__________________________________________________________________________ Review of Country Passenger Rail Services Department of Infrastructure May 2001 Review of Country Passenger Rail Services – Mildura Line i __________________________________________________________________________ SUMMARY The State Government has committed to reviewing all coach services that have replaced passenger rail services in Victoria since 1992. A review of the Mildura corridor has been completed and the findings are presented in this report. The review considered re-opening of the line for passenger train purposes. Extensive consultation ensured all local interests were identified. Studies undertaken included engineering assessment of the existing infrastructure and the works needed to re-introduce train services, assessments of the potential demand for passenger rail services and the implications for ongoing subsidies. The review identified the best approach to any re-opening of the line would be to provide four return services each week using Sprinter–style or other similar high speed rollingstock to provide a mix of day and night services. Trains may travel to Melbourne via Geelong or passengers may transfer to connecting Fast Rail Services at Ballarat. The detail would be resolved as part of a tender process for the operation of the services. It is estimated that the 450 kilometres of track between Mildura and Ballarat will require $7.7 million in works to restore it to a standard suitable for passenger trains over and above a track in good condition for freight services, which is subject to market testing and evaluation. Train services could not be re-introduced until upgrading works were completed and new rollingstock delivered. A 3-4 year lead time on rollingstock delivery would be anticipated. Two major regional centres (Maryborough and Mildura) and several significant country towns would be served by the trains. The combined population of the towns directly served is 42,300, within a broader population of some 90,000 in the five shires along the line. An enhanced passenger train service could substantially reduce running times road coach timetable and is recommended. Patronage would be expected to increase by some 32,000 each year, exceeding the number when trains operated on this line prior to 1993. Review of Country Passenger Rail Services – Mildura Line i CONTENTS Review of Country Passenger Rail Services The Mildura Line SUMMARY 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Purpose 1 1.2 Policy Context 1 1.3 Rural and Regional Train Services 2 1.4 Regulatory Environment 4 1.5 Subsidies 4 2. STUDY APPROACH 2.1 Consultation 6 2.2 Study Tasks 7 2.3 Report Structure 7 3. THE MILDURA CORRIDOR 3.1 The Region 8 3.2 Background to the Closure of the Mildura Line 11 3.3 Regional Perspectives 12 3.4 Wider Perspectives 18 3.5 Rollingstock Availability 23 3.6 Passenger Train Service Options 23 4. PASSENGER TRAVEL DEMAND 4.1 Current Coach Service 25 4.2 Mildura and Maryborough Travel Market 28 4.3 Proposed Service Patterns 30 4.4 Forecasting Approach 32 4.5 Market Growth Assessment 33 4.6 Appraisal – Night Service Option 40 4.7 Option Variation – Day Service 42 Review of Country Passenger Rail Services – Mildura Line 5. RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE 5.1 Description of the Line 47 5.2 Inspection Findings and Analysis 47 5.3 Options for Restoration of Passenger Rail Services 56 5.4 Service Restoration Process 68 6. CONCLUSIONS 6.1 Preferred Option 70 6.2 Implementation Issues 71 Review of Country Passenger Rail Services – Mildura Line __________________________________________________________________________ 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Purpose The purpose of this report is to present the findings of a study into the feasibility of re- introducing passenger and/or freight rail services on the Mildura line. 1.2 Policy Context The State Government’s policy program is built on four key pillars: • Responsible financial management • Growing the whole state • Delivering improved services • Restoring democracy The State’s transport and infrastructure provide direct support to business, government and communities by providing access to jobs, services, resources and markets through the movement of passengers and freight. The health of the Victorian economy and community life is dependent on an integrated transport system operating at minimum costs and high standards of service quality and timelines. The Government’s Linking Victoria program, in partnership with the private sector, was announced on 28 February 2000 and will generate over $1.5 billion of investment in transport infrastructure over the next three years. It will revitalise the State’s roads, railways and ports, improving transport from regions to the centre of Melbourne, linking Victoria to overseas markets, and generating investment opportunities and partnerships with the private sector. Guidelines for public-private partnerships were announced on 28 June 2000 by the Premier and Treasurer in the Partnership Victoria Policy. The Government’s Linking Victoria program includes commitments to