‘Huge rail win’: More announcements expected by MP

Sunraysia Daily 

By Graeme O’Neill 

May 5, 2014, 4 a.m.

MEMBER for Mildura Peter Crisp says the Victorian Government’s proposed $220 million project to upgrade the Mildura-Geelong rail link to standard gauge is “a huge win” for Mildura and the Mallee region.­ 

MEMBER for Mildura Peter Crisp says the Victorian Government’s proposed $220 million project to upgrade the Mildura-Geelong rail link to standard gauge is “a huge win” for Mildura and the Mallee region.­

Victorian Deputy Premier Peter Ryan announced the long-awaited Murray Basin Rail Project at The Nationals­’ annual state conference in Benalla on Saturday.

Mr Ryan said the project would “improve transport efficiency and enhance access” to the ports of Portland, Geelong and Melbourne for Victorian exports. 

He said the entire project would be completed by 2018.

In a statement released at the conference, Mr Crisp predicted the “game-changing” project would create new jobs and drive investment­ throughout the region.

He described the upgrade as “a crucial first step” in the return of Mildura’s passenger rail service, axed by former Premier Jeff Kennett in 1993.

“The community has wanted this, I have wanted this, and to be here in Benalla today alongside … Peter Ryan to announce this funding­ is truly an exciting moment.”

Mr Crisp said the investment would revolutionise the movement of freight through the region, enabling greater access to southern and international markets for one of Australia’s leading food and mineral-­producing regions.

He said that building and upgrading the line would deliver significant productivity improvements that would ultimately benefit­ local producers.

Mr Crisp said he had been lobbying for the upgrade and standardisation of the Mildura line since he was elected in 2006.

“I have long argued that if we are to see a return of passenger services to Mildura, we must first deliver vital maintenance upgrades and standardisation,” he said.

Mr Ryan told The Nationals’ conference the first stage of the project, costing $41 million, would include upgrading the Mildura to Maryborough section of the line to Geelong.

The current broad-gauge line is in a decrepit state, causing three derailments in the section between Mildura and Donald in the past two years – freight trains are limited to a speed of 25km/h in some sections.

Mr Ryan also announced the $41 million first stage of the $220 million project would include an upgrade of the existing standard-gauge line between Hopetoun and Murtoa.

He said the business case for the full Mildura to Geelong standardisation project would be completed by the end of the year.

Mr Ryan’s statement was interesting for what it did not announce – in particular, it did not explain how all-the-way standardisation of the Mildura to Geelong line would be achieved, given that there is no standard-gauge line between Ballarat­ and Geelong.