Parliament of Victoria | Legislative Council | Constituency Questions
14 October, 2025
David ETTERSHANK (Western Metropolitan Region):
My question is for Gabrielle Williams, the Minister for Public and Active Transport in the other place.
My constituent resides in Wyndham Vale, and she recently travelled into Melbourne CBD for a medical appointment. The bus and train connecting services resulted in a 20-minute wait between arriving at Wyndham Vale from Southern Cross and the bus to get her home. Getting a taxi or rideshare is prohibitively expensive for my constituent.
The bus–rail coordination guidelines recently tabled in Parliament show that Wyndham Vale scores lowest against the Department of Transport and Planning benchmarks for bus –train coordination wait times under 10 minutes, with only 32 per cent compliance, compared to 98 per cent in Sandringham, for example.
My constituent asks: given the government is spending eye-watering amounts on the Suburban Rail Loop, when will bus route and timetable changes be implemented to simply allow westies to access timely public transport services like the rest of Melbourne?
Written Answer
Received: 04 December 2025
Hon. Gabrielle Williams MP
(Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Minister for Public and Active Transport)
I thank the Member for the question, and the opportunity to speak about our public transport investment in Melbourne’s west.
The Allan Labor Government acknowledges the significant growth and corresponding infrastructure needs of Melbourne’s West and recognises the important role public transport services play in meeting the travel needs of people living in these suburbs.
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.
On 7 December, we will be introducing three new and upgraded bus routes and more than 1,500 extra weekly bus services – giving residents in Tarneit, Truganina, Laverton, Wyndham Vale, Mambourin and Harpley Estate better access to trains, schools and jobs, including:
- The new Route 154 connecting Tarneit, Truganina and Laverton – linking more than 7,600 homes to destinations including Tarniet and Laverton stations, and Truganina Central Shopping Centre. The 154 will operate 7 days a week, providing 20-minute frequency most of the day.
- The new Route 194 connecting more than 6,900 across Wyndham Vale, Mambourin and Harpley Estate to Wyndham Vale Station. The 194 will operate 7 days a week, providing 20-minute peak frequency, coordinating with trains at Wyndham Vale Station.
- Upgraded Route 153, with more frequent services and extended operating hours – improving access to the new Wyndham Law Courts, Werribee Hospital and University of Melbourne and Victoria University Werribee campuses – providing better bus services for more than 4,500 households.
Already from 1 July 2025, Routes 170 Werribee Station – Tarneit Station via Werribee Plaza, 180 Werribee Station – Tarneit Station via Tarneit Road, 190 Werribee Station – Wyndham Vale Station via Ballan Road and 192 Werribee Station – Wyndham Vale Station via Black Forest Road received service uplifts. Services now run later most days of the week, with new timetables increasing services to every 20 minutes for most of the day.
In the 2025/26 State Budget, we have invested $162 million for more new and improved bus services in the west, with a focus on connecting communities in Melbourne’s growing suburbs to key local destinations including train stations, schools, health services, shops and employment. Operational readiness activities are currently underway to deliver:
- 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, and
- new bus route for Cairnlea to Deer Park Station.
Since the launch of Victoria’s Bus Plan, the Labor Government has improved more than 126 local bus networks, delivering more than 10,000 new weekly services to give Victorians better, more reliable public transport — with even more services coming online in the months ahead.
The Allan Labor Government’s approach to public transport development is to build methodically, ensuring each stage is completed to set the foundation for the next, thereby minimising disruption and maximising value for all Victorians.
We are continuing to enhance capacity and reliability on the Western rail network, which includes investment in infrastructure and longer trains to cater to the growth areas to west along the Melton and Wyndham Vale corridors.
The cornerstone of this is the $4.1 billion Sunshine Superhub Project, which is the first stage of Melton Electrification and the first stage of Melbourne Airport Rail, and will create capacity to run more trains through Sunshine for Melbourne’s growing west and western Victoria. The project will untangle one of the most complex parts of Victoria’s rail network through new signalling and track realignments. It will deliver two new dedicated regional platforms, safeguarding express paths for Ballarat services while laying the foundation for the future electrification to Melton.
On top of this, the Melton Line Upgrade Project is already underway to increase capacity on the corridor by 50 per cent with the introduction nine-car VLocity trains, supported by a new stabling yard and platform extensions at key stations. This project has been fast tracked and will be completed in 2027, providing much needed capacity along the corridor.
Concurrently, the Melton Level Crossing Removals Project will deliver a new four-platform Melton Station and remove four level crossings by 2026. These works are essential to enable higher-capacity operations and prepare the corridor for future capacity enhancements.
These projects – the Sunshine Superhub, the Melton Upgrade, and the Melton Level Crossing Removals – form a sequenced, integrated investment program. They are designed to improve the western rail network, ensuring we can deliver more services for the growing communities of Melton and Wyndham Vale while protecting the connectivity vital to our regional cities.
[ENDS]
