Communities in Melbourne’s south-east fear their voices will be ignored by the Napthine government as it rushes to sign contracts for the multibillion-dollar Dandenong rail corridor project before November’s election.

The private rail consortium behind the line’s upgrade - which includes removing four level crossings, rebuilding three stations and buying 25 new high-capacity trains - is on course to sign contracts for the major project by the end of September. This includes contracts to demolish, redesign and rebuild the railway stations at Carnegie, Murrumbeena and Clayton.

Interestingly the only two transport projects I can current think of which have any chance of proceeding to contract stage prior to the election later this year are the East West Link and the Dandenong rail corridor.  The rail corridor have had involvement from a former liberal party parliamentary member.

The rail corridor have had involvement from a former liberal party parliamentary member.

Alan Stockdale isn't just any former Liberal party politician, as many people with long memories here will recall. His involvement does not bode well for the legitimacy of the Dandenong Rail Corridor project or its value to Victorian taxpayers.

Stock dale was one of the many liberal party politicians who made a lot of Money out of privatising assets in Victoria.

Victorians however are still paying for those decisions. I guess if stockdale gets his way then I am sure dandenong rail users will be paying top dollar for decades to come.

I genuinely can't believe that this proposed project has managed to relatively fly under the radar, virtually completely unopposed (unlike EW link). Don't alarm bells ring and red flags wave to anyone else when the government decides to forcefully rush through contract signing BEFORE the people affected get their chance to vote? If this project is going to be of so much benefit to the people of Victoria's South East, why don't they get a chance to vote on it? Come September 30 Victorians are going to be screwed with this project and it's going to have very little benefit. If you simply removed the 3 level crossings Caulfield - Oakleigh, the current signalling allows for a service every 2 minutes now, no $2.5b needed. For the same amount of money that's going to be spent on this pathetic project, we could have had a real solution that benefited Regional AND Suburban PT users. Plus MTR will be cemented in Melbourne for the next 30+ years. Great work Dennis.

the current signalling allows for a service every 2 minutes now

But to do that you'd have to slow all trains to a crawl. I'm sure the Gippsland commuters wouldn't like that.

I have looked at the plans and they seem to continue the two track limitation.  No provision to have Vline or Metro express services overtaking all stations stoppers. If you build the wrong project now, then you cannot build the right one later.  This also means that Westernport and Gippsland freight will not have much daytime access to this line.

I have looked at the plans and they seem to continue the two track limitation. No provision to have Vline or Metro express services overtaking all stations stoppers. If you build the wrong project now, then you cannot build the right one later. This also means that Westernport and Gippsland freight will not have much daytime access to this line.

Maybe this and the SERL should be combined into one project?

I have looked at the plans and they seem to continue the two track limitation. No provision to have Vline or Metro express services overtaking all stations stoppers.

Of course there isn't, it's a Victorian Government project. They couldn't organise a root in a brothel.

But to do that you'd have to slow all trains to a crawl. I'm sure the Gippsland commuters wouldn't like that.

They crawl now and they'll crawl when HCS is introduced

it is not clear ot me if this proposal includes any express track extensions?  if these changes do proceed what impact if any would they have on providing capacity to the port of hastings?

They crawl now and they'll crawl when HCS is introduced

Rubbish. HCS will allow them to run at line speed.

it is not clear to me if this proposal includes any express track extensions? if these changes do proceed what impact if any would they have on providing capacity to the port of hastings?

No additional triplication or quadruplication of the line has been outlined by the State Government. It's basically just new trains, HCS, a couple of level crossing removals and a new depot at Pakenham East.

The lack of additional tracks would be deleterious to any rail link to the Port of Hastings if it branched from the Cranbourne line - you really want standard gauge track to link in with the rest of the interstate network. Then again, that might be eventually budgeted elsewhere. The lack of planning on that really worries me though.

"Rubbish. HCS will allow them to run at line speed." ~ railblogger

smeg. I'm not entirely sure what it is people don't understand about this, but it is relatively simple. A V/line train can only go as fast as the Metro train in front of it.
HCS will NOT enable a V/line or express Metro (if we ever get them back) to overtake a stopping all stations train. You simply cannot do any more with 2 tracks than what we already are.

If this project is going to be of so much benefit to the people of Victoria's South East, why don't they get a chance to vote on it?

Have you met people? They're idiots. Democracy is overrated.

"Rubbish. HCS will allow them to run at line speed." ~ railblogger

smeg. I'm not entirely sure what it is people don't understand about this, but it is relatively simple. A V/line train can only go as fast as the Metro train in front of it.
HCS will NOT enable a V/line or express Metro (if we ever get them back) to overtake a stopping all stations train. You simply cannot do any more with 2 tracks than what we already are.

Read up on the Tube Lines project and you'll see what I mean.

I also recall seeing something about the UK wanting to apply this to its long distance lines to increase the average speed...