Network Development Plan Metropolitan Rail
The Network Development Plan Metropolitan Rail is a long-term development plan for the rail network of Melbourne, Australia. It was carried out by Public Transport Victoria and released to the public on 27 March 2013 however, a revised version was leaked in 2019 making a few changes to the plan.
The plan will eventually affect metropolitan and regional rail, trams and buses. However, only the metropolitan rail aspect of the plan has been finalised and released to the public from PTV. The Regional Network Development Plan however was passed onto the government department Transport for Victoria, and which then was released in 2016. The primary aim of the metro rail plan is to improve the efficiency, reliability and patronage of Melbourne's train network. It sets out a number of concrete goals over four stages, to be carried out over 20 years. Public Transport Victoria CEO Ian Dobbs estimated the whole plan would cost about $30 billion.
Background
The Public Transport Development Authority, later trading as Public Transport Victoria, was established by the Victorian government under Premier Ted Baillieu with the intent of, among other things, closely examining the operations of the rail network.Plan
Stage 1
This stage outlined immediate high priority goals to overcome urgent constraints, with a targeted completion date of 2016. By the end of 2018, all projects listed in Stage 1 had been completed.| Project name | Status | Starting date | Completion date | Notes |
| Regional Rail Link | Completed | 2013 | 2015 | Plans to electrify Wyndham Vale Line. |
| Extension of the Epping line to South Morang | Completed | 2010 | 2012 | Now, the line has been extended to Mernda. |
| Electrification of Bendigo line to Sunbury | Completed | 2010 | 2012 | |
| Construction of Grovedale station in Grovedale on the Warrnambool Line | Completed | 2014 | 2014 | Renamed Waurn Ponds |
| Construction of Williams Landing station in Point Cook on the Werribee line | Completed | 2012 | 2013 | |
| Construction of Southland station adjacent to Westfield Southland on the Frankston line | Completed | 2016 | 2017 | |
| Construction of Lynbrook station in Lynbrook on the Cranbourne line | Completed | 2010 | 2012 | |
| Construction of Cardinia Road station in Pakenham on the Pakenham line | Completed | 2010 | 2012 | |
| Construction of Caroline Springs station in Ravenhall on the Serviceton line | Completed | 2016 | 2017 | Initially construction started on a single platform station; scope expanded to double platform station after Melton duplication announced |
| Hurstbridge line upgrade and new stabling facility at Eltham station | Completed | 2012 | 2013 | Included improved signalling between Eltham and Hurstbridge |
| 7 X'Trapolis 100 trains | Completed | 2015 | 2017 | 5 trains ordered in March 2015, another 5 ordered in April 2016; 9 more ordered in February 2017; 5 more ordered in May 2018. |
| 40 VLocity carriages | Completed | 2015 | 2018 | 21 carriages ordered in May 2015, another 27 ordered April 2016, 27 further in December 2017. |
| Order 33 High Capacity Metro Trains | Completed | N/A | 2016 | 65 trains ordered in September 2016 |
| High capacity signalling trial on the Sandringham line | Underway | 2020 | 2022 | Trial announced for South Morang line in July 2017 |
Stage 2
The second stage focused on creating a "metro-style" system by segregating operations and creating end-to-end lines, with a targeted completion date of 2022.| Project name | Status | Starting date | Completion date | Notes |
| Metro Tunnel | Under construction | 2015 | 2025 | |
| Duplication of the Melton line | Under construction | 2017 | 2019 | Includes upgrades of stations and passing loops along the Ballarat line |
| Upgrades to the Dandenong rail corridor, including grade separations and signalling works | Completed | 2016 | 2018 | |
| Duplication of the Hurstbridge line from Heidelberg to Rosanna | Completed | 2017 | 2018 | Done in conjunction with level crossing removal program |
| Delivery of initial order of 33 High Capacity Metro Trains, and the further order and delivery of 70 trains | Under construction | 2016 | 2023 --- | 65 trains ordered in September 2016 |
| Construction of Cobblebank station near Melton | Completed | 2017 | 2019 | |
| A new railway station on Black Forest Road in Wyndham Vale | Planning | --- | --- | Part of future plans for an electrified Wyndham line |
| Major timetabling and operational changes to lines | Planning | N/A | 2025 | Planned to happen after Metro tunnel opens in 2025. |
| Installation of high-capacity signalling on Sandringham, South Morang & Hurstbridge lines and between Sunbury and South Yarra stations | Planning | --- | --- | High-capacity signalling planned to be installed between Watergardens and Dandenong via Metro tunnel by 2025 |
Stage 3
This stage focuses on extending the network to growth areas and suburbs without railway access, and utilising the preceding growth in capacity. It is to be completed within 15 years, before 2027.Most projects are planned to happen in the next decade. Some have been deferred or/and replaced by other means. Implementation of HCS across the network is unknown.
