InterCity Our blueprint for fast rail in regional Victoria

• A key enabler of a “State of Cities” and regional growth

• A regional rail network for the 21st Century

Rail Futures Institute

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Why InterCity?

• To lead and support regional growth and development

• To significantly improve connectedness and support new economic activity

• To expand the area of regional Victoria with good access to jobs and services

• To significantly improve commuting journeys to Melbourne and, most importantly, journeys into regional centres

• To create a European-style rail network with greater service intensity and integration between transport modes

• To have rail travel competitive with travel times by car

• To ensure rail journeys are comfortable and allow the time to be used productively.

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InterCity – main features

• faster, regular rail services linking major regional centres, with clear route patterns

• a major new Melbourne Airport hub new line served by regional rail, a CBD airport shuttle and designed for future High Speed Rail

• new fast lines on the Geelong, Bendigo and Seymour routes, fully segregated from the metropolitan rail network

• removal of impediments to fast running through the metropolitan area for Ballarat and Gippsland services by track quadruplication and provision of long passing loops

• Cross-Country regional rail routes linking regional cities

• much improved service reliability, through more robust infrastructure, new rolling stock, institutional changes and greater proficiency in operational and engineering management.

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InterCity - a phased program of investments

• Phase 1 to 2026 – delivers significant benefits in capacity, frequency, journey time and reliability. Requires institutional changes and relatively straightforward infrastructure and service improvements

• Phase 2 to 2040 – provides a step-change in capacity and

journey times with faster trains and new lines fully segregated from the metropolitan network, including a major Melbourne Airport hub

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InterCity – overlaid service patterns

• Regional commuter: up to 90 minutes from Melbourne, frequent services (minimum of 2 trains per hour off-peak)

• Long-distance: destinations beyond the commuter ring with much-improved journey times, express running through the commuter area and progressively increased service frequencies, e.g. Warrnambool, Horsham, Swan Hill, Shepparton, Wodonga/Albury and Bairnsdale

• Cross-Country: routes into and between regional centres, e.g. direct Geelong-Ballarat-Maryborough-Bendigo service.

Also includes the progressive introduction of local Metro services in major centres, integrated with buses and other modes, e.g. cycling.

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InterCity Segregation from metropolitan services

• Geelong line - a new fast line from the CBD via Werribee

• Interfaces with extension of electrified metropolitan services to Tarneit and Wyndham Vale via Sunshine and Werribee

• Bendigo , Seymour/Shepparton lines and Albury lines - new fast lines via Melbourne Airport to Clarkefield and Wallan

• Interfaces with extension of electrified metropolitan services from Craigieburn to a key interchange at Wallan

• Ballarat and Gippsland lines – enables faster trips by:

• Extension of electrified services to Melton and Bacchus Marsh with track quadruplication between Sunshine and Melton

• Track quadruplication between Caulfield and Dandenong and an overtaking loop between Dandenong and Pakenham

• Ultimate extension of Melbourne Metro tunnels to Caulfield

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Phase 2 to 2040 – metropolitan area enlargement

InterCity – more frequent and faster journeys

• Service frequencies progressively stepped up on all lines to match anticipated patronage growth and network capacity

• Other than to Ballarat and Bendigo, regional rail journey times have barely improved in 25 years, despite major investment programs and new VLocity trains. All long distance journeys centres are actually slower than 25 years ago

• InterCity completes the earlier Regional Fast Rail project with track upgrades, selective duplication and signalling and level crossing upgrades to provide necessary route capacity, enable faster trip times and significantly improve service reliability

• InterCity includes new “state of the art” trains for longer distance journeys to replace existing carriages, some up to 60 years old.

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The regions transformed

InterCity will be a key enabler of a “State of Cities” and regional growth. This will bring multiple benefits:

• Regional population increase

• Business investment generating multiplier effects

• Closer integration of regional centre economies with Melbourne

• Services sector growth – medical and educational institutions

• Labour market efficiencies – access to jobs, mobility of skilled people

• Tourism growth – increased visitation leading to further investment

• Safety benefits – rail is vastly safer than travel by car

• Environmental benefits – better fuel efficiency, reduced carbon emissions

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Read the full InterCity story

at

www.railfutures.org.au

Rail Futures Institute

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