Melbourne suburban rail loop: What readers think
We asked you what you thought of the government's announcement to build a massive new suburban rail loop in Melbourne. Within a few hours, you answered in your hundreds and this is a selection of what you said.
This is brilliant. Both visionary and logical. No one questions the value of a ring road. It should be the same for ring rail.
Tim
This is as ambitious as it gets three months before a state election. I have always said that an outer rail loop was a vital missing feature of Melbourne's train network, but I never saw it as a way of finally adding stations to key black spots such as Doncaster and Monash University (as opposed to full line extensions from the city to these areas). Yes, it will be expensive. Yes, it will take a long time. No, for most of us we won't see the benefits in our lifetimes. But for once, we need to allow our governments to take a massive leap that will undoubtedly provide long term benefits, instead of the usual bandaid solutions and building infrastructure in ten years that was needed ten years ago.
Francesco
Great idea. Anything that develops our future growth is perfect for all Victorians. Taking traffic off the road, providing us with other alternatives to driving helps me personally and all of us by lightening the load off all roads. Let's get it done.
Mark
This is a superb project. It won't help my commute, however it may help me in the future by allowing me to consider working in a location outside of the CBD. A much-needed investment which will unlock the potential of Melbourne's PT network.
Anonymous
Brilliant idea, but I'm sceptical about their ability to build it.
John
I’m a 21-year-old and I feel like this is one of those moments where I’ll tell my kids, "I can still remember where I was when I heard that announced". I really genuinely hope that this is followed through with. What a good way to restore your faith in politics - major infrastructure announcements that will genuinely improve citizens' lives. It’s an exciting time to be a Victorian.
Harrison
An excellent idea. But it should start at Sandringham then on to Cheltenham, it's only a distance of 4.83km. Half of that would be under the Victoria golf course and an industrial area and then linking most of Melbourne's above ground rail lines.
Ozman
This is visionary and certainly long overdue. It can only be strongly commended. Now, if a new decentralisation plan was added, that would be icing on the cake.
Greg Bailey
Concept is good but misplaced. The ring needs to be further out and be at ground level connecting the existing infrastructure. This would enable diversionary routes for engineering works, maintenance, derailment etc.
Neil Johnson
This is good in principle and should be endorsed by both major parties. It connects most of the major centres (Broadmeadows, Box Hill, Glen Waverley, Monash), health (Austin, Monash, Box Hill) and education hubs (Monash, Deakin, La Trobe) together with the existing rail network. My only two criticisms is that it does fall a bit short neglecting Melbourne's growth area in the outer west and outer south east and that this is an election year. If this is genuine though, I applaud the decision. Critics railed against the city loop when it was being built. Where are they now?
Anonymous
This will be good for short commutes between adjacent suburbs but can't see people having the need to use it for longer journeys between suburbs.
EK
Keep it high on the policy agenda and budget proposals; sounds great for Melbourne's long term future. This is the quality of political thinking we in Australia/Victoria urgently need.
Jack Dunham
It's about 50 years too late... This should have been in the planning at the time the city loop was planned. It took 10 years to complete the city loop so this could have been done progressively over the next 20 years. Melbourne would then truly be a world metropolis and the most livable city!
Manny
Brilliant - so desperately needed as we clicked over 5 million people yesterday.
Anonymous
I'll be retired by the time it's finished! That's no reason not to do it though. This is crucial. Sorely needed to ease congestion in the CBD. There will be a larger pool of workers that are able to commute to a workplace that isn't in the CBD which would mean that having a business further out is more viable. More business away from the CBD means fewer people commuting to the CBD which means less of a bottleneck.
Justin Doyle
It is a perfect solution for Melbourne but too long to build. Need to complete over a 10 year period.
Anonymous
Overall I think it's great. Very eastern and northern suburbs centric though, maybe include a couple of new stations between Werribee and Sunshine to serve the massive growth areas there?
Jeremy
It would, but 2050 is not 10 years away it is 30 years away. Why does everything in Australia have to take so long? With the introduction of vertical take off aircraft and self driving cars just years away and the huge pressures on our city today because of the massive spike in population I doubt we can wait this long to add this type of critical infrastructure. By 2050 with the lack of effort going into climate change we might have other problems anyway...
Andrew
I support it. It will help de-congest the city-bound trains. Huge employment opportunities with its attendant flow-on effects to Victoria economy. And it's not road so should get the Greens' support
Nelson Onyeukwu
This is a fantastic plan. I used to travel daily from Bendigo to La Trobe University at Bundoora. It was to my great frustration that 60 - 90 minutes were added to my travel because there was no ring rail. Sadly, I will probably be dead by the time it is complete, but that is no excuse not to do a project that should have been done decades ago. Go for it!
Richard Turner
This is what Melbourne really needs, as the city becomes a mega metropolis with multiple centres. Look at London, Paris or Tokyo, they all have these kind of metro lines.
Raymond Dean
Long overdue! No matter their colour all political parties must ensure this project is actually completed. It will change the life of millions of people.
Guy Chatain
Absolutely essential infrastructure, with our population now 5 million and clearly on the rise. A big Melbourne requires equivalent infrastructure, in order to maintain our high living standard. It will deliver a high social and financial return. Living in Cheltenham, I consider myself very fortunate.
Jeremy
I'm all for this, it's nice to see a government with a long term vision. This is the sort of project we really need to help bring Melbourne in line with other "world cities" like London or Tokyo. Some people don't want this to happen, but it is inevitable and I think smart planning is the way to deal with it, not bury our heads in the sand.
Jon
Can we please just have some more trains on the Upfield line? Please?
'Tired in Coburg'
I am a cross-line commuter but unfortunately this proposal won't help my commute. The government should alternatively consider bringing the line into the middle ring northern suburbs (e.g. Essendon, Coburg and Preston rather than Broadmeadows, Fawkner and Reservoir) to also enable inner and middle ring suburbs to connect between lines. As it stands, the commute would be unrealistic for commuters in say Moonee Ponds, Brunswick and Northcote who travel between lines.
Anonymous
It’s a long-overdue plan and really a completion of our forefathers’ planning vision which can still be seen in the old outer circle railway line. Congratulations Dan Andrews.
Frank Moore