Project Overview
Part of the Linking Victoria program, the Regional Fast Rail project was launched by the governing Victorian Labor government on 5 September 2000 and described by Transport Minster Peter Batchelor as "the biggest project we've probably seen in Victorian rail in decades",
The fast rail initiative included 5 key components:
- Upgrading rail infrastructure: construction works would be undertaken to upgrade rail infrastructure to allow trains to travel safely at speeds of up to 160 km/h on the country sections of the corridors
- New fast trains: a total of 29 new velocity trains were to be purchased
- Installation of fibre optic cable: a new fibre optic cable network was to be installed as part of the upgraded rail signalling and communications systems
- New timetable: a revised 2006 V/Line timetable would be developed, incorporating some faster and several additional train services
- Interconnecting bus services: a package of improvements to connecting bus services to the fast rail regional centres
The delivery of these objectives entailed upgrading 500 km of rail lines from the track bed up, installing 400 new and upgraded railway signals, installing more than 460,000 concrete sleepers, upgrading 170 level crossings, introducing new rail safety systems (later including the Train Protection & Warning System), developing new train timetables with improved services, and the laying of new fibre optic cable along the rail corridors to allow for better signalling and also provide enhanced broadband facilities in regional areas.
Read more about this topic: Regional Fast Rail Project
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