The Ballarat train line's just had a $500 million-plus upgrade, but more work needs to be done - while the state government's allocated another $23.8 million to design the next part, there's still no information about what it'll go toward.
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In this year's state budget, there's a line item for "Capacity improvements to Melton and Ballarat", which states "(f)unding is provided to undertake detailed works on infrastructure and service solutions to increase current rail network capacity on the Melton and Ballarat corridor".
But what does that actually mean? The Courier asked the Department of Transport for some help, specifically, what "infrastructure and service solutions" are being explored with $23.8 million.
The answer? Planning for "critical infrastructure" and "rolling stock improvements".
"We're continuing to invest in transport infrastructure and rolling stock - to ensure our transport network can serve the growing Ballarat community now and into the future," a spokesperson replied in a statement.
"It includes $23.8 million in this year's budget to help plan what will be needed to add capacity for Melton and Ballarat."
Not a lot of detail on that $23.8 million yet.
The rest of the response included background on the Ballarat Line Upgrade and the new timetable, officially completed last year, and a note that Melton is growing.
What could these rolling stock improvements involve? Does it mean planning for buying more trains on top of the millions spent building new V/Locity trains? Could it be electric or hybrid trains in the future, or just extra-long trains for peak services in the new timetable?
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What critical infrastructure is being explored? Substations for electric trains as the metro system extends to Melton, new tracks for overtaking, or additional stations?
It should be noted there have been calls for more stations in Ballarat, either in Warrenheip near the Geelong junction, in Lucas near new housing developments, or near Mars Stadium to prepare for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
There's also the Western Rail Plan, first announced in 2018, where Rail Projects Victoria is seeking a way to improve services to Melton and Wyndham Vale - Melbourne's fastest growing corridors - with electrified trains and extra tracks.
In the 2022-23 state budget, money has been shuffled around, which follows $100 million allocated in 2019 and $30 million more from the federal government.
The budget papers note $21 million of total estimated investment in '22-23, "increased by $17.5 million and exclud(ing) $54 million due to certain expenditure being reclassified as operating instead of capital in line with accounting standards".
"The funding is for detailed planning and development activities," it states, but there's no estimated completion date - yet.
Very mysterious.
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