The Suburban Rail Loop will cut travel times by up to 30 minutes for South East commuters, according to modelling released by the State Government.
The SRL East Travel Time Estimates report states a Narre Warren student will be able to commute to Deakin University, Burwood in 40 minutes – a saving of 24 minutes by current PT and 21 minutes versus driving.
Sandown Park residents could reach Box Hill in 25 minutes with SRL East – saving 30 minutes by current PT and 16 minutes versus driving.
Springvale residents can travel to Cheltenham in 16 minutes versus 42 minutes on current PT and 26 minutes driving.
Dandenong locals could save 30 minutes travelling to Box Hill (33 minutes) versus current PT and six minutes versus driving.
East Pakenham-Box Hill trips (63 minutes) would also be 30 minutes faster than current PT and 10 minutes faster than driving.
The report compared estimates for current PT and driving trips to SRL commutes at about 8am peak times.
Estimates were calculated using the Public Transport Victoria app for PT trips – taking into account timetable changes due to the Metro Tunnel opening.
Car journeys were estimated using Google Maps under contemporary traffic conditions.
According to the report, car trips would likely be longer in 2035 when SRL East opens, due to population growth and congestion.
The State Government claims the SRL will also reduce congestion by taking 600,000 cars off the road each day.
About 70,000 passengers a day would save time.
It will also help create 70,000 homes around the stations, the Government states.
Premier Jacinta Allan in launching the report on 29 June said “Victorians want to spend less time stuck in traffic or stuck on the train – and I’m on their side”.
Suburban Rail Loop Minister Harriet Shing said the SRL would also deliver “thousands more homes so young Victorians can live in the areas closer to where they grew up”.
Opposition leader Brad Battin said the Government was more about “spin” than “delivering” – the SRL behind time and not expected to open by 2035 as well as no publicly-released business case.
“How can they come out and tell us we’re going to save ‘x’ amount of minutes on a train in 2035 but still have to be confirmed next year in the budget?
“They’re so dishonest that can’t tell the Victorian community how much they’re going to be spending in the next four years on the Suburban Rail Loop.”
He reiterated his call to cancel the project – which the Government estimates will cost between $30 to $34.5 billion.
