The Government of Victoria in Australia is set to provide A$572m ($431.68m) to carry out upgrade works on the Cranbourne and Pakenham rail corridor.
The investment, which is included in the 2018/19 Victorian Budget, will be used to carry out power upgrade works and install modern signalling from Melbourne to Cranbourne and Pakenham, as well as facilitate the Cranbourne line duplication works.
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Additionally, the investment will be used to conduct detailed design work to run new high-capacity metro trains to Sunbury.
These upgrade works, along with the Metro Tunnel which is still under construction, are expected to transform Melbourne’s busiest train lines by enhancing reliability of services and increasing capacity by additional 234,000 peak passengers every week from Sunbury, Cranbourne and Pakenham.
Victoria Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan said: “We’re building the Metro Tunnel, delivering longer trains and getting rid of 17 dangerous and congested level crossings to deliver a new Sunbury to Cranbourne / Pakenham rail corridor.
“This massive investment will see upgrades to power, track, stations and modern signalling along this new end-to-end rail corridor and will pave the way for more trains, more often.”
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By GlobalDataThe project includes the removal of level crossings between Caulfield and Dandenong, as well as the delivery of new track, longer platforms and modernised signalling on the route.
After completion, the project will enable the high-capacity trains to run from Cranbourne and Pakenham to Sunbury connected through the central business district by the Metro Tunnel.
