Funding boost for Regional Rail Revival

Back to Newsfeed

The Victorian and Australian governments have committed more than $300 million in additional funding for the Regional Rail Revival program, bringing the total investment to more than $2 billion.

This funding will assist in delivering much-needed economic benefits and jobs to the regions, helping to get shovels in the ground, more services on the rails and more money into the regional Victorian economy as we move through and beyond the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The additional investment in the Bendigo and Echuca Line Upgrade will deliver a modernised electronic train ordering system – the first of its kind in Victoria – to enable more frequent services for passengers in greater Bendigo and Echuca, and serve as a pilot program for a potential wider roll-out on Victoria’s regional network.

This investment enables the delivery of a third return service to Echuca, tripling the number of services on the line, to provide the people of Echuca with more frequent and reliable train services.

Ten level crossings between Eaglehawk and Bendigo will also be upgraded with better train detection technology, boosting safety and allowing more services to run in this section.

The Gippsland Line Upgrade is a step closer to delivering more frequent and reliable services for passengers in the region thanks to the funding boost, and will deliver significant economic benefits for the region, in the short-term and long-term.

Regional Rail Revival is upgrading every passenger rail line in regional Victoria, creating 1,000 jobs and providing a boost for the local economy.

It has already delivered benefits across the state and will continue to do so as more projects begin construction.

Regional Rail Revival