The Victorian Government this week announced a 10-day works blitz in September to deliver a new train control system, with another blitz needed later in the year to complete stage three of the Shepparton line upgrade project.
The first of these works, from September 7 to 16, will see crews carry out signalling testing and construction work along the line, including cabling works and installing trackside signalling equipment between Seymour and Shepparton.
The project is updating the line’s ageing infrastructure to enable a significant boost to the number of return services that can travel between Melbourne and Shepparton during the week — an increase from five per day to nine.
The government said a second major construction blitz would take place between September and the end of the year to commission the signalling system, and will include safety testing of the line’s new infrastructure, to bring the new system into operation and complete the Shepparton line upgrade.
The government said further information on timing of this would be provided once plans were finalised.
The announcement is just the most recent in a long-running saga of Shepparton getting more train services.
Shepparton was promised nine services a day in 2021, with the project to be finished by 2023.
State Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell was critical of the government, saying this week’s announcement did not say when the promised nine weekday return services would start.
“This (announcement) is cold comfort for commuters who currently suffer on overcrowded trains,” she said.
“(Victorian Premier) Jacinta Allan promised that stage three of the Shepparton line upgrade would be completed in 2023 — that promise was broken.”
Ms Lovell said the government needed to “come clean” and answer “three important questions”.
“1. When will the nine weekday return services commence?,” she said.
“2. When will the five weekend return services be delivered in full?
“3. When will the traffic lights be turned on at the intersection of Wyndham St and MacIntosh St?”
City of Greater Shepparton Mayor Shane Sali tentatively welcomed the works, but said council was still pushing for more train services.
“Council and the community have been patiently waiting for the works to be completed and the commencement of nine services,” he said.
“It would be great to see a future timetable that better suits the demands of the community, such as evening trains and late-night services on Fridays and Saturdays for sporting events, for example.
“Shepparton is only 30km further from Southern Cross Station by rail than Bendigo, yet Bendigo enjoys services at least every hour on weekdays and weekends, with 40-minute frequencies during peak times.”
The government said the first two stages of the upgrade had already delivered more frequent services, improved stations and more reliable journeys on modern VLocity trains.
Extra services will be enabled by the completion of this project, including trains every hour on the Seymour line on weekends and five weekend return services through to Shepparton.
Stage three of the project has upgraded close to 40km of track, extended the Murchison East passing loop, allowing 1200-metre freight trains and two six-car VLocity trains to pass each other.
It has also increased capacity at the new Shepparton stabling facility to support more services.
As part of the September work, coaches will replace trains for all or part of the journey on the Shepparton line from September 7 to 16.
