One week after Tarneit train station was named the busiest along the Regional Rail Link Wyndham council has called on the state government to make a new station at Tarneit West a priority.
Wyndham’s director of advocacy Bill Forrest says a station on Davis Road in Tarneit West is one of several stations earmarked for Wyndham, along with one at Black Forest Road in Wyndham Vale, Sayers Road, Tarneit and Truganina.
He said the stations have been on the drawing board since the early stages of planning for the RRL and the Department of Transport had purchased land set aside for the Tarneit West station “indicating that this project will go ahead.”
Wyndham council’s transport portfolio- holder, Glenn Goodfellow said Tarneit railway station, which was opened less than a year ago, is already at capacity.
“The strain on parking at this station is only going to get worse. Meanwhile, Tarneit is seeing more houses being built and more land being subdivided in preparation for more housing. A second train station is needed to serve the current and future communities in this area. Residential development is already reaching the planned site of the future Tarneit West station.”
But a state government Network Development Plan identifies only three new stations for Wyndham – in Truganina, Sayers Road and Black Forest Road – to be constructed in the next 10 to 15 years.
State Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allan said there were no current plans to build these new stations, but their construction would be considered as the areas grew.
“Labor’s Regional Rail Link delivered train services to the booming community of Wyndham for the first time and locals are embracing it,” Ms Allan said. “Tarneit is now the most popular V/Line station on the network outside of Southern Cross, with more than 2600 people using it every day.
“Wyndham Vale is in the top 10. Provision has been made for additional stations to be built on the new line in future, to provide train services to these areas as they grow.”
