Regional Rail Link
The Regional Rail Link project was a multi-billion dollar project that separated metropolitan and regional services through Melbourne's west. The project built dedicated tracks for the Geelong, Bendigo and Ballarat trains through the metropolitan system from Sunshine to Southern Cross Station.
About the project
Key elements of the project included:
- construction of new track from west of Werribee to Deer Park and between Sunshine to Southern Cross Station
- two new platforms at Southern Cross Station
- new stations for Wyndham Vale and Tarneit
- a new station at West Footscray, a major upgrade to Footscray station and a rebuilt Sunshine railway station
- the removal of two level crossings at Anderson Road, Sunshine
- 13 road and rail grade separations through Wyndham Vale and Tarneit
- a new rail bridge over the Maribyrnong River
The Regional Rail Link project was the winner of the Australian Construction Achievement Award 2015 and Infrastructure Project of the Year 2014, as well as receiving the Premier's Sustainability Award in 2014, and an IABC Gold Quill award for Community Relations in 2015.
Rail operational noise
With extra services, there will be an increase in rail noise for some residents already living next to the rail line. In delivery of the project, the Regional Rail Link Authority (RRLA) applied the Victorian Government's Passenger Rail Infrastructure Noise policy. For the new rail corridor between Deer Park and Werribee, a Noise Management Plan incorporating Directions from the Minister for Planning was applied, also incorporating relevant aspects of the Noise policy.
Noise assessments
Noise assessments were undertaken by the project's acoustic consultants to identify areas where noise following completion of the project would exceed the thresholds set out in the policy. The noise assessments were undertaken using the Nordic Railway Noise Model (Kilde, 1996), an internationally-accepted model which has been well validated on many railway projects in Australia.
The model considered multiple factors and inputs including:
- The design of the track and local topography
- The distance between trains and residential or similar sensitive properties
- Information from Public Transport Victoria on the current number of train movements and types of trains and the increase in passenger rail services both immediately after the project's completion and 10 years after completion.
The assessment found that noise barriers would provide the best noise mitigation benefits for residents and the broader community in areas, both inside and outside of properties, where multiple properties are identified.
Design of the noise barriers
RRLA worked closely with councils along the rail line to develop designs for the noise barriers, with the aim of striking a balance between the two key priorities identified in community feedback – mitigating noise and maintaining visual amenity.
The noise barriers were architecturally designed to ensure they incorporate community feedback and reference existing urban design elements being incorporated as part of the project. Barriers facing residential areas were constructed with materials to help deter vandalism.
Wherever possible, the noise barriers were complemented with landscaping to help soften the barriers and improve local streetscapes.
Effectiveness of the noise barriers
The noise barriers were designed to reduce noise from the extra passenger trains enabled by the project to the relevant Passenger Rail Infrastructure Noise policy threshold, not eliminate noise from trains altogether.
Post operational noise measurements are now being carried out across the rail corridor to verify the effectiveness of the barriers.
More information
Visit the Public Transport Victoria website for timetables, station information, and to plan your journey.
A series of project videos from throughout the project's construction can be viewed on YouTube.
Page last reviewed on 14 December 2015