By Dora Houpis
Local residents say they would welcome plans for a new rail station near Keilor as part of the Melbourne Airport Rail Link.
Brimbank Ratepayers and Residents Association president Irene Stokes said such a plan would be good for the area.
“It gives broader access for residents who live in the west and north-west,” she said.
Ms Stokes said if the new station added only a couple of minutes to the trip than that was an added benefit.
The Herald-Sun reported yesterday (Sunday) that the proposed station would be a “Western Gateway Station”, was expected to add one or two minutes in travel time and cost an extra $200 million as part of the $10 billion Melbourne Airport Rail Link.
The paper reported that the station, proposed for Roberts Road on the border of Keilor East and Airport West, would be an additional station between Sunshine and Melbourne Airport.
The state government today would not confirm to the Star Weekly details about a proposed new rail station.
The government is believed to be still working on the detailed design of the project.
A government spokeswoman said today the airport rail link would be good for Victoria.
“After 50 years of talking about a train line to the airport, we will build it – better connecting Victorians to the city, the suburbs and the world,” the spokeswoman said.
The Star Weekly reported last July that Brimbank council had given in principal support for a new train station.
A Moonee Valley council study at the time said a new station would improve public transport for local residents in Keilor Park and would provide access to areas like Brimbank Park.
The study said that many people who lived in the west drove to the Sunshine train station to park and then use the train.