| Project name | Status | Starting date | Completion date | Notes |
| Melbourne Airport rail line | Planning | 2022 | 2027 | PTV Airport Rail Link study released in 2013 supported an Albion alignment. |
| Doncaster line | Cancelled | Nil | Nil | Doncaster Rail study completed in 2014 showed preferred rail alignment Excluded in the revised plan. |
| Rowville line | --- | --- | --- | Rowville study was completed in 2014, showing preferred alignment Light Rail to Rowville is currently being planned Currently moved into stage 6 of the revised plan |
| Melbourne Metro 2: A new tunnel between Clifton Hill & Southern Cross via Parkville | --- | --- | --- | Doncaster Rail study addressed the need for this future tunnel Currently split differently in the new revised plan in stages 4/5 |
| Electrification of the Serviceton line from Sunshine to Melton | Planning | 2022 | Not determined | Duplication of the Melton line has provision for future electrification of the line |
| Electrification of the Stony Point line from Frankston to Baxter station | Planning | --- | --- | Plans are underway under both State and Feds governments. |
| Duplication of the Cranbourne line from Dandenong to Cranbourne | Planning | 2021 | 2023 | Currently moved into stage 2 of the revised plan |
| Duplication of the Hurstbridge line from Greensborough to Eltham | Planning | 2020 | 2022 | Currently moved into stage 2 of the revised plan |
| A new railway station on Sayers Road in Tarneit | Planning | --- | --- | Part of future plans for an electrified Wyndham line |
| A new railway station in Truganina | Planning | --- | --- | Part of future plans for an electrified Wyndham line |
| Order and deliver extra high capacity trains | Planning | --- | --- | |
| High capacity signalling | Unknown | --- | --- |
Stage 4
The final stage involves further utilisation of extra capacity and preparing for future growth in Melbourne. The stage is to be carried out within 20 years, before 2032.The reconfiguration of the metropolitan rail network will create seven independently operated lines similar to other rapid transit systems
Some projects listed are planned to be completed in the next decade but are still in their early stages. most details about these projects are still unknown.
| Project name | Status | Start date | Completion date | Notes |
| Quadruplication of the Lilydale line between Burnley and Camberwell | Cancelled | nil | nil | Excluded in the revised plan. |
| Duplication of the Lilydale line between Mooroolbark and Lilydale | --- | --- | --- | Currently moved into stage 3 of the revised plan |
| Duplication of the Werribee line between the Altona Loop/Werribee junction and Seaholme | Planning | --- | --- | Planning for future duplication of the Altona line is underway. The loop has been partially duplicated from the West Newport Junction to the north of Seaholme Station as part of the Kororoit Creek Level Crossing Removal. |
| Electrification of the Warrnambool railway line from Sunshine to Geelong | Planning | --- | --- | Might happen as part of the planned high speed Geelong line Currently moved into stage 5 of the revised plan |
| Electrification of the North East line from Craigieburn to Wallan | Planning | --- | --- | |
| Extension of the South Morang line from South Morang to Mernda | Completed | 2015 | 2018 | Includes 2 new stations at Middle Gorge and Hawkstowe |
| Extension of the South Morang line to Fishermans Bend, with the future potential to extend the railway in a tunnel under the Yarra River to Newport | Planning | --- | --- | Currently split differently in the new revised plan in stages 4/5 |
| Reconfiguration of the City Loop | Unknown | --- | --- | Currently moved into stage 3 of the revised plan. Will be done on completion on Metro 1 |
| Order and deliver extra high capacity trains | Unknown | --- | --- | |
| High capacity signalling | Unknown | --- | --- | |
| Extension from Werribee to Wyndham Vale | Planning | --- | --- | Part of the future orbital loop planned |
Reception and legacy
2018 Transport for Victoria plan
In October 2018, a Victorian Rail Plan prepared by Transport for Victoria was leaked to the press, containing a similar staged approach to the PTV NDMPR. The plan, released during the campaign for that year's state election, caused some controversy, as government policy announcements did not align with the strategic priorities identified in the plan. The Suburban Rail Loop, in particular, did not appear, and the TFV plan was further criticised for failing to prioritise meaningful service increases for regional corridors in the earlier stages of the plan. Government representatives argued that the plan was an "internal working document" and not representative of government policy; Opposition politicians contended that the plan was representative of the government's priorities.Metro Tunnel Day One
The first stage of the TFV plan had an intended completion date of 2025, aligning with the start of service on the Metro Tunnel. Some of the projects are under construction.| Project Name | Status | Starting date | Completion date | Notes |
| Metro Tunnel | Under construction | 2015 | 2025 | Includes a turn back platform at West Footscray station Completion date is moved from 2026 to 2025 |
| Cranbourne line duplication | Planning | 2022 | 2025 | |
| Somerton Link | ||||
| Hurstbridge Line upgrade stage 2 | Planning | 2020 | 2022 |
Stage 3
Stage 4
The revised plan doesn't have a projected completion dates for stages 3–6.| Project name | Status | Start date | Completion date | Notes |
| Melbourne Metro 2 West | ||||
| Laverton and Williamstown line upgrade | ||||
| Extension of Wyndham Vale line to Black Forest Road and connection with Werribee line | Potential connection for Suburban Rail Loop | |||
| Quadruplication from Sunshine to Watergardens | ||||
| Electrification of Upfield line to Wallan via Somerton | ||||
| Bendigo line upgrade | 2020 | 2022 | ||
| Shepparton line upgrade stage 2 |