Found at: http://www.meltonleader.com.au/article/ ... _news.html

Heh...

I just searched the PTUA's site, the Melton plan doesn't show under 'search'. Is it really not there, or am I just blind?

I can't find it either.

Just for information, here's Smart Passengers' draft policy on Melton:

I have to say I agree with Smart Passengers on this. Melton doesn't have to be electrified to get good service, all we need is a bit of extra room, duplication of Deer Park to Melton, and Triplication or possibly even Quadruplication from Sunshine to Footscray. There is nothing wrong with diesel suburban services.

Yeah, I found those two, but when I saw the word 'plan', I thought there'd be an image like the Doncaster, Rowville and Airport links, showing stations, lines, surrounding roads, etc., as in 'It's time to move.' (which is severely out of date!)

I searched for 'Melton' on the download page with 'ctrl+F', and got 'electrification and duplication from sunshine to melton' and 'caroline springs station on melton line.' That's it. No images, no nothing.

However, if I can make a note, I'd say have the entire line, from Sunshine to Ballarat and beyond, serviced by VLocities, two tracks throughout, BUT add a parallel track from Deer Park to Rockbank, with the current tracks becoming a freight/express route. This new track could include Burnside and Caroline Springs stations:

(MELWAYS)UP junction: p25, A9Burnside: p358, J5Caroline Springs: p358, D3DOWN Junction: p355, B11

This also opens the possibility of a line from Caroline Springs station north, bordering the suburb, by passing under (over?) the tip of the Western FWY, with stations at Kororoit Creek, Plumpton, [Tunnel] Taylors Hill Shopping Centre [/tunnel], Hillside, Hillside North. Then, if need be, an extension to join the Bendigo line, just after Sunbury. (Maybe have Sunbury-Caroline Springs as the VLocity route, and Sunbury-Sydenham-Sunshine as the Spark route?)

Here's an image I whipped up. I forgot to mention though, a black dot is a closed/possible station, a white circle is HOST, and a black circle with a white border is a Premium.

Also, remember, Mjja, the Vlocity cars are numbered 1100+, 1200+ and soon-to-be 1300+. So, we can only have 99 of each before we need to do some serious re-numbering! From what I've heard, that will add to the cost of producing set 100 by a fairly large amount!

Would there be anything to stop V/Line from providing a 30minute off-peak frequency to Melton as-is using loco hauled sets? I believe say an N class, or a poor man's XPT (push-pull P's) coupled to an SH set running Southern Cross Melton yo-yos in the off-peak would be feasible, as long as rollingstock was available, but as far as I know H sets aren't used outside of peak periods anyway!

Single sprinter running between Melton and Sunshine would be ideal during off-peak.

It's amazing that this is almost made to be something that's "new"... Melton has only been asking for electrification/duplication for the past 25 years.

At minimum, the line should be duplicated from Deer Park West to Melton. Then look at electrification. The increased capacity would help up front, as would triplification of Sunshine-Footscray (and beyond, pending room for the tracks beyond Footscray?).

I doubt you could actually increase the frequency to Melton/Bacchus at the moment, with the single line, since there's not really enough chance to pass.

And not knocking you, steamtostay, nice work there with the map/plan, but I can't see how that actually helps the Melton line?

Wolfpac

And Melton/Western suburban line Caroline Spring, sadly majority of the population do NOT live near Ballarat railway line, majority live closeby Western highway.

Single line capacity issue needs to be solve on Ballarat line first(and perhaps some level crossing easing at Deer Park, Rockbank) before electrification goes ahead to melton

Wolfpac, the idea was that it'd be a direct VLocity service, as it is now, but diuplicated from Sunshine to Ballarat.

Also, Zone 2 fares apply as far as Ballan, making it cheaper for Melton passengers to be transported. The brown tracks refer to freight-only services, so that should save some time, and add more paths? The light-green service was the proposed line, since this is dated 2050.

Heck, maybe even tricplicate the line to Deer Park, then have two tracks (Pax) going to Deer Park West and Caroline springs, and the thrid track going along the cuurrent route. Then continue three tracks as far as Ballan. Then, two tracks to Ballarat.

This thread isn't about ticketing, shoe fly.

just paint it red and say this one does 210

ROFL!

Trolleybusracer, you know you're right. I can picture a red VLocity that the government says can do 210kmh, but is limited by track speed. No one would ever know the truth.

Is it true the Vlocity can go faster but is limited due to the track only being rated for 160? Just a rumor I heard.

a little birdy told me during testing they reached about 196km

perhaps if you got a housing developer on the board the project to electrify/duplicate to melton you'd save some cash for the government. like where the line runs through have a housing development and a station for it intergrated with a shopping centre or something like that. south caroline springs or something. also get boral's goods line fixed up and have trains running through again with boral contributing to the project. as well the deer park bypass project could be fund some cash.