Not much available with this article due to the pay wall.  Are there plans for passenger services once again?

Wheels turning for the return of passenger rail to the Wimmera

File under "W" for Wishful Thinking.

Not much available with this article due to the pay wall.  Are there plans for passenger services once again?

Wheels turning for the return of passenger rail to the Wimmera

It's tied in with the Mildura service.

There's a group of councils and local businesses who have been pushing for better public transport out west - mainly to Horsham and Hamilton.

They can carry on all they like, but it's unlikely to get anywhere.

Passenger rail to Horsham in particular is much more achievable than Mildura no? Hamilton is a bit more of a stretch but the basic infrastructure is there.

Mildura truly is a pipe-dream at this point

Does anyone have the actual article text they can post please?

Passenger rail to Horsham in particular is much more achievable than Mildura no? Hamilton is a bit more of a stretch but the basic infrastructure is there.

Mildura truly is a pipe-dream at this point

A simple extension of the Warrnambool V/Line service to Koroit and Hamilton would be the obvious solution.

Passenger rail to Horsham in particular is much more achievable than Mildura no? Hamilton is a bit more of a stretch but the basic infrastructure is there.

Mildura truly is a pipe-dream at this point

A simple extension of the Warrnambool V/Line service to Koroit and Hamilton would be the obvious solution.

I completely agree with this statement.  A lot of stupid decisions have been made on rail in the west but it would be possible to put the train back into Koroit and Port Fairy.

Passenger rail to Horsham in particular is much more achievable than Mildura no? Hamilton is a bit more of a stretch but the basic infrastructure is there.

Mildura truly is a pipe-dream at this point

A simple extension of the Warrnambool V/Line service to Koroit and Hamilton would be the obvious solution.

I completely agree with this statement.  A lot of stupid decisions have been made on rail in the west but it would be possible to put the train back into Koroit and Port Fairy.

Theoretically yes, but not in reality. There's a bridge missing over the Merri River at Warrnambool, for a start.

Edit - Oh, and the Princes Hwy now goes over the rail reserve between Dennington and Illowa.

Does anyone have the actual article text they can post please?

Sorry, not the full article but enough to give you an idea.

"Passenger rail has been absent from the Wimmera for almost 30 years, but discussions are taking place to revitalise public transport in the region. The discussions are being led by the Rail Futures Institute, a public transport advocacy, think-tank, and research organisation. The Institute hopes to debate rail changes in the Wimmera. In March, Rail Futures Institute president John Hearsch connected with many local government councils in the Wimmera to assess the interest of a potential return to passenger rail in the area. Horsham Rural City Council, Northern Grampians Shire Council, the Southern Grampians Shire Council, and the Ararat…"

So - no real news here. The same councils have their own rail committee pushing for the same.

The infrastructure exists to run a service between Horsham and Hamilton connecting with Melbourne bound BG Vlos at Ararat.

Horsham, Stawell and Ararat stations are open and ready to go. Hamilton and Dunkeld are both in very good condition and would need very little work if anything at all to receive trains. Actually, Hamilton station is already open and staffed by V/Line employees - All that's missing is the trains.

All that needs to be done to provide this service is to acquire the necessary rollingstock and get the drivers trained up on the route.



Oh yeah and passenger numbers. Without those, It isn't likely to happen at all. I believe this is the true stumbling block.

The infrastructure exists to run a service between Horsham and Hamilton connecting with Melbourne bound BG Vlos at Ararat.

Horsham, Stawell and Ararat stations are open and ready to go. Hamilton and Dunkeld are both in very good condition and would need very little work if anything at all to receive trains. Actually, Hamilton station is already open and staffed by V/Line employees - All that's missing is the trains.

All that needs to be done to provide this service is to acquire the necessary rollingstock and get the drivers trained up on the route.



Oh yeah and passenger numbers. Without those, It isn't likely to happen at all. I believe this is the true stumbling block.

