Overview
After many years and many hours spent on the Skybus, it seems Melbourne's long-awaited airport rail link is closer than ever to being an actual reality. The Federal Government has today announced it will commit up to $5 billion to help build the project — which should help things along.
Four months after Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed that construction of the link would kick off shortly, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has promised the big bucks to get it done.
"There have been countless reviews, reports and recommendations, but Melbourne is still waiting for a service almost all of the world's great cities take for granted," Mr Turnbull said. "This is the rail link that Melbourne, Victoria and the millions of people who use the airport every year demand and deserve."
The proposed rail line is expected to help ease congestion, speed up travel times and create a stack of new jobs in the process. However, the promised $5 billion isn't quite enough to cover such a hefty project and the pressure's now on the Victorian Government to match that figure in funding of its own.
The Federal and State governments have previously committed $30 million to conducting a planning study for the airport link, which is also likely to include extra train lines between Southern Cross Station and Melbourne's western suburbs. This would mean speedier commutes between the CBD and Geelong and improved accessibility across western and northern Victoria.
About time, we say. Sydney and Brisbane already have airport rail links, and Perth is currently in the process of building its own. Maybe this will finally kill or clarify that myth around the airport's secret underground 'station' as well.
Image: Global Panorama via Flickr.