2016-05-03
MS DUNN — To ask the Minister for Agriculture (for the Minister for Public Transport): In relation to the recently announced removal of nine level crossings between Caulfield and Dandenong, there was no mention of the impact or integration of the Rowville rail line extension. The Caulfield and Dandenong project video (6/2/16) claims a 42 per cent increase in capacity —
(1) what proportion, if any, of this capacity will be consumed by the Rowville extension; and
(2) what will remain for Cranbourne/Pakenham growth;
ANSWER:
Works to upgrade the Cranbourne Pakenham corridor will boost capacity on the corridor by up to 42 per cent, accommodating an extra 11 000 passengers in the morning peak. The upgrades will include 65 next generation high capacity trains, removal of nine level crossings between Dandenong and Caulfield and new and upgraded infrastructure on the corridor, including power and signalling upgrades.
This will deliver benefits to current passengers on the Cranbourne Pakenham corridor and provide space to accommodate additional growth in travellers on these lines.
Delivering an extension to Rowville would require further capacity increases on the Cranbourne Pakenham corridor.
Further capacity increases on this corridor will require addressing the City Loop capacity constraints. The Melbourne Metro Rail Project will boost capacity on the Cranbourne Pakenham corridor by placing it in new twin tunnels through central Melbourne, creating a new end-to-end line from Sunbury in the west to Cranbourne Pakenham in the south-east. In addition to enabling more services to run on Melbourne's busiest train lines and making provision for longer high capacity trains through the new stations on the tunnel, Melbourne Metro will prove latent capacity to support further expansions of the rail network, which could include an extension to Rowville.
Question #5062