It's the usual catch 22.  Vline won't provide a service unless there's passengers, and passengers won't use it unless there's a decent service (4 trains each way, each day).  Call it 3 hours with stops; trains running in both directions simultaneously, crossing at Grampians loop.  And a guarantee that any goods trains to/from Portland will be held to ensure no delays to the passenger service.

So 2 crews per day, plus enough trained up to cover leave.  Sufficient rolling stock to cover the timetable, as well as servicing etc.  Does anybody know if Sprinters are gauge convertible?

The only way I can see something like this getting started is if somebody/organisation/collective stumps up the cash to run the service for 2-3 years (it would take a while to attract passengers).

Anybody got a rough idea how much the foam above would cost ?

The infrastructure exists to run a service between Horsham and Hamilton connecting with Melbourne bound BG Vlos at Ararat.

Horsham, Stawell and Ararat stations are open and ready to go. Hamilton and Dunkeld are both in very good condition and would need very little work if anything at all to receive trains. Actually, Hamilton station is already open and staffed by V/Line employees - All that's missing is the trains.

All that needs to be done to provide this service is to acquire the necessary rollingstock and get the drivers trained up on the route.



Oh yeah and passenger numbers. Without those, It isn't likely to happen at all. I believe this is the true stumbling block.

It's the usual catch 22.  Vline won't provide a service unless there's passengers, and passengers won't use it unless there's a decent service (4 trains each way, each day).  Call it 3 hours with stops; trains running in both directions simultaneously, crossing at Grampians loop.  And a guarantee that any goods trains to/from Portland will be held to ensure no delays to the passenger service.

So 2 crews per day, plus enough trained up to cover leave.  Sufficient rolling stock to cover the timetable, as well as servicing etc.  Does anybody know if Sprinters are gauge convertible?

The only way I can see something like this getting started is if somebody/organisation/collective stumps up the cash to run the service for 2-3 years (it would take a while to attract passengers).

Anybody got a rough idea how much the foam above would cost ?

No, the trains need to cross at Ararat, otherwise they won't meet with a connecting broad gauge Vlocity for inbound/outbound passengers.

No, the trains need to cross at Ararat, otherwise they won't meet with a connecting broad gauge Vlocity for inbound/outbound passengers.

Sorry, I meant crossing at Grampians loop when running between Ararat-Portland, because a decent local service would be needed to attract passengers (not everyone wants to travel on to Melbourne).  Ararat bound trains would be timed to connect with the Melbourne train.

Obviously the northern section would be worked/timed similarly, but I forgot to type that bit out (I blame the beer).

If you are keeping costs to a minimum, Pyrenees Loop. Would be a 15-min wait for the Hamilton service if the Horsham service gets priority or vice versa. The Melbourne service would need a quick turnaround.

A simple extension of the Warrnambool V/Line service to Koroit and Hamilton would be the obvious solution.

Oh...do you mean like this

https://www.vline.com.au/getattachment/95418c32-d2fa-48d6-9985-cae575623c45/Mt-Gambier

and

https://d1u8c9axrpru07.cloudfront.net/1616650730661/bus-1357-2008-04-27-2021-12-31.pdf


Mike.

Mike do we know how popular this service is between Warrnambool and Heywood?

Mike do we know how popular this service is between Warrnambool and Heywood?

Actually, Mt Gambier - Warrnambool. And it's pretty popular.

Well while the gloves are partially off in the Mildura thread, this old festering beast has popped up again, ahh election time.

From: Callum Whitehead  
Sent: Wednesday, 4 August 2021 9:45 AM
Subject: Media Release- Grimley Asks Public Transport Minister to Meet Wimmera Community & Provide Information on Business Case

Hi,

Pleas find attached a media release regarding MR Grimley’s speech on Wimmera Rail in Parliament.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Grimley Asks Public Transport Minister to Meet Wimmera Community & Provide Information on Business Case

Grimley Asks Public Transport Minister to Meet Wimmera Community & Provide Information on Business Case                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                4 August 2021

Western Victorian MP Stuart Grimley is calling for Minister for Public Transport, Ben Carroll, to meet with communities along the Nhill-Ararat rail line.

