Melbourne Linking Victoria Project, Australia

Melbourne has a number of key projects currently ongoing due to a massive investment by the Department of Infrastructure of the State Government of Victoria. The new State transport investment project is known as 'Linking Victoria'; this is a AU$5 billion plan to upgrade road, rail and port in Victoria. There are projects involving trams and light railway networks, regional rail upgrades, new roads and bypasses, park and ride facilities, Skybus super shuttle running to the airport and cycle paths. The goal for this project is to increase public transport use from the current 2003 level of 9% up to a level of 20% by 2020.

On 5 September 2000 the State Government of Victoria announced the Regional Fast Rail Project to introduce fast rail services between Melbourne and Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong and the Latrobe Valley. There are four regional fast rail projects currently underway.

BALLARAT LINE

The Ballarat rail line project involves the upgrade of signals and tracks between Sunshine and Ballarat, a total distance of 100km. This includes the installation of 107,000 concrete sleepers and upgrading the track foundations. As a result the new trains will be able to operate at speeds up to 160km/h, allowing passengers a travel time of 64 minutes between Ballarat and Melbourne. The contract for the line upgrade was awarded to Thiess ALSTOM joint venture; the contract for the work is worth AU$130 million. Construction work on the Ballarat line upgrade is set to take up to 24 months and is scheduled for completion in mid-2005.

GEELONG LINE

The Geelong rail line project involves the upgrading of 75km of track and signals in both directions between Werribee and Geelong, including installation of 80,000 concrete sleepers and stronger track foundations. On completion of the construction works, the new line will be able to operate at speeds up to160km/h, giving a travel time of 45 minutes between Geelong and Melbourne. The contract was awarded to Thiess ALSTOM joint venture; the contract for the upgrade has a value of AU$69 million. Construction on the Geelong line upgrade will take 21 months and is scheduled for completion in mid-2005.

BENDIGO LINE

The Bendigo line project involves the upgrading of 140km of track and signals between Bendigo and Sydenham, including the installation of 200,000 concrete sleepers and track foundation upgrade. A major problem in this project is the historic bridges, which cannot be removed but are not wide enough for the proposed design. As a result sections of the new line will be single line with three long passing loops between Kyneton and Bendigo. When the track upgrade is completed new express trains operating at speeds up to 160km/h will reduce travelling time each way between Melbourne and Bendigo to 84 minutes. The contract for the design and construction was awarded to Regional Rail Link; the upgrade will take about 18 months and should be completed in mid-2005. The contract for this work is worth AU$183 million.

LATROBE VALLEY LINE

The Latrobe Valley project involves the upgrading of 100km of track and signals from Traralgon to Pakenham, including the installation of 30,000 concrete sleepers and track foundation upgrade. When the project is finished new trains operating at speeds up to 160km/h will reduce travelling time to 95 minutes from Traralgon to Melbourne. The contract for the design and construction was awarded to Regional Rail Link; the upgrade is expected to take about 17 months and should be completed by mid-2005. The contract for this work is worth AU$115 million. The line will run to Flinders Street Station in Melbourne.

SPENCER STREET STATION REDEVELOPMENT

Melbourne's Spencer Street Station is the most important rail terminal in Victoria and is where three of the line upgrades will terminate. This rail hub is being redeveloped to give a new public transport interchange, with fast rail connections to regional cities and new facilities for rail, taxi and bus passengers. The station redevelopment and the associated retail and office precinct is a public/private partnership between the Victorian Government and the Civic Nexus consortium. The consortium is financed and headed by ABN Amro Australia, and includes Leighton Contractors, Honeywell and Delaware North Australia. The State of Victoria is to invest AU$300 million for the construction and 30-year operation of the transport interchange. The transport interchange is due to be completed in mid-2005. The precinct, which will include a retail plaza, office accommodation and apartments, is being designed by Australian architect Daryl Jackson and UK architects Nicholas Grimshaw and Partners. The station is to be renamed Southern Cross station to reflect its new importance in the transport infrastructure of Melbourne.

