 minutes.

By Train, changing at Deer Park: Between 1 hour 52 minutes and 2 hours 32 minutes.


As long as the frequencies on both lines keep improving, and the interchange times at Deer Park likewise decrease, then point to point travel via train is basically just as good already.

But the residents of Bannockburn, Lethbridge and Meredith are still stuck with the coach effectively, and one suspects they would be among the most obvious beneficiaries of a train service between Geelong and Ballarat.

By coach: 1 hour 39 minutes.

By Train, changing at Deer Park: Between 1 hour 52 minutes and 2 hours 32 minutes.


As long as the frequencies on both lines keep improving, and the interchange times at Deer Park likewise decrease, then point to point travel via train is basically just as good already.

But the residents of Bannockburn, Lethbridge and Meredith are still stuck with the coach effectively, and one suspects they would be among the most obvious beneficiaries of a train service between Geelong and Ballarat.

The bus service is barely OK between Ballarat and Geelong...but it's no deal breaker to get people to use the V/Line service.

The fact that it's a bus and so many people live around Bannockburn means the scant commuter bus service of one isn't really catering for the population along the corridor.

https://www.vline.com.au/getattachment/0ca15d38-404d-4c8e-9523-02a083d343ad/Adelaide-Ballarat-Geelong

What's amazing is this is apparently the V/Line timetable and it starts in Adelaide PTV Journey planner shed no further light on service frequency except to say to change at Deer Park.

The only commuter bus is scheduled into Geelong at 07:45 and V/Line is so uncertain of the traffic conditions that it gives the connect not as the following train, the 07:50 but the following service at 08:09.

The Ballarat - Geelong bus timetable is basically cr@p and has gaps of up to 5 hours...it's unlikely at this point in time, particularly in view of the population growth along the corridor that it's going to create a mentality of using PT to travel anywhere between the two centres.

The bus timetable has to improve to at least hourly to do that...then...years down the track the train could become an option to discuss.

The GTS bus system goes nowhere near the corridor.

https://static.ptv.vic.gov.au/siteassets/PDFs/Maps/Regional-centres/Geelong-Bus-Network.pdf

Mike.



Mike.