Fast rail journey begins

DETAILED planning and development for the first stage of Victoria’s fast rail project has started, with construction expected to begin next year.

Construction on the current Geelong fast rail project is due to start in 2023, four years after the state and federal governments announced they would partner to deliver the key infrastructure.

But the project is set to fall well short of then prime minister Scott Morrison’s March 2019 promise of a “congestion busting rail” hitting an average speed of 160km/h and cutting the trip down to 32 minutes – with the current project instead spruiking a 50-minute trip.

Victorian Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan said the government had been doing a “huge amount of detailed planning and development work on this project”.

“I’m confident we that we will be able to work constructively with the incoming federal Labor government ... (it will be) refreshing to have a government that wants to work in a partnership,” Ms Allan said.

She said the government was working towards delivering the 2020 commitment, but said all levels of government would work together to try to make the trip as quick as possible through subsequent stages.

“It’s important to have really good strong rail connections between our regional centre and metropolitan Melbourne,” she said.

Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief Paul Guerra has previously called for the state government to speed up the delivery of the project.

“Fast rail connections to regional Victoria would decrease commuter time and improve the availability of labour in our fastest-growing regional centres like Geelong,” Mr Guerra said.

“It will help boost jobs, provide connectivity and generate economic development in one of Australia’s fastest-growing regions, particularly with the Commonwealth Games coming to Geelong in 2026.

“We know Geelong will play a key role in Victoria’s economic recovery as its population continues to grow.”

He said Geelong’s forecast growth of half a million people by 2047 meant it was “vital that infrastructure keeps pace with this growth”.

Acting Prime Minister and Corio MP Richard Marles did not say if he thought the Coalition’s promised 32-minute route was achievable, but said fast rail remained a priority.

“Let’s be clear, the Liberals treated fast rail as a marketing project and not as the important project it is for the community,” Mr Marles said.

“An Albanese Labor government will work closely with the Victorian government to advance this and other priorities across our region and the state.”

G21 chief executive Giulia Baggio said fast rail was “critical” to the region’s success.

“Further to this, we urgently need a better connected transport network across the Geelong region with an emphasis on public transport to take pressure off congested roads,” Ms Baggio said.