Construction of the Caroline Springs Station in Melbourne’s west has been completed and the station is now open to passengers.
The new station opens as part of a new V/Line timetable that will add 80 extra services across Victoria.
The station will be serviced by more than 280 services a week, with trains every 30 minutes on average in the peak, and every hour on average off-peak.
Victorian Minister for Public Transport, Jacinta Allan, said, “Caroline Springs Station is finished and ready for the thousands of passengers that are expected to use it from tomorrow.
“It’s part of our record investment in public transport, which includes half-a-billion dollars to duplicate the line to Melton and run more frequent, reliable services through Melbourne’s west.”
Caroline Springs Station was funded by Labor in 2009, but was put on hold for four years under the former Liberal Government.
Victorian Member for Kororoit, Marlene Kairouz, said, “Locals have been waiting a long time for this station and we have delivered it – because we care about public transport and we care about people.
“After years of delay and excuses under the former Liberal Government we’ve delivered Caroline Springs Station, connecting this growing community to the train network for the first time.”
In just over two years, the station has been finished and now features a number of key improvements to its design, including a wider centre platform, customer toilets and an enclosed waiting area.
These extra features mean the new Caroline Springs Station will be staffed and ready for the opening.
Bus services have also been upgraded, with Route 460 extended from the town centre to the new station, and there is a secure bike cage close to the platform to encourage people to ride the station and catch the train.
The new station comes ahead of the Victorian Government’s $518 million transformation of the Ballarat line, which will duplicate the line to Melton, creating space for more services, more often through Melbourne’s west.
More carriages are being added to local services to reducing crowding and creating space for more passengers, and performance is improving with punctuality on the Ballarat line, hitting 18-month highs in late 2016.