NEW SOUTHERN CROSS STATION FACILITIES

The new station will be fully accessible to all users and will facilitate transfers between rail, bus, tram and taxi services. The station will provide sheltered parking facilities for 800 cars plus drop-off areas and a 30-bay bus station providing ticket concourse and waiting areas. The station will also allow good access to the main terminal complex for trams travelling along Spencer Street and the new Collins Street extension. It will have all-weather protection with an innovative 'wave roof' design spanning across all of the platforms. The station will also have fully enclosed comfortable waiting areas equipped with lighting, heating and air-conditioning and providing access to toilets, telephones, passenger information displays, catering facilities and other retail outlets. Passenger security facilities will include CCTV monitoring and accessible passenger help-points and alarms connected to an on-site control room.

TRAINS

Thirty-eight trains with two carriages are being built by Bombardier Transportation at its Dandenong Factory as part of an AU$535 million contract between Bombardier Transportation and V/Line. This is being funded by funded by the State Government of Victoria.

There are 30 individual tram routes in the Melbourne metropolitan area which provides up to 34,000 services a week. These services are operated by two companies, M>Tram and Yarra Trams, under franchise granted by the State Government. There are a total of 498 trams in Melbourne's fleet (including the historic W-Class trams) with modern, new low floor trams currently being introduced into service. The first modern and accessible low floor trams were introduced in December 2001. Operators M>Tram and Yarra Trams are gradually introducing a total of 95 air-conditioned, low floor trams. A recent development is the combining of all the Melbourne tram, bus and light rail companies under the banner of Metlink for the purpose of updating signs, providing information brochures and timetables for passengers, customer services via a common call centre and a common website.

BOXHILL TRAM EXTENSION

The new AU$28 million Box Hill tram extension between Mont Albert and Box Hill was launched on 2 May 2003. The project was jointly managed by the Department of Infrastructure through the Public Transport Division and transport operator Yarra Trams. Full services between Port Melbourne and Box Hill started on 4 May 2003. The new extension is expected to carry 330,000 passengers a year.

The extension to Box Hill involved the construction of an additional 2.2km of tram tracks along Whitehorse Road, from Union Road in Mont Albert to Market Street in Box Hill. Whitehorse Road between Elgar Road and Nelson Road was widened to accommodate a dedicated area for trams and maintain existing traffic lanes. In addition, the track was set in a rubber 'boot' to dampen noise, vibration and wear on the track. Also, a weight-tensioned overhead power supply for the trams was installed to reduce the number of support structures required and improve the aesthetics of the tramline. New low floor trams are running along the new extension to Box Hill providing easier access for all passengers.

TRAM 109 PROJECT

The Tram 109 project is a major tram upgrade in Melbourne. It forms part of the State Government sponsored 'Linking Victoria' strategy to improve public transport in Victoria. Tram route 109 is the start of a larger upgrade and is being used as a testing ground for the introduction of new initiatives and technology. The project is being delivered in stages along route 109, which now extends from Port Melbourne to Box Hill.

The Tram 109 project includes the Boxhill extension, already completed in May 2003. The next stage will be to extend the route from the current terminus in Port Melbourne onto Station Pier. Safety and disabled access upgrades will be undertaken by introduction of low floor trams and tram stop refurbishment, bringing it in line with the Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act (1992). Real-time information signs will inform passengers when the next tram is due and travel planners will be provided at 'Superstops'. Tram frequency and reliability will also be paramount. The Tram 109 project is a combined effort involving the Department of Infrastructure, VicRoads, Yarra Trams and local councils along the route. It is the intention of the Tram 109 project to have separation between cars and trams wherever possible. This decreases the travelling time for trams and passengers and decreases congestion delays to the tram.

VERMONT TRAM EXTENSION PROJECT

The 3km extension of tram route 75 from Blackburn Road to Vermont South Shopping Centre, along with the upgrade of bus services to Knox City, will be a boost for those living in East Melbourne. The tram line will be extended along the Burwood Highway median from the corner of Blackburn Road to Hanover Road and bus route 732 will be upgraded from Vermont South to Knox City; services will be more frequent and bus stops more accessible.

A tram and bus interchange will be built at Vermont South to allow tram services to be linked and timetabled with buses, thus creating an efficient interchange between the two modes of transport. There will also be ten new easy disabled access raised tram stops with shelters along the route. The project was put out to tender in December 2003. Construction is due to start in 2004 and the project should be completed by mid-2005.

