12.12.2019Melbourne Airport Rail Link
We were pleased to be part of a Group of Victorian Committees for Cities and Regions (the C4 network) advocating for a world-class, efficient airport link, with a new rail tunnel as its foundation. The Committees for Ballarat, Gippsland, Greater Shepparton, Melbourne and Wyndham called on the Victorian and Federal governments to deliver on their commitment to develop a world-class airport train that enhances travel times to the city, provides a dedicated service for travellers, reduces suburban rail network congestion and links the state’s aviation gateway to its cities and the regions. So far, the call has been taken up in the Melbourne media, the Victorian Tourism Industry Council, VTIC and the Federal Member for Fraser, Daniel Mulino.
The Committee for Melbourne has a long held public position on the benefit of the Airport Rail Link to the city and to making regional Victoria more accessible. Our members have rated the Airport Rail Link as one of the key issues the city needs to address and we have hosted 3 member forums since 2017 and published conclusions and recommendations from those forums, including our support for the Sunshine route. The key elements of that held position include dedicated rolling stock for baggage, dedicated rail lines, regular and rapid trip times and increasing overall rail capacity to cater for rapid population growth
With Greater Melbourne’s population growth outstripping every other city in Australia, the urgency for an Airport Rail Link is vital to accommodate pressures on our existing infrastructure.
In fact, Melbourne’s West has the fastest growing postcodes in Australia with huge pressure on our transport network which affects all Melburnians. Melbourne’s Airport passenger numbers will almost double by 2038 and our regions desperately need faster, better rail connections to Melbourne as well as our State’s aviation gateway. A new rail tunnel for the airport train between Sunshine and Southern Cross Station would unlock this potential.
We applaud the Andrews Government and the Federal Government’s joint commitment to an airport link and encourage them to make the most of the opportunity this offers for Greater Melbourne, the regions and, ultimately Australia’s productivity. So, it is important to get it right.