Editing Proposed Melbourne rail extensions (section)

== History ==

=== 1929 Metropolitan Town Planning Commission Plan ===
{{Main|Metropolitan Town Planning Commission}}

[[File:Plan of Proposed Melbourne Underground Railway c1930-50.jpg|thumb|451x451px|Map by the Metropolitan Town Planning Commission of a proposed underground railway c.1930-50. This plan eventually became the [[City Loop]], completed in 1981.]]
The Metropolitan Town Planning Commission, established in 1922 by the [[Government of Victoria|Victorian state government]], produced a report in 1929 that recommended a new underground railway in [[Melbourne central business district|central Melbourne]] running via [[Exhibition Street|Exhibition]] and [[Victoria Street, Melbourne|Victoria]] streets to reduce congestion at [[Flinders Street railway station|Flinders Street station]].<ref name="fouvy" /> The plan also proposed:

* A rail loop in [[Fishermans Bend]]
* A rail line to [[Doncaster, Victoria|Doncaster]] via tunnel beneath [[Kew, Victoria|Kew]] and [[Kew East]]
* A rail extension from [[Malvern East]] to [[Glen Waverley]]
* A bridge connecting [[Southern Cross railway station|Spencer Street station]] and the [[Port Melbourne railway line|Port Melbourne]] and [[St Kilda railway line|St Kilda]] lines<ref name="fouvy" />

=== 1940 Ashworth Improvement Plan ===
{{Main|Ashworth Improvement Plan}}
[[File:Ashworth report rail diagram.png|thumb|Proposed extensions to Melbourne's rail network, 1940.]]
A 1940 report by the Victorian Railways Chief Engineer for Ways and Works recommended a number of rail improvement works, including an underground city railway, a line to Doncaster via the [[Kew railway line|Kew spur]], and the connection of the [[Alamein railway line|Alamein line]] to the [[Glen Waverley railway line|Glen Waverley line]] at [[Malvern East]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Railways of Victoria 1854-2004|last=Robert|first=Lee|publisher=Melbourne University Publishing|year=2007|isbn=978-0-522-85134-2|pages=185}}</ref>

=== 1954 Melbourne Metropolitan Planning Scheme Report ===
A 1954 strategy released by the [[Melbourne & Metropolitan Board of Works]] recommended changes to Melbourne's [[land-use planning]], an extensive network of freeways and a park system.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=https://www.planning.vic.gov.au/policy-and-strategy/planning-for-melbourne/melbournes-strategic-planning-history/melbourne-metropolitan-planning-scheme-1954-report|title=Melbourne Metropolitan Planning Scheme 1954: Report|last=[[Melbourne & Metropolitan Board of Works]]|date=2019-05-17|website=Planning|pages=106–114|language=en|access-date=2019-08-11}}</ref> It also recommended some expansions to the rail network, including an underground CBD rail line with three stations beneath [[Lonsdale Street]].<ref name=":4" /> It also called for:<ref name=":4" />

* A new rail loop in the industrial [[Fishermans Bend]] precinct with seven new stations to transport workers
* A new north–south rail link and bridge connecting [[Southern Cross railway station|Spencer Street station]] (now named Southern Cross) with the [[Port Melbourne railway line|Port Melbourne line]], with a new station in [[Southbank, Victoria|Southbank]] 
* A branch of the [[Hurstbridge railway line|Hurstbridge line]] from [[Alphington, Victoria|Alphington]] to East [[Preston, Victoria|Preston]] to serve [[Northcote, Victoria|Northcote]], Preston and [[Heidelberg, Victoria|Heidelberg]], running alongside [[Darebin Creek]]
* A branch of the [[Frankston railway line|Frankston line]] between [[Moorabbin railway station|Moorabbin]] and [[Highett railway station|Highett]] stations to beachside suburb [[Beaumaris, Victoria|Beaumaris]]
* A new [[Mornington railway line]] from [[Frankston, Victoria|Frankston]] to [[Mornington, Victoria|Mornington]] via [[Mount Eliza, Victoria|Mount Eliza]]

The report recommended against a line to Doncaster due to the high cost of tunnelling.<ref name=":4" />

=== 1969 Melbourne Transportation Plan ===
{{Main|1969 Melbourne Transportation Plan}}
A major plan released by the Victorian state government of [[Henry Bolte]] called for the creation of 510 kilometres of freeways, and a number of new rail lines.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/version/33259763|title=Melbourne transportation study / prepared for the Metropolitan Transportation Committee by Wilbur Smith and associates and Len T. Frazer and associates. - Version details|website=Trove|language=en|access-date=2019-07-02}}</ref> The plan proposed:

* An underground rail loop in central Melbourne
* A line to [[Doncaster, Victoria|Doncaster]] connecting with the network at [[Victoria Park railway station, Melbourne|Victoria Park station]]
* A line to [[Monash University, Clayton campus|Monash University Clayton]]
* An extension from Altona to Westona
* An extension from Huntingdale to Ferntree Gully 
* A new line connecting [[Dandenong]] and [[Frankston, Victoria|Frankston]]
* Several extensions of suburban electric service along existing lines to [[Werribee railway station|Werribee]], [[Rockbank railway station|Rockbank]], [[Sunbury railway station, Melbourne|Sunbury]], [[Craigieburn railway station|Craigieburn]], [[Coldstream railway station|Coldstream]], [[Hastings railway station, Melbourne|Hastings]] and [[Mornington Railway|Mornington]]<ref name="fouvy" />

None of these proposed lines were ever built, except for the [[City Loop|underground rail loop]] which began construction in 1971 and progressively opened between 1981 and 1985.<ref name="fouvy" /> The lines to Werribee, Sunbury and Craigieburn were also eventually electrified.

=== 1999 Linking Victoria ===
{{Main|Linking Victoria}}
A strategy launched in 1999 by the state government of [[Steve Bracks]] called for an [[Melbourne Airport rail link|airport rail link]] to [[Melbourne Airport]] and the reopening of several regional railway lines.

=== 2008 Victorian Transport Plan ===
{{Main|Victorian Transport Plan}}
The government of [[John Brumby]] responded to a major increase in rail patronage by releasing a plan in 2008 that called for a number of rail extensions, including the [[Regional Rail Link]] from west of [[Werribee]] to [[Southern Cross railway station|Southern Cross station]], a new inner-city rail tunnel called the [[Metro Tunnel|Melbourne Metro Rail Project]], and electrification of the rail network to [[South Morang railway station|South Morang]] (completed [[Mernda railway line|in 2011]]), [[Sunbury, Victoria|Sunbury]] (completed [[Sunbury railway line|in 2012]]), [[Melton, Victoria|Melton]] and [[Cranbourne East]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://transport.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0013/31342/vtp.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120325004350/https://transport.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0013/31342/vtp.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-03-25|title=Victorian Transport Plan|last=State Government of Victoria|date=2008|access-date=2019-07-03}}</ref>

=== 2013 Network Development Plan: Metropolitan Rail (NDPMR) ===
{{Main|Network Development Plan Metropolitan Rail}}
New government agency [[Public Transport Victoria]] (PTV) released a detailed 20-year rail development plan in 2013 under the government of [[Denis Napthine]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/major-rail-projects-expected-in-20-years-20130327-2gt8r.html|title=Major rail projects expected in 20 years|last=Gough|first=Deborah|date=2013-03-26|website=The Age|language=en|access-date=2019-07-03}}</ref> The report outlined a major expansion of the metropolitan rail network in Melbourne over a number of stages, with the goals of introducing a 'metro-style system' and extending the reach of the network.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://blogs.crikey.com.au/theurbanist/2013/03/28/whats-the-long-term-rail-plan-for-melbourne/|title=What's the long-term rail plan for Melbourne?|date=2013-03-28|website=The Urbanist|access-date=2019-07-03}}</ref> Significant projects identified for construction included the Metro Tunnel, the Airport rail link, a line to Doncaster, a line to [[Rowville, Victoria|Rowville]], a second underground inner-city rail tunnel, and many rail electrification and duplication projects.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://static.ptv.vic.gov.au/siteassets/PTV/PTV%20docs/Metro-rail-network-development-plan/PTV_Network-Development-Plan_Metropolitan-Rail_Overview_2016update.pdf|title=Network Development Plan - Metropolitan Rail|last=Public Transport Victoria|date=2012|website=PTV}}</ref>

=== 2025 Infrastructure Victoria Plan ===
Infrastructure Victoria released a 30-year plan for improvements to Victoria's existing infrastructure. The plan called for electrification of the [[Ballarat line]] as far as Melton, and the building of new stations at [[Altona North]], [[Thornhill Park]] and [[Mount Atkinson, Victoria|Mount Atkinson]].<ref name=":7">{{Cite news |last=Ashton |first=Kate |last2=Payne |first2=Sacha |date=4 Mar 2025 |title=Better public transport, slower local streets and more social housing called for in new Infrastructure Victoria plan |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-04/infrastructure-victoria-plan-public-transport-social-housing/105004250 |access-date=2025-05-06 |work=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]}}</ref>