an Airport Transit Link, fast rail links in regional Victoria, standardisation of railway gauges, development of Melbourne Port, and a major redevelopment of Spencer Street Station. The Geelong Freeway upgrade, the Eastern Freeway extension, the duplication of the Calder Highway to Bendigo and the Blackspot road safety program are also part of the program. In addition, the Government is committed to reviewing all coach services that have replaced passenger rail services in Victoria since 1992. The Government will consider re-opening closed passenger lines in partnership with a private operator, depending on the cost to Government, service needs, community demand and the impact on local economies. Review of Country Passenger Rail Services – Mildura Line 1 The relevant services are: • South Gippsland • Mildura • Cobram • Ararat • Bairnsdale Reviews in the first three corridors have been undertaken directly by the Department of Infrastructure. The rail operator, National Express has undertaken studies in the latter two corridors, with subsequent review by the Department of Infrastructure. On 31 October, the Minister for Transport announced that based on the findings of a feasibility study, a resumption of rail services between Cobram and Shepparton could not be justified and would not be resumed. Mildura Fast trains to regional centres Other existing passenger rail services Possible restoration of passenger rail services Swan Hill Echuca W odonga Shepparton Benalla Bendigo Seymour Ararat Ballarat Bairnsdale Sale Geelong Traralgon Warrnambool Leongatha S T R A T E G I C P L A N N I N G D I V I S I O N F i l e : g : \ . \ c a d d \ i p p m i s c \ i p 0 1 7 B . W O R D a t e : 2 8 / 6 / 2 0 0 1 1.3 Rural and Regional Train Services Regional Victoria is served by a network of privately operated train and coach services. Some 2000 services are provided each week, approximately half being train services and half coach services. Train services are provided in the busiest corridors. With the exceptions of Mildura and Bairnsdale, all 18 Victorian cities and towns with populations of 10,000 or more are on the train network. Half of the towns with populations between 5,000 and 10,000 are also on the train network. Review of Country Passenger Rail Services – Mildura Line 2 Accordingly, train services are more heavily used. On average trains carry 120 passengers per trip and buses carry 20 passengers per trip. Train services can be more cost-effective in busy corridors where the costs of maintaining track can be shared amongst many services and where the greater carrying capacity of trains can be more fully utilised. 80% of train services operate in the central region between Melbourne and the regional centres of Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo and Traralgon and intermediate destinations. The remaining long distance services are to: • Warrnambool • Swan Hill • Echuca • Shepparton • Wodonga • Sale In addition, the interstate train services to Adelaide and Sydney serve selected intermediate destinations within Victoria. Passengers more often prefer a train service to a road coach service although this preference is not universal, nor is it always the most important issue for current or potential passengers: • Surveys of over 450 existing road coach passengers undertaken as part of the current series of feasibility studies show that some 20% consider that a train service in place of coaches would be the single biggest improvement that could be made to the service. The remaining 80% would give preference to lower fares or more frequent, faster or more reliable services. • Surveys of over 300 residents of country towns who do not use existing road coaches show that between 10% (in the case of short trips) and 20% (in the case of long trips) cite the lack of a train as being the main reason for not using public transport. Most either need their car while in Melbourne or consider trains and coaches to be too slow or inconvenient. • Replacement of trains by road coaches in the past has been accompanied by patronage losses of between 20% and 50%, varying from route to route. Consultation in the Mildura corridor and in other corridors also currently under review suggests that train services offer the following advantages over road coaches: • Trains are easier to board for people who have difficulty in climbing steps. • Long trips are more comfortable on trains because of the smoother journey, extra legroom, the ease of moving around and ease of access to toilets. This is important to all travellers with mobility difficulties, particularly the aged. • Trains can offer a faster service in some circumstances. • A through train service can avoid the need to transfer from coach to train at an intermediate rail head. • Train lines tend to be more visible than bus routes, making them easier for passengers to understand and for operators to promote. Review of Country Passenger Rail Services – Mildura Line 3 Coach services are seen to have the advantage of being more flexible: able to be routed through the centre of town and able to pick up and set down at intermediate points without platforms.