Federal transport investment confirms Geelong's V/Line fast rail future

The Geelong to Melbourne rail corridor will receive $340 million in joint Commonwealth-Victorian government funding to upgrade track, signalling, and level crossing removal works that will reduce peak journey times between Geelong and Southern Cross station to under 50 minutes — a target that has been an advocacy goal for the Geelong business and community for more than a decade.

The investment, the largest single upgrade of V/Line's Geelong corridor infrastructure, will deliver parallel track sections at three locations between South Geelong and Little River, allowing express services to operate without encountering stopping services. New high-capacity trains with 560 seats are also confirmed for the Geelong fleet, addressing persistent overcrowding that has deterred commuters and discouraged the modal shift from car to rail.

Federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King said the Geelong corridor upgrade was one of the most cost-effective rail investments in the national program, with a high benefit-cost ratio reflecting the existing demand and the relatively modest civil works required to achieve meaningful journey time reductions. "This is not a new line — it is making an existing line work the way it should," she said.

Committee for Geelong chief executive Rebecca Casson said faster, more frequent trains to Melbourne were the single most requested infrastructure improvement in every survey and consultation the organisation had conducted. "Geelong's future depends on maintaining and strengthening its connection to Melbourne, because the two cities are increasingly functioning as one regional economy," she said.

Works will begin with the parallel track sections in 2026, with the full journey time improvement expected from 2028.

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