These regional rail upgrades that will happen under Lab:

Major upgrades on the:
-Ballarat and Gippsland corridors

Various of other minor upgrades on the:
-Warrnambool section, Shepparton, North East corridors

Planning out:
South Geelong-Waurn Ponds duplication
Torquay link


Ongoing upgrade with bipartisan support:
Murray Bassin Rail project
Melbourne to Brisbane Freight link

To say they haven't done good enough time for election, has the opposition have a plan for upgrading rail? No, just there 55 grade seperate road project. 

Currently the Victorian Libs are anti-rail. 
1) against skyrail
2) against the stabling improvements at Kannanook
3) against the metro tunnel, just because there is no connection at south yarra
4) will do anything to get their east west road project as no. 1 priority
5) Announce a major road program and advertise it that it would reduce congestion 

Labor is still guilty for major road projects
-West Gate Tunnel (suprise deal with Transurban)
-North East Link (super expensive since it is sketchy with details)

But major regional rail upgrades are coming, and will only happen under current gov agenda. Unfortunately the opposition doesn't have a better plan.

Regional Rail Alliance will contest State Election

no surprises there, but they are seriously Running candidates? Now we have 2 rail themed parties in Australia... I,ll go create the party of in defence of Gunzel Rights.

This to me is a very interesting turn of events as I think Jacinta Allan has a rural seat?

Is public transport and freight rail that big an issue in regional cities like Bendigo and Ballarat?  My word it is.

*sighs* ... James, from reading the groups media releases in recent years, we can have no doubt that they are somewhat to left of the political centre. Since they have no chance of being elected as a single issue party, that means they will direct their preferences to other left of centre candidates. So it looks to me that they're just trying to harvest protest and undecided votes and direct them to the ALP, (unless they're running in the wealthier inner city areas where they may direct their preferences to the Green Party).

Single issue parties like this are actually quite common and are often tacitly supported by Lib/Lab/Nat/Grn as a way of harvesting the preferences of people who are reluctant to give the large and medium sized parties their first preference.

Now you make it very, very obvious that you're barracking for the Labour team in next years big contest. So if you want your team to win, you shouldn't be knocking this group, instead you should be attacking the National, Green and Liberal parties because candidates for the Regional Rail Alliance will actually be helping the team you support.

ya know what I'll create the 'Gunzel Party of Australia' who wants to join? eh ill try to write a constitution for it soon?

*sighs* ... James, from reading the groups media releases in recent years, we can have no doubt that they are somewhat to left of the political centre. Since they have no chance of being elected as a single issue party, that means they will direct their preferences to other left of centre candidates. So it looks to me that they're just trying to harvest protest and undecided votes and direct them to the ALP, (unless they're running in the wealthier inner city areas where they may direct their preferences to the Green Party).

Single issue parties like this are actually quite common and are often tacitly supported by Lib/Lab/Nat/Grn as a way of harvesting the preferences of people who are reluctant to give the large and medium sized parties their first preference.

Now you make it very, very obvious that you're barracking for the Labour team in next years big contest. So if you want your team to win, you shouldn't be knocking this group, instead you should be attacking the National, Green and Liberal parties because candidates for the Regional Rail Alliance will actually be helping the team you support.

Bogong, you could not possibly know that for sure. They might, they might not, but Scott Ramsey does not strike me as being someone who is left wing. Is Bill Traill of the Border Rail Action Group left leaning? I doubt it in that part of the world. Indeed many Nationals as opposed to Liberals are pro-rail in the regions, it does not make them left wing. The Alliance can just as easily re-direct their votes to the National Party.

As regards to the Libs vs ALP. Yes the ALP is on the nose on a lot of issues, however speaking about Rail Transport which this forum is about, they are miles ahead of the Coalition even though they could do more, like sort out the NE Line to Albury.

That Bogong is a undeniable fact.

Michael

*sighs* ... Bogong, from reading the groups media releases in recent years I doubt they could find their own names on the ballot paper.

Therefore I predict they will get Zero votes and preferences will not be at issue.

BG

Not sure I would agree on this occasion.  It seems clear to me the public in regional victoria wants action and they have not had most of their public transport issues resolved.  Just consider the issues VLine have had under the current minister.

Not sure I would agree on this occasion.  It seems clear to me the public in regional victoria wants action and they have not had most of their public transport issues resolved.  Just consider the issues VLine have had under the current minister.

Bevans, A lot of it was amplified by the lack of action by the previous coalition government. The problems on the RRL was due to their penny pinching and redirection to a road. To blame that on Ms Allan was flaming well disingenuous.

I agree the Victorian Government could do more for V/line away from the Commuter Services, especially on the North East Corridor, however they have done much more for rail (including the regions) than the Coalition has.

Michael

Just a follow up, I just wanna say I want both major parties to provide rail investment in Victoria. Problem is Liberals in Victoria lately have an anti-rail agenda. Only thing was 10 minute services.

As for the new group, not sure whether they will help or not. They may keep Labor on check with regional rail, but on the other hand, they haven't really been supportive when the current gov has done the right move (Regional Rail Revival upgrades).

If only public transport got bipartisan support on both major sides of politics in Victoria then we actually might get better transport planning. Transport planning is really lacking and it would be nice for the opposition have an actual proper 30 year public transport plan that's achievable, not just rail, but all modes of transport. Such as fixing the whole bus network, or providing new network of cycling express lanes.

I agree the Victorian Government could do more for V/line away from the Commuter Services, especially on the North East Corridor, however they have done much more for rail (including the regions) than the Coalition has.

Michael

Yup. I am no fan of the Andrews government and definitely not a fan of Minister Allan but you have to say that they have done way for for regional rail than the coalition in recent times.

