By Luke Voogt
The Federal Government is holding back on the duplication of the Geelong line, according to the state’s Transport Minister.
Jacinta Allan said the Commonwealth owed Victoria money that was vital to duplicating the line from South Geelong to Waurn Ponds.
“The sooner Sarah Henderson and the Turnbull Government give us our money, the sooner we can get to work.”
But Ms Henderson, who recently had been “campaigning very hard” by riding local trains, said Labor had failed to fund the project.
Ms Allan said the state’s $110 million Surf Coast Rail stage one would fund pre-duplication works from South Geelong to Waurn Ponds.
She said the duplication would increase services on the Geelong line, which has been plagued by overcrowding this year.
But the minister declined to give timings for the actual duplication.
“Timing for the delivery of these works is dependent on the Federal Government giving us the money we are owed through the Asset Recycling Initiative.”
The State Government would fund the project as part of its $1.45 billion Regional Rail Revival using the money owed through the initiative, she said.
In a letter on Thursday, local Labor MPs John Eren, Gayle Tierney, Lisa Neville and Christine Couzens urged Ms Henderson to advocate for more federal funding.
Ms Henderson declined to promise any commitments to Geelong rail in the 2017-18 Federal Budget but said she would lobby hard.
“I’ve been lobbying everyone from the prime minister to the treasure down for Commonwealth investment in regional rail,” she said.
“I will be sweating it out on budget night.”
The federal Corangamite MP said the State Government had not committed “one dollar” of its own to rail in the Geelong region.
She said the State Government based the Regional Rail Revival on money it wasn’t entitled to.
“This is a wish list, not a properly funded plan.”
Recently, Ms Henderson joined state Polwarth MP Richard Riordan in urging passengers to sign an online petition calling for more funding.
“Today on the train, I received plenty of feedback that local residents are sick of these sorts of political games,” she said.
She said the Commonwealth had offered Victoria only $877 million under the Asset Recycling Initiative.
“Daniel Andrews hasn’t even had the courtesy to seek agreement on the infrastructure projects to be funded which is required under this scheme.”
Ms Henderson said the state had provided no business cases to the Commonwealth for the duplication.
