By Mikayla van Loon
Evelyn Liberal MP Bridget Vallence announced an election pledge earlier this week to conduct a feasibility and scoping study into the duplication of the Lilydale train line.
The $5 million announcement was made on Monday 7 November with shadow transport infrastructure minister Matt Bach also in attendance to meet with local public transport users.
A single track between Lilydale and Mooroolbark, a 4.7km stretch of rail line, prevents efficiency of trains, with coordination of trains essential to the frequency.
“[It was] a huge missed opportunity to not duplicate the line because while you might have a new station, people still have to wait 30 minutes to get a train from Lilydale,” Ms Vallence said.
Mr Bach said the improved punctuality of trains is something he would like to see occur across the state including Lilydale.
“We want to see wait times down to as short as 10 minutes to really drive that mode shift. We want to see people out of their cars, onto the trains, using the infrastructure that we’ve got,” he said.
“I thought it was so silly that with all this level crossing work going on the government didn’t also take the opportunity to do some even more important work and duplicate the line.”
Ms Vallence and Mr Bach said a scoping study would include a business case, costing and timeframe estimates to ensure a duplication project would be delivered “responsibly” and “reasonably”.
With the Lilydale population expected to double in coming decades, particularly with the expansion of the Kinley estate, Mr Bach said transport infrastructure needs to keep up with the growth.
“There are people who live in the inner suburbs like me, who already have really good connectivity to public transport, but our population is moving and shifting and has only been exacerbated by Covid,” he said.
“So what Infrastructure Victoria says is we’ve got to look where the populations are going and seek to expand upon what you’ve got, you get best value for money when you just expand upon what you’ve got and enhance what you’ve got.”
For longtime Mooroolbark resident Gwen, she has seen and experienced the poor punctuality of the trains for decades.
“When I lived in Mooroolbark 50 years ago and I would go to South Melbourne, it was nearly three quarters of an hour between trains, we haven’t improved much in 50 years and yet the population has gone whoa,” she said.
Evelyn’s Labor candidate Lorna Dent said from her consultations with the community and listening posts in Lilydale the feedback about the train services has been positive.
“It needs to be acknowledged that prior to the last election the Liberals committed to keeping, not removing the level crossing at Mooroolbark,” she said.
“I have spoken to hundreds of commuters both at Lilydale and Mooroolbark during the past few months, and whether it is at 6.30am or 6.30pm, no one has raised issues with the efficiency of trains.
“In fact the opposite, the comments have been very positive regarding the new stations and the train services.”
Animal Justice Party candidate Jan Heald said she and her party would support a move that would help improve public transport connectivity and encourage “environmentally-friendly modes” if the appropriate consultation was conducted.
“This study needs to be undertaken with best practice community consultation, particularly with those residents who reside along where the train track is mooted to be duplicated to ensure any transport improvements meet community approval and expectations,” she said.
As a public transport user herself, Ms Heald said it has been her experience that the Lilydale Line is often one of the smoothest, with trains on time, cancellations rare and bus replacement punctuality usually within five minutes.
“I have lived in Mount Evelyn for 15 years and am a constant user of the Lilydale Train line for commuting to the CBD for work and outings on weekends.
“In that 15 years it has been my experience that the Lilydale line is arguably the best of the whole metropolitan network.”
Part of the Liberals’ feasibility study would include design capabilities for a train station at Kinley and bridge improvements at the Hull and Mooroolbark Road intersection.
“We’re absolutely committed to continuing campaigning and continuing advocating for the community to duplicate this line but we want to be sensible about it,” Ms Vallence said.
“So we actually want to do that study and say right, what works, what equipment is required, what’s the time frame, are there any impediments?
“We want to be sensible and reasonable about it so it will set us up for success, set the community up for success and set this project up for success.”
The Liberal Nationals also announced a $160 million package to improve bus transport services across the state, including Lilydale which would see 30-minute weekday frequencies and 6am to 10pm operating hours, as well as expanding buses in communities not currently reached.
