- Published:
- Thursday 20 May 2021
Victoria’s Big Build is delivering major road and rail upgrades to get Victorians home sooner – while at the same time supporting thousands of Victorian workers.
In November last year, the Andrews Labor Government made significant investments to get early works underway on the Suburban Rail Loop, begin critical road and rail upgrades and deliver fast rail for Geelong.
The Victorian Budget 2021/22 builds on those investments with $595.7 million in critical road and rail projects, helping to connect Victorians to work, study and each other. Critically, these projects will also support more than a thousand jobs.
Funding of $93.6 million is for the Melton and Wyndham Vale corridors – to enable higher capacity trains, including 9‑car VLocity trains. These longer trains will increase capacity by up to 50 per cent during peak periods.
Development work will also be undertaken for a new commuter train as a future replacement for the existing classic fleet operating on regional lines.
A package of $240.1 million will allow more trains to run through the Caulfield Junction, where the Frankston Line merges with the Cranbourne/Pakenham Line.
These critical works will separate the two lines, eliminate unnecessary crossovers, and prepare this crucial section of the network for the opening of the Metro Tunnel – when peak‑hour services will stop at Caulfield every two minutes.
A $2 million injection will see planning for upgrades at Caulfield Station to make it easier for passengers to make their train as part of the Caulfield Station Interchange project.
While we deliver Victoria’s big rail projects, we’re also making sure we have the train maintenance facilities needed to meet the needs of our growing network.
The South Dynon train maintenance facility will be upgraded, unlocking additional capacity and improving reliability for passengers in regional communities.
Continuing delivery of vital road upgrades across Victoria, $145.2 million has been allocated for planning and development for safety upgrades and to ease congestion including in Melbourne’s booming north. This will deliver a better commute for local drivers in Mickleham and Craigieburn while helping support local jobs and businesses.
We will begin detailed design and planning of targeted upgrades on the Calder Freeway between Gap Road in Sunbury and the M80 Ring Road, with a $100 million partnership with the Commonwealth to focus on a better solution for the dangerous interchange at Calder Park Drive.
In the west, detailed design and planning work will pave the way for the Ison Road rail overpass, and the development of a business case has been funded for an upgrade at the Princes Freeway‑Werribee Main Road interchange.
Funding also supports important planning and development work for the upgrade of Mickleham Road and planning for upgrades to the Bulla Road interchange, Craigieburn East Road and Somerton Road in Melbourne’s north, York Road in Melbourne’s east and the Bellarine Link in the state’s south‑west.
The Labor Government will deliver a funding boost to the Fishermans Bend precinct with $15 million to progress planning for longer term transport links – on top of a $179.4 million investment to transform the former General Motors Holden site into an innovation hub.
This year’s Budget builds on the unprecedented $80 billion transport infrastructure investment over the past six years, including the Metro Tunnel, North East Link and removing our most dangerous and congested level crossings while supporting more than 50,000 Victorian jobs as part of Victoria’s Big Build.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Transport Infrastructure Jacinta Allan
“Our work to build a better transport system continues by backing the projects we need – and the people we need to deliver them.”
“It’s about using every dollar of investment to improve the lives of Victorians – whether that’s spending less time in traffic, or the security of a good job working on our Big Build.”
“Over the past six years, that’s underpinned our state’s success, and it will be what drives our recovery too.”