Minister for Public Transport, Jacinta Allan, today released the timetables for the much anticipated 21 June opening of Labor’s $3.65 billion Regional Rail Link project, Melbourne’s first new major rail line in 80 years.
The new timetable adds 200 services every week between Geelong and Melbourne, including trains every 10 minutes in the morning peak and every 20 minutes off-peak on weekdays. This delivers a key Andrews Labor Government election promise.
These services will run through new stations in Wyndham Vale and Tarneit – some of the fastest growing communities in Australia – linking these boom-suburbs to the rail network for the first time.
The new route for Geelong trains will also deliver benefits for commuters on other lines with two extra peak hour services on the Werribee Line and four extra peak hour services stopping at Bacchus Marsh. Trains will also run at least every 20 minutes on weekdays to Deer Park Station, rather than every two hours as they currently do.
Ballarat and Bendigo services, which already use Regional Rail Link tracks between Sunshine and Southern Cross Station, will also benefit from the timetable change. Ballarat will get an extra morning and evening peak service, and Bendigo services will see travel time improvements, with further improvements expected later in the year with the next metropolitan timetable change.
New bus networks in Wyndham Vale, Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula will coincide with the opening of RRL, providing more extensive, frequent, reliable and direct bus services, coordinated with trains.
The new timetables are now available from Public Transport Victoria’s website and extensive public information campaign will kick off tomorrow to inform passengers of the upcoming changes and improvements to their service.
More information is available at ptv.vic.gov.au or by calling 1800 800 007 (6am – midnight daily).
Quotes attributable to Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan:
“It’s here: more trains, more buses and better services for Melbourne’s west and Victoria’s biggest regional centre.”
“Labor’s Regional Rail Link will connect Wyndham Vale and Tarneit to the network and deliver metro-style services to Geelong, with trains every 10 minutes during the peak and at least every twenty minutes on weekdays.”
“Getting Geelong trains onto dedicated V/line tracks will deliver extra Metro services, with more to be added later in the year with a broader metropolitan timetable change.”
“The new bus networks in Wyndham, Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula will add hundreds of extra services a week, making it quicker and easier to get to work, study or the train station to catch a frequent, reliable trains.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020