Greens push faster Geelong-Ballarat transport link

TRAVEL times between Geelong and Ballarat could be cut by more than an hour under a Victorian Greens proposal to restore passenger rail services between the two regional cities.

The plan would restore passenger rail services on the Geelong-Ballarat line, increase rail and bus services linking Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo, and improve access to jobs, education and health services across regional Victoria.

There are just three daily bus services between Geelong Ballarat, each taking about 90 minutes.

The journey by train takes even longer, with passengers travelling via Melbourne, changing at Sunshine or Deer Park, for a travel time of more than two hours.

The Geelong-Ballarat line was closed to passengers in 1978 and is now used primarily for freight and the occasional heritage steam train service.

Under the Greens’ proposal, passenger services would return to the line with stations at Bannockburn, Meredith and Elaine. Trains would continue from Ballarat to Maryborough via the existing rail line.

Jeff Moran, who previously worked in the Department of Transport and helped develop the Greens’ policy, said the plan would benefit a regional population of more than 600,000 people.

He said an express service between Geelong and Ballarat could take as little as 45 minutes.

“All we need to do is put trains on it and open railway stations,” he said.

Moran estimated implementing the plan would cost about $800 million and said the government could first test the proposal by modelling future demand and population growth.

South Barwon Greens candidate Izzy Scherrer said better regional rail connections would benefit commuters, students, tourists and families travelling across western Victoria.

“People only change their travel habits when they have confidence in the service,” she said. “If trains are regularly cancelled or don’t connect well with local buses, many people will continue driving because they simply can’t risk being late.

“That’s why investment in expansion needs to go hand-in-hand with investment in a public transport system people can trust every day and the Greens advocate for this.”

The Greens’ plan would also increase bus services between Maryborough and Castlemaine, introduce more express buses between Ballarat to Castlemaine and duplicate rail tracks between Melton and Ballarat.

Eureka Greens candidate Sam McCool said it was common sense to have a high-quality passenger train service between Victoria’s second and third largest cities.

“By continuing that high quality service on to Maryborough, Ballarat will become a central location for housing and jobs,” McCool said.

Greens candidate for Wendouree Ellen Burns said Victoria needed faster and more frequent public transport.

“Duplicating the tracks from Ballarat to Melton would cut an average of 12 minutes from every trip by allowing trains to pass without stopping and waiting for each other,” Burns said.

“Geelong residents enjoy a duplicated track along their whole line. Ballarat deserves better infrastructure and faster trains.”