By Victoria Stone-Meadows
The Public Transport Minister has shot down renewed calls for a Cranbourne to Clyde rail line extension.
The discussion surrounding a rail extension from Cranbourne to Clyde has been raised again in the form of a budget submission from Rail Futures.
The non-profit independent group will submit a report to the State Government for budgetary consideration that calls for $2 million to be allocated for planning and design of an extension.
While the group is calling for the extension, it acknowledges that there are limitations to extending the Cranbourne Rail Line.
“This project is complicated by the proximity of the South Gippsland Highway to the present Cranbourne station and is likely to involve a significant planning study to determine the optimum solution at this location,” the budget submission read.
Public Transport Victoria’s 2013 Network Development Plan outlines an extension of the Cranbourne line to Clyde was earmarked to begin in about 20 to 30 years.
Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allan has said there were more pressing public transport infrastructure projects that needed considering.
“Infrastructure Victoria’s recommends the extension of the Cranbourne line to Clyde in the next 10 to 15 years – after the Metro Tunnel is built, new high capacity trains are running and every level crossing between Dandenong and the city is removed,” she said.
“We’re getting on with these massive projects, which will create space for more services, more often on the Cranbourne-Pakenham line and enable its extension in the future.”
“Last year we introduced a new Cranbourne bus network, including a new route 796 to Clyde, and we will continue to improve public transport in the south-east and across Victoria, to get people home safer and sooner.”
