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.
The Victorian Budget 2021/22 builds on last year’s significant investments to Suburban Rail Loop early works, delivering fast rail for Geelong and critical road and rail upgrades, with an additional $595.7 million.
Rail investments
The Melton and Wyndham Vale corridors will receive $93.6 million of funding to enable work that will allow for the running of higher capacity trains, including 9 car VLocity trains. These longer trains will increase passenger capacity by up to 50 per cent during peak periods.
More trains will run through the Caulfield Junction, where the Frankston Line merges with the Cranbourne/Pakenham Line.
A package of $240.1 million will ensure these critical works will separate the two lines. It will 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 Station every 2 minutes.
Passengers will find it easier to make their desired train, once Caufield Station is upgraded as part of the Caulfield Station Interchange project. An additional $2 million will see the planning for these upgrades take place.
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.
Road investments
To continue the delivery of vital road upgrades across Victoria, $145.2 million has been allocated for planning and development of 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.
Upgrades on the Calder Freeway between Gap Road in Sunbury and the M80 Ring Road will be designed and planned, 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.
This year’s Budget builds on the unprecedented $80 billion Victoria’s Big Build transport infrastructure program, which includes 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.