National News
Liberals promise new hybrid trains for Melbourne’s west
The Victorian Liberals are promising new hybrid trains for commuters in Melbourne’s booming west, as a newly upgraded station at Melton opens today.
If elected in November, the Coalition is promising $1.7 billion for 25 new hybrid diesel-electric trains on the Melton and Wyndham Vale lines.
The lines are currently served by smaller V-Line trains, with local communities waiting for promised electrification of the line to run larger, more frequent Metro services. The state government said it would run higher-capacity V-Line trains on the Melton line from next year, while it finishes investigating electrification.
Mt Atkinson resident Jaksha Shah said residents have long been waiting for the line to be electrified so trains can run more often, and for new train stations to be built in growing suburbs at Mt Atkinson and Thornhill Park. Meanwhile, Infrastructure Victoria said hybrid trains were already operating in some areas of Europe, but that it would not be the best long term solution for Melbourne’s west.