Gippsland Line Upgrade Nears Completion, Promising Enhanced Train Services
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Gippsland communities are on the brink of a significant improvement in train services as the Gippsland Line Upgrade nears completion following an extensive construction push this winter, paving the way for the introduction of new services.
The Victorian Budget 2025/26 has allocated funding to facilitate train services every 40 minutes along the Traralgon Line, a development made feasible by the successful conclusion of this transformative project.
Central to the upgrade is the implementation of a new train control system and the modernization of the line's infrastructure, ensuring that trains can operate more frequently and reliably along the route.
In light of the ongoing Gippsland Line Upgrade activities and the broader impact of Victoria's extensive Big Build initiatives on the metropolitan network section, buses will substitute train services on the Traralgon and Bairnsdale lines for a portion or the entirety of the journey from Saturday, 14 June to Wednesday, 13 August.
During this period, efforts will focus on finalizing and activating the line's new signalling system, a critical component of the Gippsland Line Upgrade. Construction crews will be engaged in laying cables and installing trackside signalling equipment between Drouin and Traralgon to complete the new system, facilitating enhanced service frequency.
Additional tasks include safety assessments of the newly installed infrastructure spanning the 70km rail corridor, driver training initiatives, and the intricate commissioning processes essential for the operational integration of the enhanced system. These efforts will enable trains to utilize the new platforms at Morwell and Traralgon stations, ensuring safer and more frequent operations.
The Gippsland Line Upgrade forms part of a substantial joint investment by the Victorian and Australian governments, which has seen the enhancement of stations, track duplication for improved reliability, the construction of a new bridge over the Avon River in Stratford, and the introduction of modern and accessible VLocity trains on the Bairnsdale route.
The Department of Transport and Planning is actively developing a revised timetable for the Gippsland Line, with further updates regarding the timing of the new services expected in due course.
Source: Victoria’s Big Build
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