Let's say that the RRA are progressive rather than left for the sake of the argument, to run candidates based on the single issue of rail against a sitting ALP member is similar to what is happening in inner Melbourne with the Greens vs Labour where progressive parties take votes (and seats) off the ALP which ends up helping the opposition. (the coalition is talking about running dead in more inner suburban seats to help the Greens beat the ALP)

BG

Well the Liberals are talking about running semi-dead in Green leaning seats to save their resources (both money and volunteers) for marginal seats where they are competing against the ALP. The Libs are (relatively) poor compared to the ALP because while they both receive about the same amount in corporate donations, unlike Labour the Libs don't have a union cash cow funnelling big wads of money to them.

So the Libs will probably letterbox green leaning seats to get upper house votes because printing is cheap and Liberal branches like Brunswick, Prahran, Carlton, Richmond, etc. have volunteers to letter box the flyers at no cost. But I suspect they will divert the money they used to spend campaigning in Green leaning seats as well as any spare volunteers to marginal seats where they can be used against the ALP.

Bevans, A lot of it was amplified by the lack of action by the previous coalition government. The problems on the RRL was due to their penny pinching and redirection to a road. To blame that on Ms Allan was flaming well disingenuous.

I agree the Victorian Government could do more for V/line away from the Commuter Services, especially on the North East Corridor, however they have done much more for rail (including the regions) than the Coalition has.

Hi Michael, from the outset this is not a discussion about ALP Liberals from my perspective it is more about the central region and the minister of the time.  I am fully supportive of the view the Liberals caused a lot of damage to V/Line and depending on who you speak to had plans to privatise the corporation again even after the Coalition made a mess of it the first time.

My comments are specifically about the current state of affairs and the issues V/Line have experienced under her stewardship.  We have seen very little replacement of senior management at V/Line despite the failure of maintenance management for the VLocity sets causing wheel wear issues and reduction is services, North East Line issues with locomotives and other rolling stock and poor management timetabling on the Ballarat and Geelong lines.

If people are to make the lifestyle choice to move to a regional centre and commute then there must and I do say must be a governance framework providing service certainty and management and most of all a can do attitude to running rail services.  It is all too easy for Pinder to organise a bus to replace trains which causes a lot of issues for those passengers who use these services daily.  

I also say the implementation of the RRL was not satisfactory (An ALP project) which has causes a deterioration of Geelong line services, overcrowding and loss of confidence in the system from the outset.  the RRL line is hardly rural but it is a V/Line service.

In terms of the Murray Basin works, this again is a project which could have been scoped far better and had it been would have delivered far more benefit to the state. Shifting a rail and removing flexibility and capacity will deliver very little incremental benefit to the customer and nothing to the passenger, in fact on the face of it services will be slower.  The project if handled correctly could have been a part of a much larger investment into western victorian freight and passenger services over 5 or 6 phases and included much needed passenger services between Castlemaine, Maryborough and Ararat and Ballarat.  it was certainly something which could have provided economic and community benefit well into the future.

Reliable freight and passenger services are key cornerstones of economic development.

In terms of the Murray Basin works, this again is a project which could have been scoped far better and had it been would have delivered far more benefit to the state. Shifting a rail and removing flexibility and capacity will deliver very little incremental benefit to the customer and nothing to the passenger, in fact on the face of it services will be slower.  The project if handled correctly could have been a part of a much larger investment into western victorian freight and passenger services over 5 or 6 phases and included much needed passenger services between Castlemaine, Maryborough and Ararat and Ballarat.  it was certainly something which could have provided economic and community benefit well into the future.

Reliable freight and passenger services are key cornerstones of economic development.

Bevans, the MB Standardisation project was a Coalition plan picked up by the ALP after a change of government. It was a National party idea I believe and was only ever supposed to make it cheaper and easier to get produce to port. I doubt the Federal Government would have come to the party if it had been made too much more expensive.

Time will tell whether or not it is a success but I think we need to sit back and wait to see how it goes, it is after all a big spend on Rail.

As for your comment about "much needed passenger services between Castlemaine, Maryborough and Ararat and Ballarat" the bus between Maryborough and The Maine sees so few passengers it is a miracle V/Line haven't stopped it altogether and Ballarat > Ararat already has a rail service which has been expanded recently.

BG

We all remember the gold plated $1Billion proposal for the line from Bendigo to Geelong via Castlemaine & Maryborough which was set up to fail under the Baillieu government.

That same PT advisor (E.C.), an avid Railpage reader...however I won't advise his actual name is still lurking in the Liberal party and in all likelihood will produce another low budget, big plan for regional transport as was delivered before the 2014 election.


The Libs are all about plans....delivered at the cheapest possible cost. Remember extreme overcrowding on RFR services, (2011 to 2015) due to no VLocity's ordered for almost 2 years and patronage going sky-high on 3 car VLocity's.  (I still have my folding stool at the ready for future use).

Also the RRL...delivered on time and under budget because funds were allocated to the Beaufort by-pass on the Western Highway...and it was delivered under budget because several major parts are still missing...quadruplication from Sunshine to Wyndham Vale and a few flyovers that would untangle trains from major choke points (Albion & Robinsons Road).

Don't forget the V/Line efficiency dividend that gutted V/Line and left us disgustingly dirty VLocity's...although I have seen some disgustingly dirty N Cars of late..

Let's also not forget the few 'upgrades' the former government did.

1. Epsom bus stop....err station.
2. Talbot station.
3. Minimalist extension from Marshall to Waurn Ponds.
4. Underutilised crossing loop at Rowsley.

Sure I'm a Labor voter, but I live in a marginal electorate.... and who wouldn't support Labor when I use PT for over 700KM of travel every week

Mike.