A leading transport expert is calling for the western rail plan to be revived following the release of a report which found almost half of Melbourne residents lacked access to public transport.
An analysis conducted by the Climate Council, Next Stop Suburbia: Making Shared Transport Work for Everyone in Aussie Cities, highlighted how a lack of public transport and a reliance on cars was creating congestion and pollution.
While the report found 52 per cent of Melbourne’s population did have access to regular public transport, the second best result among Australian cities behind Sydney, access dropped dramatically more than 15km from the CBD, an area that includes much of the western suburbs.
Institute for Sensible Transport associate director Liam Davies, peer reviewed the report.
He said a long term solution for public transport access in Melbourne’s west would be a rail line connecting Werribee and Wyndham Vale stations.
“That would give a rail link from Werribee to Sunshine,” he said.
Connecting the Werribee line and Regional Rail Link was part of the western rail plan announced in 2018, but which is now in limbo after successive budget cuts.
“It would give a direct quick connection for people living in Sunshine to Werribee that doesn’t involve driving or getting a bus and being stuck in traffic,” he said.
The state government was contacted for comment.
Cade Lucas
