The completed Ballarat Line Upgrade has delivered 135 new weekly services to Melbourne’s outer western suburbs, Bacchus Marsh, Ballan and Ballarat as part of a new timetable.
Trains now run every 20 minutes during the peak and every 40 minutes between the peaks.
Crews have worked for 3 years to complete the upgrade, preparing Victoria’s second-busiest regional rail line for the introduction of these new services.
Major works included:
- building the new Cobblebank Station
- upgrading Rockbank, Bacchus Marsh, Ballan and Wendouree stations
- duplicating the track at Bacchus Marsh and between Deer Park West and Melton
- building a new train stabling facility at Maddingley
- building passing loops at Ballan and Millbrook
- upgrading signalling and making track improvements.
Additional services
Cobblebank, Rockbank and Deer Park stations now have over 200 extra services each week.
Ballarat, Wendouree, Melton and Caroline Springs stations have over 100 additional services each week.
Bacchus Marsh passengers have 25 new weekly services, with all trains from Ballarat now stopping at the station. This will provide more express services between Bacchus Marsh and Southern Cross Station.
There’s also an extra weekday service to Ararat.
The Ballarat Line Upgrade is part of the Australian and Victorian governments’ investment of more than $4 billion in the Regional Rail Revival program. The program will upgrade every regional passenger rail line in Victoria and create 3000 jobs and local supplier opportunities.