Latrobe City Council is calling on both state and federal governments to invest in integrated, well-planned public transport infrastructure to boost efficiencies of our freight network, transport workers to and from jobs, and bring visitors to our region.
Providing safe, fast, and reliable public transport is vital to local communities. It supports access to essential health, education, and professional services, transports workers to and from jobs, and attracts visitors to our region.
However, public transport does not always provide the support our community needs. Current services fail to provide good connectivity between Latrobe City and Melbourne, impacting our municipality’s ability to access larger centres, attract and retain a new population and workforce and boost our visitor economy.
This is why we are calling for investment that will diversify our economy, expand our freight offerings and enhance the functionality of our existing freight infrastructure, and improve the safety of our road network.
We are calling for:
Improved Passenger services
- Infrastructure upgrades
- Track Upgrades: Progressively upgrade the track between Traralgon, Sale and Bairnsdale to enhance connectivity.
- Freight Passing Loop: Develop a freight passing loop at Sale or Wurruk to promote efficiency.
- Northern Track Upgrades: Upgrade the northern tracks to improve travel times and extend track duplication to Morwell.
- Protect Freight Routes: Upgrade and maintain routes from Gippsland to Melbourne Ports and Intermodal Hubs, ensuring future demand is met. This includes preserving freight service 'slots' on the Gippsland train line.
- Intermodal Freight Hub: Establish a dedicated intermodal freight hub to serve Gippsland businesses utilising the Gippsland train line.