The Andrews Labor Government has released designs for a bigger new train station at Cobblebank, to service Melbourne’s booming outer western suburbs.

Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan today unveiled designs at the site of the new station, which will include an accessible pedestrian overpass, secure bike parking, a bus interchange and car park.

The station, to be delivered as part of the half a billion-dollar Ballarat Line Upgrade, will eventually service a community of 55,000 people, a massive increase from the area’s current population of around 1,000.

The new station will be near Ferris Road in the suburb of Cobblebank, between Rockbank and Melton, and will be a central feature of a planned town centre that will include community facilities and retail shops.

The station is being funded by the Labor Government’s Growth Area Infrastructure Contribution (GAIC) and will be ready to take passengers when the Ballarat Line Upgrade is complete.

Once complete, the Government will also fund a new bus route to provide locals with more travel options and better access to key destinations and services, including the new station at Cobblebank, every day of the week.

Construction on the new station at Cobblebank is scheduled to start later this year, with preparatory works already underway. The local community is now being asked to have their say on landscaping at the station, with consultation sessions scheduled for late October and early November.

Work is progressing well on the Ballarat Line Upgrade, which includes duplicating 18 kilometres of track between Deer Park West and Melton, delivering extra services and boosting reliability on the line.

The project will be complete in late 2019 includes station upgrades at Ballan, Bacchus Marsh and Wendouree, the rebuilding of Rockbank Station, new passing loops at Millbrook and Ballan and new stabling at Maddingley.

Crews have worked more than 400,000 hours on the project so far, with Maddingley stabling and the Toolern Creek rail bridge progressing well, track duplication underway and the Ballan and Rockbank station upgrades taking shape.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan

“The Ballarat Line Upgrade will deliver more frequent and reliable services for growing communities along the line, including Cobblebank.”

“Public transport options are critical to helping create liveable suburbs for Melbourne, now and into the future.”

“We’re acting now to ensure the future residents of Cobblebank and surrounding new suburbs have access to good public transport so they can get where they need to go for work, study or recreation.”