In May, 250 people from the rail industry with participants travelling from Perth, Brisbane, Sydney and Hunter Valley to attended a dinner sponsored by the Australasian Railway Association to hear Transport Minister, Jacinta Allan present the government's agenda for investment in rail infrastructure.

Ms Allan, highlighted the deficiency of the Abbott government's zero recognition and no funding for rail infrastructure in the last budget as  opposed to the $3 billion pledge for various rail projects by the Victorian government.

And no and unfortunately, the RAA's BendigoGeelong Regional Rail Link was not included in the budgetary announcement.

After decades of political neglect, intransigence and lack of strategic thinking, the renewal of the rail infrastructure in metropolitan Melbourne and across regional and rural Victoria, will take considerable time and cost, which could have been avoided if it had been maintained and not privatised.

However, if financially and politically it is further delayed, the consequences of any delay, will have considerable impact on all Victorians, economically, socially, environmentally and culturally.