201503 – Ramsdale – Transforming V/Line’s Regional Rail Network

This paper articulates how Regional Rail Link (RRL) significantly transforms V/Line’s Regional Rail Network. Regional Rail Link provides dedicated regional tracks from West Werribee Junction to Deer Park, then along the existing corridor from Sunshine to Southern Cross Station. The project has delivered approximately 90km of new tracks for Melbourne’s regional rail network providing Ballarat, Bendigo and Geelong services with their own dedicated Up and Down track pair to Melbourne’s Southern Cross Station.

The project provides two new stations, being Wyndham Vale and Tarneit, removal of two level crossings at Anderson Road in Sunshine and 13 road and rail grade separations on the greenfield corridor section between West Werribee and Deer Park Junction. The project also delivered upgrades to stations including Footscray and Sunshine, a new stabling facility in Melbourne for V/Line trains, and other associated infrastructure.

The paper indicates that RRL provides the infrastructure for enhanced reliability and performance. The opening of RRL will provide V/Line with a new geographic customer market segment, being residents in the growing communities of Wyndham Vale and Tarneit. RRL is also a key enabler for the expanding regional customer market segments in the Greater Geelong, Ballarat and Greater Bendigo areas.

New VLocity rolling stock units (43 no.) are progressively being introduced into V/Line. The units provide a basis for V/Line to increase its existing 3-car VLocity consist and also change the existing 2-car VLocity consist fleet to 3-car VLocity’s, thereby, providing numerous future benefits for the running and servicing of the VLocity fleet.

RRL has delivered numerous state of the art asset enhancements; including computer based interlocking systems, inbearer point machines and power supply systems.

RRL has transformed V/Line’s regional rail network, and delivered key benefits that support the V/Line Customer Charter. The V/Line Customer Charter addresses five items important to the V/Line customer experience being Comfort, Informative, Helpful, Safe and Secure, and Reliable.

RRL has touched all areas of the V//Line business. Many staff have been involved in the planning, design, development and implementation. This has provided V/Line with invaluable knowledge and experience of such a large and complex project. Furthermore, significant recruitment program has been undertaken (e.g.: additional drivers, conductors, station staff, maintainers) and numerous training events have been undertaken.