Community Feedback

We’ve been talking to the local community about our plans to upgrade the Gippsland Line.

Earlier this year we asked the community to provide feedback on the Gippsland Line Upgrade.

The half-a-billion-dollar Gippsland Line Upgrade will enable more frequent and reliable services for passengers and create more than 400 jobs.

The community provided feedback on the following aspects of the project:

• second platforms and amenity works at Bunyip, Longwarry, Morwell and Traralgon stations
• track duplication between Bunyip and Longwarry
• the extension of the Morwell crossing loop
• level crossing detection upgrades
• signalling upgrades
• drainage structure upgrades at Morwell River.

The Gippsland Line Upgrade is part of the $1.75 billion Regional Rail Revival program which is upgrading every regional passenger rail line in Victoria. Regional Rail Revival is a joint initiative of the Australian and Victorian governments.

Project progress

The project has already delivered benefits for passengers on the Gippsland line, with upgrades to level crossings between Sale and Bairnsdale allowing VLocity trains to run to Bairnsdale for the first time.

Construction on a new rail bridge over the Avon River in Stratford is ramping up, with major construction to commence by the end of 2019.

We’ve also shortlisted contractors to deliver track, signalling and station upgrades between Pakenham and Traralgon, with construction set to begin next year.

What we heard

We engaged with the Gippsland community at local information sessions and station pop-ups, and through letterbox drops, providing information about station upgrades, planning and environmental matters, and potential construction impacts. Below is a summary of what we heard.

Other feedback

Some of the feedback received was outside the scope of the Gippsland Line Upgrade.

Suggestions included requests for improvements on the metropolitan rail network, increased rail service frequency and better connections between buses, coaches and rail services.

The current major investment in the metropolitan network will have a flow on effect to Gippsland. The Metro Tunnel Project will benefit Gippsland passengers by freeing up space on the metropolitan network for V/Line services plus the future superstation at Pakenham will include a dedicated V/Line platform to reduce congestion between regional and metropolitan trains.

Future timetable changes to deliver new services enabled by the Gippsland Line Upgrade will also consider ways to improve transport connections in the region.

Thank you

We’d like to thank everyone who provided feedback on the Gippsland Line Upgrade. Your feedback will be considered in the planning and design and we look forward to consulting with the community throughout the rest of the project.