The Ballarat Line Upgrade will enable much-needed extra services during peak times, and trains every 40 minutes off-peak, to service growing communities in Melbourne’s outer west and Ballarat.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN?
The Ballarat Line Upgrade includes:
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- duplication of 18 kilometres of track between Deer Park West and Melton
- a new station at Toolern, between Rockbank and Melton, separately funded by the Victorian Government’s Growth Area Infrastructure Contribution
- Rockbank station rebuild, including platform extensions, pedestrian link and a new car park
- a new platform and pedestrian link at Bacchus Marsh, Ballan and Wendouree stations
- an extra track at Wendouree
- track duplication at Bacchus Marsh
- relocating stabling facilities from Bacchus Marsh to Maddingley
- passing loops at Ballan and Millbrook
- signalling upgrades and track improvements.
New stabling facilities at Ararat are being delivered under the Freight Passenger Rail Separation Project, to enable a fifth daily service to Ararat.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?
The Ballarat Line Upgrade will enable much-needed extra services during peak times, and trains every 40 minutes off-peak, to service growing communities in Melbourne’s outer west and Ballarat.
Passing loops at Ballan and Millbrook will provide more options for trains to pass each other, allowing more frequent services and helping services recover faster from unexpected delays.
Upgrades at Wendouree station will allow trains to pass each other here for the first time, so passengers on delayed services from Melbourne won’t have to be transferred onto replacement coaches at Ballarat.
A new station at Toolern will cater to the region’s growing population. Rockbank station will be rebuilt, with Ballan and Bacchus Marsh stations receiving upgrades.
The project will allow for the future electrification of the line from Melbourne to Melton.
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?
The Ballarat Line Upgrade is being delivered by Rail Projects Victoria (RPV), on behalf of the Victorian Government.
The construction contractor for the Ballarat Line Upgrade is a consortium made up of Lendlease, Coleman Rail and SMEC, in partnership with RPV and V/Line.
NEXT STEPS
Construction started on the Ballarat Line Upgrade in October 2017.
Site preparation and safety fence installation are continuing. Station upgrades and track works have begun, and will continue to roll out throughout 2018.
The upgrade will be complete in late 2019.
OTHER IMPROVEMENTS
More than 100 new services have been added for Ballarat, Melton and Bacchus Marsh since 2015. Extra train carriages have been added to the Ballarat line, boosting capacity on services.
Car parks have been extended at Deer Park, Melton and Bacchus Marsh, allowing more passengers to park and ride.
The Victorian Government has invested $18 million to improve mobile phone coverage for regional rail passengers through new mobile towers and in-train technology.