Parliament of Victoria | Legislative Council | Adjournment
2 December 2025
David ETTERSHANK (Western Metropolitan Region):
My question is for the Minister for Public and Active Transport. Victoria’s Infrastructure Strategy 2025–2055 stresses the importance of Altona North as a major activity centre and recommended that the government prioritise the construction of a train station at Altona North.
According to Dr Jonathan Spear, CEO of Infrastructure Victoria, a new station would allow the growing number of nearby residents to reduce travel times and access three times more jobs within 45 minutes of their homes.
Altona North has not had a train station since the closure of Paisley station in the 1980s, and the section of line from Newport to Laverton via Altona North has the longest gap between any stations on the metropolitan train network. Dr Spear said more trains could run to service the new station, providing extra weekend and evening services to passengers travelling from Footscray to Newport and Laverton to Werribee.
Investing in such transport infrastructure and rezoning the land around a new Altona North station would also open it up to more homes. This is a great plan. The strategy also recommended the creation of three rapid bus routes – West Tarneit to Highpoint, Point Cook to Watergardens and Melton to Broadmeadows – by 2030.
I have spoken before about the need for more public transport to ease the horrendous congestion in the outer west. The strategy also recommends more active transport, with priority corridors to make cycling safer for young and old and people using micromobility devices like electric scooters. The western suburbs of Melbourne are one of the fastest growing regions in Australia.
It is past time for the Victorian government to recognise this and fund the much-needed infrastructure for the increasing population. The action I seek from the Minister for Transport Infrastructure and Minister for Public and Active Transport is a commitment to build the Altona North train station by 2030.
Written Answer
Received: 22 June 2026
Hon. Gabrielle Williams MP
(Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Minister for Public and Active Transport, Minister for Women and Girls)
I thank the member for his question.
The Allan Labor Government is proud to be delivering record investment in infrastructure projects for Melbourne’s growing west.
There have been more than 300 new weekly train services added to the Werribee and Williamstown lines since 2014, with development also underway to deliver two additional trains per hour in the peaks on the Werribee line funded in the 2025-26 State Budget. Work is also underway to remove level crossings at Maddox and Champions Roads, making it safer and easier for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists to get around Hobsons Bay communities.
The release of Plan for Victoria sets out a new long-term vision for transport and land use planning across our state. While the government has no current announcements to make about re-opening a train station at Altona North, the government continues to consider what changes to the transport network will be needed in the coming years – including for Altona North commuters.
This Labor Government also recognises the important role buses play in meeting the travel needs of Hobsons Bay residents and across the west. Buses are a vital part of Victoria’s integrated transport system, with around 400 regular bus routes servicing metropolitan Melbourne, and local bus networks operating in regional towns and cities.
This is why we have invested more than $990 million into new and upgraded bus services, adding more than 24,000 extra bus services to our network. This includes our investment in the 2026/27 Victorian Budget of almost $100 million towards new and improved bus services, including expanded bus hours and weekend services, new and upgraded routes in growing suburbs, and more services for routes connecting to universities.
This builds on the $162 million invested in the 2025/26 Victorian Budget and the $180 million invested in
2024, which focused on connecting communities in Melbourne’s growing suburbs to key local destinations,
including train stations, schools, universities, health services, shops and employment.
This pipeline of future bus network service uplifts includes more services for Melbourne’s west, being:
• A new bus network for Melton South with two new routes and an upgrade to Route 454
• More services for Route 476 between Moonee Ponds and Watergardens Station
• Longer operating hours and more Sunday services on Route 408 between St Albans Station and Highpoint
• A package of new and extended bus routes connecting passengers in growth areas to train stations, including Riverwalk, Kings Leigh, Mt Atkinson, Cobblebank, Thornhill Park, Rockbank, Aintree and Deanside
• New and upgraded bus services in Tarneit to provide access to the new West Tarneit Station
• Upgraded services to improve access to Caroline Springs town centre and Watergardens Station
• New bus route from Cairnlea to Deer Park Station.
I thank the member again for his question, and his interest in improving public transport connections for Melbourne’s west.
[ENDS]
