Editing Cranbourne line (section)

=== Clyde extension ===
{{Main|Clyde railway station, Victoria}}Services on the South Gippsland line were fully suspended in 1981 due to limited passenger numbers on the route. Since the closure, calls have been made to reopen the line to the suburb of [[Clyde, Victoria|Clyde]]. Reopening of the line to [[Clyde railway station, Victoria|Clyde]] was first promised by the [[Australian Labor Party]] during the [[1999 Victorian state election|1999]] and [[2002 Victorian state election|2002]] state election campaigns, but were dumped before the [[2006 Victorian state election|2006]] election.<ref>{{cite web |author=LIZ BELL |date=27 October 2008 |title=Focus on public transport |url=http://cranbourne.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/focus-on-public-transport/1344148.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20110821203203/http://cranbourne.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/focus-on-public-transport/1344148.aspx |archive-date=21 August 2011 |access-date=4 November 2008 |work=Cranbourne Journal |publisher=cranbourne.yourguide.com.au}}</ref> In November 2003, a "Trainlink" bus service was introduced as an alternative, meeting each train at Cranbourne station and running on a largely one-way loop through Cranbourne East.<ref>{{cite web |date=7 November 2003 |title=NEW CRANBOURNE BUS SERVICES PUT THE TRAIN ON YOUR DOORSTEP |url=http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/domino/Web_Notes/newmedia.nsf/798c8b072d117a01ca256c8c0019bb01/0696403d0364473eca256dd900777ac3!OpenDocument |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110403223840/http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/domino/Web_Notes/newmedia.nsf/798c8b072d117a01ca256c8c0019bb01/0696403d0364473eca256dd900777ac3!OpenDocument |archive-date=3 April 2011 |access-date=4 November 2008 |work=Media Release: OFFICE OF THE PREMIER |publisher=www.legislation.vic.gov.au}}</ref> The [[Steve Bracks|Bracks]] governments [[Victorian Transport Plan]], released in 2008, listed the extensions and associated works as a "medium term" project, which was estimated to cost $200 million.<ref>{{cite web |title=Cranbourne East Extension |url=http://www4.transport.vic.gov.au/vtp/projects/cranbourneeast.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090711155547/http://www4.transport.vic.gov.au/vtp/projects/cranbourneeast.html |archive-date=11 July 2009 |access-date=5 July 2012 |work=Victorian Transport Plan |publisher=www4.transport.vic.gov.au}}</ref> Despite the political promise to revive the railway line for freight and passenger services by the [[Steve Bracks|Bracks]]-led [[Australian Labor Party (Victorian Branch)|Labor]] government in 1999, the project was abandoned in 2008 by his successor [[John Brumby]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rees |first=Brendan |date=6 November 2018 |title=Slow train to Clyde |url=https://cranbournenews.starcommunity.com.au/news/2018-11-06/slow-train-to-clyde/ |access-date=3 August 2023 |website=Cranbourne Star News |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2013, as part of Public Transport Victoria's [[Melbourne Network Development Plan|Network Development Plan]] for metropolitan rail, an extension of the Cranbourne line to Clyde was earmarked to begin in the "long-term", which would equate to at least over the next 20 years.<ref>[https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/assets/PTV-default-site/footer/legal-and-policies/growing-our-rail-network-2018-2025/PTV_Network-Development-Plan_Metropolitan-Rail_2016update_AccessibleVersion.DOC PTV- Network Development Plan]</ref> In January 2018, [[City of Casey]] advised it would need almost $3 billion worth of rail and road infrastructure projects to continue development of the region, including the extension of the metropolitan train from Cranbourne to Clyde and the duplication of the line between Dandenong and Cranbourne. In the lead up to the [[2018 Victorian state election|2018 state election]], the incumbent [[First Andrews ministry|Andrews government]] announced the Cranbourne Line Upgrade, a project involving the duplication of 8&nbsp;km of track between Dandenong and Cranbourne, a rebuilt [[Merinda Park railway station|Merinda Park station]], the construction of a new rail connection for the Port Rail Shuttle Network, and the removal of all remaining level crossings on the corridor.<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |date=25 October 2022 |title=Cranbourne Line Upgrade community update – September 2019 |url=https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/library/level-crossing-removal-project/rail/clu/fact-sheets/cranbourne-line-upgrade-community-update-september-2019 |access-date=26 December 2022 |website=Victoria’s Big Build |language=en}}</ref> Andrews argued that this project was required if an extension to Clyde was to be constructed.<ref name=":8" /> Opposition leader [[Matthew Guy]] instead promised that he would extend the Cranbourne line to [[Clyde railway station, Victoria|Clyde]] if he won the election.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |title=Matthew Guy pledges $487m to extend Cranbourne train line to Clyde |url=https://www.9news.com.au/national/matthew-guy-pledges-487m-extension-of-cranbourne-line-to-clyde/17ecd2f6-b80b-4f68-8532-33a53d4ec872 |access-date=26 December 2022 |website=www.9news.com.au|date=11 July 2018 }}</ref>

Again in the lead up to the [[2022 Victorian state election|2022 state election]], the City of Casey increased its campaign for the extension of the rail line to Clyde, including the construction of 3 new stations.<ref name=":11">{{Cite web |title=Advocacy {{!}} City of Casey |url=https://www.casey.vic.gov.au/advocacy |access-date=15 January 2023 |website=www.casey.vic.gov.au}}</ref> The City of Casey proposal involved the construction of stations at [[Cranbourne East, Victoria|Cranbourne East]], [[Casey Fields]] (only proposed by the council), and Clyde.<ref name=":11" /> This proposal was supported again by opposition leader Matthew Guy, minus the station at Casey Fields.<ref>{{Cite web |title=City of Casey welcomes Clyde Rail Link election commitment {{!}} City of Casey |url=https://www.casey.vic.gov.au/news/city-of-casey-welcomes-clyde-rail-link-election-commitment |access-date=15 January 2023 |website=www.casey.vic.gov.au}}</ref> The incumbent [[Second Andrews ministry|Andrews government]] made no commitments to the Clyde rail extension, instead continuing construction on the Cranbourne Line Upgrade.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nsenduluka |first=Callum Godde and Mibenge |date=6 October 2022 |title=Vic premier vows full term if re-elected |url=https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7931544/vic-premier-vows-full-term-if-re-elected/ |access-date=15 January 2023 |website=The Canberra Times |language=en-AU}}</ref> The 2022 state election resulted in another Labor victory, with the Andrews government pushing ahead with the Cranbourne Line Upgrade, with the extension to Clyde remaining stagnant ever since.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2022 State election results |url=https://www.vec.vic.gov.au/results/state-election-results/2022-state-election-results |access-date=15 January 2023 |website=www.vec.vic.gov.au |language=en}}</ref>