Through an Adjournment Debate in Parliament, Mr Grimley asked the Minister to meet with councils and community groups including Horsham Rural City Council, Hindmarsh Shire Council and the Nhill Train Alliance to discuss the return of rail to the Wimmera.

During Mr Grimley’s electorate tour in mid-July he met with these groups and other individuals to discuss the push for the return of Wimmera rail.

During the trip, Mr Grimley was also informed that prior to COVID-19, the Department of Transport had begun a business case evaluating a shuttle from Nhill or Kaniva that connects with the Melbourne service at Ararat.

Mr Grimley asked when the business case will be finished and if it will be made public in his question to the Minister.

Mr Grimley says the current transport system in the Wimmera is horrendous at best. It is a bus-based network with horrible timetabling, extremely long and uncomfortable trips and difficult for elderly residents to use.

Instead of using buses to go to appointments in Melbourne, locals either go without or drive themselves to Ballarat to catch the train. For those in Nhill, that’s a three-hour drive, then a train ride to Melbourne and then back again. The choice left for locals is either pay to stay overnight in Melbourne, which many can’t afford, or drive back home.

The Minister has 30 days to respond.

Quotes Attributable to Stuart Grimley MP

“People living in country Victoria understand that they won’t always have access to the exact same services as metropolitan areas and they understand that it does take longer to travel elsewhere. But in saying this we are seeing, now more than ever, a wider gap of services between the country and the city.

During our meetings in July, Horsham Council told me that the Department of Transport were undertaking an internal business case for a train shuttle from Nhill through to Ararat. I’m seeking information on when this will be finished and if it will be made public.

It seems that all the pieces of the puzzle are available for the return of rail; rolling stock is sitting in stabling yards in Melbourne that match the current track; the condition of the track is up to passenger rail standard, as it is used by the Overland, the right infrastructure is in place and the community are pushing for it.

The only thing the communities in the Wimmera need now is a commitment from the state government to return the rail service. Just because they live in the country, doesn’t mean they should have second class services.

BigShunter.

The only thing the communities in the Wimmera need now is a commitment from the state government to return the rail service. Just because they live in the country, doesn’t mean they should have second class services.

Isn't the great National Party supposed to look after all this?

It is entirely reasonable to expect a service to western Victorian towns who have excellent rail infrastructure.  

What I just don't get (well do for other reasons) is the blocking of these important developments.

Read this document which shows Victoria the way for $60b in benefits will they do it?  

http://dams.omni.com.au:8080/razuna/raz2/dam/index.cfm?fa=c.sf&f=E15DC22C8A9F4B76A3B1AD5D8A61C971

Not much available with this article due to the pay wall.  Are there plans for passenger services once again?

Wheels turning for the return of passenger rail to the Wimmera

A standard gauge N Set from Ararat to Nhil can do this easily enough.

The only thing the communities in the Wimmera need now is a commitment from the state government to return the rail service. Just because they live in the country, doesn’t mean they should have second class services.

Isn't the great National Party supposed to look after all this?

Probably correct, if they were in an electorate where they actually had to get off their hands and do some work. As far as I have seen the Nationals in the Wimmera have been on easy street for decades. Previously Hugh Delahunty was the local, very nice bloke, would be seen regularly at local events and around town, probably did his best for the community but I couldn't say anything ground breaking. Always been a very strong hold for the Nationals, for some reason.

BigShunter.

Looking forward to this idea progressing so the journos can move on from Wheels Turning and bust out the good ol' Full Steam Ahead for Wimmera Passenger Rail

Wouldn't passenger rail out that way use standard gauge through North Shore-Geelong like the Overland? One train could go to Stawell and Horsham and another could go Hamilton and Portland.

Wouldn't passenger rail out that way use standard gauge through North Shore-Geelong like the Overland? One train could go to Stawell and Horsham and another could go Hamilton and Portland.

Yes. Its called "The Overland". Runs twice a week, book thru Vline. The low patronage says it all.

Already said numerous times,  an N set shuttle between Horsham and Hamilton, with interchange at Ararat, would provide the service at a justifyable cost.
Queue outrage from sims and rtt.