Ancestors

Toot

Written by Tim Richards on 2025-01-24 at 20:48

I'd be happy for the Vic Premier to announce the airport rail link is back on, even if it means the SRL is temporarily suspended. The airport train should never have been suspended in the first place. Sixty years we've been waiting for that!

"A dramatic collapse in popular support for the Victorian government has heaped pressure on Premier Jacinta Allan to accept an offer of an additional $2 billion in federal government funding to build a rail line to Melbourne Airport instead of demanding more cash for the Suburban Rail Loop."

[#]vicpol #SpringSt https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/extra-2b-in-federal-funds-on-table-to-revive-airport-link-amid-horror-poll-20250124-p5l71d.html

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Descendants

Written by Paul on 2025-01-24 at 20:53

@timrichards shame the resources aren't available to do both at the same time

Would be silly to say no to $2 billion though

Labor is in desperate trouble in Victoria, state and federal, on the latest polling

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Written by Tim Richards on 2025-01-25 at 01:43

@HardBeingGreen I think they made a mistake calling off the airport link, it's the most practical of the projects and has been promised for decades. Suspending it tarnished that Dan Andrews "getting it done" reputation IMO.

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Written by Paul on 2025-01-25 at 01:51

@timrichards SRL will benefit a lot more people long term

Maybe they took the gamble on the federal government stepping in with the airport line?

Looks to have paid off

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Written by Tim Richards on 2025-01-25 at 01:53

@HardBeingGreen I think the 60-year wait for the airport line should tip the scales in its favour. Otherwise there'll always be an excuse to delay it.

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Written by David Penington on 2025-01-24 at 21:44

@timrichards OTOH the suburban rail is for poor & average people to travel. The airport link is for people with the discretionary money to fly.

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Written by Tim Richards on 2025-01-25 at 01:44

@DavidPenington The airport link will use regular trains running through the network though, and most Australians travel at some point. Also it's been promised for 60 years - there's always some excuse to delay it.

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Written by David Penington on 2025-01-25 at 06:35

@timrichards Promised? I remember, in 2014, the Napthine govt advertising "we're building the Melbourne Airport rail link" using taxpayer money to advertise it. That was a (fradulant, thieving) claim of active building.

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Written by Lukas Parker on 2025-01-25 at 00:14

@timrichards hear hear… the airport rail must be the priority. It appears completely tone deaf for them to prioritise SRL over it.

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Written by Dan W on 2025-01-25 at 02:41

@Lukas @timrichards

I honestly think that improving Inter-city rail should be a priority over making it easier to fly.

Raillink to the CBD does not do anything to reduce congestion in the CBD.

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Written by Tim Richards on 2025-01-25 at 02:53

@Salvo @Lukas To me it's about properly connecting a major transport hub (the airport) with other major transport hubs (ie railway stations). Should've been done back when the airport opened.

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