Regional Rail Link Explained - V/Line Transporting Victoria Episode 5

The Regional Rail Link project was a government initiative involving the construction of 2 sections of new railway between Southern Cross and Sunshine and Deer Park West to West Werribee. Completed in 2015, the project significantly improved V/Line services.
Credits:
Regional Rail Link KZbin channel for some footage
OpenStreetMap
Wongm
Chapters:
00:00 Intro (well yesn't)
00:12 Background History
01:21 Project Explanation - Southern Cross to Sunshine
03:21 Project Explanation - Anderson Road Crossing Removals
03:45 Project Explanation - Deer Park West to West Werribee
06:01 Project Summary
06:29 Project Criticism - Longer Route for Geelong Trains
07:06 Video Outro

[@Alexander_Dunn]

The start is hilarious and this series has been *chef's kiss* well done and i love how the quality of your content has improved so much over the past 12 months, thanks Alex

[@MetroManMelbourne]

thanks very much and good luck starting your own content soon

[@Alexander_Dunn]

@@MetroManMelbourne thanks mate

[@brucewilliams8714]

Just for comparison: in the late 1950s I used the 17.10 steam-hauled "Geelong Flyer" from Spencer Street. Laverton was passed in 30 minutes, and Geelong was reached at 18.05. 55 minutes end to end. Of course, it was a prestige train. More recently, the 7-car Vlocity set evening peak express took the same time to do North Melbourne to North Geelong. Which brings me to - longer trains. It may well be more practical to extend platforms at intermediate stations to accommodate 9-car Vlocitys. This increased accommodation would compensate for train frequency. Thanks for your thoughtful examination of the situation.

[@MetroManMelbourne]

Just keep in mind that back in the 50s that train was one of only 2 in the evening peak. That’s an hourly average time between trains for a half hour average wait. Today there’s one every 10 minutes or better. So at that point it’s a 1.5 hour trip (if you include the other service it averages out about 100 minutes) compared to a 1 hour 10 minute trip today. The overall travel time has only improved.

[@brucewilliams8714]

@@MetroManMelbourne It certainly has. I haven't been to Melbourne for two years but, living next to the line, I'm aware of the frequency. It's good.

[@elorani1714]

Love all the train footage, and the chance to learn about transit in other cities. Two suggestions. At the end, you mention related videos from other users. Maybe have a link to them in the description? Also, would love to see more maps. Maybe start with an overview map of the service/line, then have more detailed views showing the specific area you're talking about and what is changing about it. A Google Map or OSM with a few lines over it would be fine; just something to show where around greater Melbourne this all is.

[@MetroManMelbourne]

I actually have the videos linked in the top right corner (click the i button), youtube just stuffed up how they appeared. I will definitely try to use more maps in future as well.

[@NicholassTrainChannel]

Great video. The regional rail link is quite an interesting one. Look forward to the next one.

[@aidanthomas2510]

Technically the project was complete by October 2014 (construction on the Deer Park-West Werribee section started in June 2012) and was supposed to open in early 2015, however due to rolling stock shortages didn't open till 21st June. I would have also briefly touched on the chaos of early 2016 which was partly caused by sharp curves on the Regional Rail Link, mainly the North Melbourne Flyover. But other than that a great video about an interesting project that I spent a lot of time around, both when it was being built and since it's completion and opening.

[@iannosworthy1529]

Great post again very interesting. Well done

[@RailwaysOfDoom]

Great video you put together!

[@FromtheWindowSeat]

Nice one. Very informative. 👌

[@tonydarcy7475]

The Regional Rail Link was a great project as it allowed for trains to run more frequently, which as mentioned in the video is usually more important than speed. I always wondered why they bothered to build a flyover near the old Manor station, given that the Werribee tracks are no longer in use. I thought it could've been for speed improvements (trains go over that flyover much faster than they would if it wasn't grade separated), but a planned extension of the Werribee line to Wyndham Vale makes a lot more sense as this would help stop trains from getting tanged up when that gets built.

[@MetroManMelbourne]

They built the flyover for a few reasons; 1) future provision for passenger trains running Werribee-Geelong again, 2) to avoid broad gauge freight and other movements, 3) to avoid standard gauge freight and other movements. The third reason is the main one.

[@tonydarcy7475]

@@MetroManMelbourne Thanks for the explanation. That was very future-proof of them.

[@barrymcdonald9868]

it's been quite busy in the train space in Victoria, got on a vlocity train from Shep today for first time, nice train but do miss the buffet and it's not running max speed yet

[@MetroManMelbourne]

Very nice! I managed to see a shep vlocity on the weekend, unfortunate they don’t have food but 9 trains per day and faster speed will be great next year

[@Lachtrain]

nice video loved the intro

[@watfordman4639]

Great video :)

[@timosha21]

Wow what a video! As a train I approve this video!

