Geelong Fast Rail revival still off track

FRESH debate over billion-dollar rail projects has not reignited support for Geelong Fast Rail, with local leaders instead backing other upgrades to the Geelong-Melbourne corridor.

Both the City of Greater Geelong and the Geelong branch of the Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) say investment should focus on improving reliability, increasing services and restoring a direct rail connection between Geelong and Werribee.

Geelong Fast Rail received $4 billion in funding in November 2020 after then-prime minister Scott Morrison and then-Victorian premier Daniel Andrews agreed their governments would jointly fund the project.

The project aimed to cut travel times between Geelong and Melbourne to about 50 minutes through a series of rail corridor upgrades, including new tracks between Werribee and Laverton and improvements along the Geelong line.

But little progress followed, and the Albanese government officially scrapped the project in November 2023 as part of its response to a review of the infrastructure investment program.

This week, Geelong mayor Stretch Kontelj said the city would discuss improved rail services with all candidates ahead of the November state election.

“While fast rail has benefits, we believe that the most important and logical next step is reinstating a rail link between Geelong and Werribee, which has lacked a direct public transport link for over a decade,” Cr Kontelj said.

“Geelong and Werribee have a combined population of over 350,000, and reinstating the rail service would create a vital connection across the Werribee, Geelong and Avalon corridor while also providing faster rail to Melbourne.

“Additionally, by introducing a critical link to Avalon, a major industry hub, we would develop regional connectivity, economic growth and improved access for commuters and businesses, delivering major economic benefits across the entire state.”

Geelong PTUA branch convenor Jarred Crowe said the previous Geelong Fast Rail proposal would have only reduced travel times by a maximum of 15 minutes and require Geelong trains to share tracks with metro services between Newport and the CBD.

“That arrangement risked increasing delays and reliability issues, which are already a major frustration for Geelong passengers,” he said.

“We would prefer to see the separation of Tarneit and Wyndham Vale from Geelong line services, alongside timetable and reliability improvements.”

Crowe said V/Line’s introduction of 20-minute weekend services had greatly improved the convenience and usability of the line, particularly for local trips within the Geelong region as well as travel to Melbourne.

“We would like to see similar improvements made to weekday services, particularly extending more weekday trains to Waurn Ponds,” he said.

Rail investment continues to be an expensive national issue, with Labor last week cancelling the NSW to Queensland stage of the Inland Rail line after projected costs rose to $45 billion.

In Victoria, the Allan Labor government’s Suburban Rail Loop received a further $3.8 billion in the federal budget, with the project’s first stage estimated to cost $34.5 billion.

State opposition leader Jess Wilson has vowed to pause and review the Suburban Rail Loop if her party wins in November, despite the $7.7 billion due to be spent on it by mid-2027.