From rail revival to rail survival, doubt cast over Shepparton upgrades

By Murray Silby

May 24, 2023

**Rail concerns:** Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell says the state budget papers cast doubt over whether the Victorian Government will meet its commitment of nine services a day on the Shepparton line. Photo by Contributed

Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell says the state budget has raised concerns that Shepparton will not get the nine rail services a day promised by the Andrews Government.

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Ms Lovell said the budget papers showed that the Regional Rail Revival project, once listed to be completed in the 2023/24 financial year, now had no completion date set for the Shepparton line.

Ms Lovell also said the project was formerly valued at more than $400 million, but was now just over $323 million, of which $320 million was federal funding and subject to the Albanese Government’s infrastructure review.

The total expected expenditure by completion is also listed in the state budget papers as “to be confirmed”.

Ms Lovell said that might mean money had been removed from the project or costs had blown out. Whatever the case, she said the government was not being open with the public.

“I’m concerned on two levels. Where has the other $77 million of state funding gone, and if the Commonwealth reviews that project and takes the money back, are we going to get that upgrade to our rail line?” Ms Lovell said.

“It means we won’t get our nine services a day and we won’t get the promised faster travelling.”

Ms Lovell said stage three of the project remained to be completed, and included signalling upgrades between Seymour and Shepparton to allow the nine return services a day, track upgrades between Seymour and Shepparton to allow the trains to travel faster and expanded stabling for the VLocity trains to support the nine services.

“If this project is not delivered in full and we don’t receive the nine return services and faster travel, it means Shepparton has been hoodwinked by the Labor Government and former independent member (Suzanna Sheed), who promised these upgrades,” Ms Lovell said.

“Shepparton has always been the last one to receive upgrades. Bendigo, Ballarat, Geelong, Traralgon got upgrades and got further upgrades before Shepparton even got on to the agenda. Now once again our rail line is being ignored.”

The Victorian Government has been approached for comment.