METROPOLITAN RAIL

Melbourne has the second-largest urban passenger rail system in Australia after Sydney, running approximately 12,000 passenger train services a week. The network has 15 routes and 207 railway stations; the rail services are provided under contracts by Connex and M>Train who have a combined fleet of 150 six-car trains. Both operators are currently upgrading their trains with new and refurbished rolling stock. Connex's fleet of 45 Comeng six-car trains have been refurbished and they are progressively introducing 29 new six-car trains. The other operator, M>Train, has refurbished 97 three-car trains and is gradually introducing 31 new Siemens six-car trains.

FLYER TRAINS

The Metropolitan rail upgrade program, which forms part of the Linking Victoria program, includes the introduction of express 'Flyer Trains'. These trains will reduce travel times on suburban lines serving Melbourne's outer suburbs and key growth corridors. The new train services will operate on the Frankston, Dandenong and Ringwood lines. These lines will be undergoing upgrades. The staged development of a third track between Caulfield and Dandenong is envisaged as a long-term solution to Express Flyer Trains. M>Train, the operator on the Frankston line, is to spend AU$5 million in speed improvement on the line. On the Ringwood line a combination of infrastructure improvement and train timetable modifications are being considered to allow a faster service from Lilydale to Belgrave. Laying a third line for all or part of the route from Box Hill to Ringwood is also being investigated.

The Mitcham-Frankston Freeway is to be a 40km link from Mitcham to Frankston, connecting Melbourne's eastern and south-eastern suburbs. It will connect major industrial areas to each other and to the ports. The new road will provide convenient access to a major industrial area in Melbourne. The Mitcham-Frankston Freeway will provide connectivity between three freeways:

• Eastern Freeway
• Monash Freeway
• Mornington Peninsula Freeway

It will have tunnels to protect environmentally sensitive areas, such as Mullum Creek, Chaim Court and Hillcrest bushlands, and will include a link to the Ringwood Bypass. The Mitcham-Frankston Freeway will be the largest urban freeway in Australia and will form a vital component of Victorian and Australian economic and social infrastructure. The Freeway will remove considerable truck traffic from the local arterial road network enhancing road safety. The project will be delivered through the Southern and Eastern Integrated Transport Authority, over AU$100 million has been allocated to land acquisition and development of the project. A further AU$70 million is being spent on the extension of the Eastern Freeway to Park Road. The Mitcham-Frankston Freeway will be completed during 2008.

CRAIGIEBURN BYPASS

The Craigieburn Bypass will contribute an important upgrade of the Australian highway network and also to Melbourne's road network by linking the Hume Freeway, near Mt Ridley Road at Craigieburn, to the Metropolitan Ring Road at Thomastown. The bypass is part of the Linking Victoria program and is funded by the Federal Government to the tune of AU$306 million. The Hume Freeway links Melbourne's population and industrial centres to the northern regions of Victoria as well as New South Wales and Queensland. The Hume Highway is important for the economy of Melbourne industry and also provides the main link to expanding residential development at Craigieburn. The new bypass will mean drivers can expect to travel between Craigieburn and the Metropolitan Ring Road, Campbellfield, in only ten minutes and thus save 30 minutes on the current average rush hour journey. It will also improve local road safety by encouraging traffic to remain on the main road network. The project is being managed by the Victoria State Government road agency VicRoads and will be completed by the middle of 2005.

During 2003, VicRoads has invested over AU$6 million in the provision of 42 cycle lanes and paths in metropolitan Melbourne. The funding was allowed to provide for the addition of 100km of new cycle lanes to the existing network in Melbourne. A further AU$3.3 million was allowed to fund 15km of new cycle lanes on the major road projects going on in metropolitan Melbourne in 2003. This initiative is part of the Melbourne 2030 objectives, which dictate public transport policy.

The Doncaster Park and ride facility is a new amenity in Melbourne's Eastern suburbs. It cost AU$3.1 million to build and has 400 free car parking spaces, bike lockers, a convenient 'drop off' zone and is serviced by buses every five minutes in peak time allowing commuters to travel into central Melbourne in around 33 minutes, ten minutes faster than by car because of dedicated bus lanes. The real advantages are for the environment since 50 cars equal one bus, and the commuters save around AU$15 per day in running and car parking costs. The facility has excellent security, being fitted with CCTV cameras, and is fully staffed from 6am to 12:30am Monday to Friday and 6am to 12am on weekends.