[@1994ToyotaCamryEnjoyer]

God I love this series

[@Josh-nv6bz]

Think you'll find that the Flyover already had a BG Track. It was 1 SG and 1 BG.

[@davidblowe9096]

The regional rail link from Sunshine to Werribee will be fully electrified - thus putting regional trains back into the metro system

[@joelpackett7582]

Niceeeeeeeeeeee

[@FiveTangent4882]

John Brumby approves

[@msinc]

Soo, are regional and metro services on different gauges?

[@MetroManMelbourne]

only the Albury line is on standard gauge (for now). Come back in 20 years and things might (and hopefully will) have changed.

[@paulorocky]

Is it worth considering an Eastern RRL for Gippsland services to be separated from Metro services?

[@MetroManMelbourne]

Yes, but it would have to be shared with suburban express trains to be viable.

[@rileycummaudo8612]

Where would it go though?

[@Alexander_Dunn]

2:50 what was the old platform 3 used by? Was this the old platform that the spirit used to use?

[@MetroManMelbourne]

was used for outbound Ballarat trains I believe

[@Alexander_Dunn]

@@MetroManMelbourne right, wonder who there wasnt a plat 4 then haha

[@MetroManMelbourne]

@@Alexander_Dunn no quad track to the city to use it

[@revenya9542]

video idea why the sangriham line should be grade sperated

[@Alexander_Dunn]

6:07 "an improvement in the speed of regional trains" true for the bendigo and ballarat lines, not true for the Geelong line, yes it has improved compared to recent years referring to 6:50 however trains now take the same amount of time to get to geelong as in the late steam era, Similar situation on the North East line, trains have been doing 115 since the Spirit of Progress over 80 years ago, ridiculous, right, it's even slowed down as the spirit went express to albury and the n class stops all

[@MetroManMelbourne]

That isn't true at all. The fastest services to Geelong are about as fast as the fastest ones now, but on average the service speed has significantly increased (63 vs around 75 minutes). Not to mention the massive frequency increase making it actually usable. In the case of the Albury line, only the sunday spirit of progress and intercapital daylight (as of the 1967 timetable) can beat the speed of today's trains - not to mention the former was not very useful for albury passengers as it got there at 11pm. Even then, these services hardly made up the majority of Albury trains - most took around 5 hours compared to under 4 hours now. The reality is, basically every service has sped up significantly since the 1950s and 60s, particularly as a result of the new deal and newer motive power.

[@regionaltrainspotter]

Alex The Train Nerd As I am a Bendigo line commuter, I hope the "Track Improvements" that are listed in the Bendigo/Echuca Line Upgrade means adding double track again between Bendigo and Kyneton.

[@Alexander_Dunn]

@@regionaltrainspotter it was hilariously stupid for the Government to be lazy and do that so they only needed to maintain one Line, i highly doubt full redupe will ever happen because that world involve taking out the current track since it is in the middle of the alignment and moving that to one Side then Build another, itll cast a not and i doubt the Government would wanna uind the while thing in one go.However track improvement might mean. new crossing loop between kyneton and taradale

[@MetroManMelbourne]

@@Alexander_Dunn nah it most certainly means reduplication, in most places the track wasn't centered anyway so it really isn't that much of a fuss. They can shut the line down for a week and move the track over in the tunnels (the only place where the track was centered) and then lay the second track while trains keep running. I suspect we will hear more about that at this election.

[@Alexander_Dunn]

@@MetroManMelbourne oh yeah good strategy but this world mean speed restrictions around words because safety?

[@Nick-kz6dg]

So, if you invest in trains you... (gasp)... will draw in new passengers? Sounds like a lesson South Australia needs to learn.

[@MetroManMelbourne]

would be good for SA to put in a whyalla and broken hill line and maybe mt gambier in the future.

[@Nick-kz6dg]

@@MetroManMelbourne They're all very far away. The easiest "proof of concepts" that they could do with existing fleets are reinstating the Barossa Valley line resembling the Stony Point line and extending metro trains to the new developments at Roseworthy township and Buckland Park which are right next to existing rail corridors.

[@MetroManMelbourne]

@@Nick-kz6dg sure but the population is there (20k at each terminus and additional amounts along the routes) and they aren't exactly thousands of kilometres from Adelaide. Even if it was only 1 train a day or 3-4 per week that would be a massive improvement over the current coach service.