Are these seven train stations Melbourne needs?

Does Melbourne need more train stations? Putting them in costs money and slows travel for existing passengers (unless they're right on the end of a line). On the other hand they provide fast transit to large and sometimes growing areas that need it. And sometimes they fix holes in the network where a bus might cross a train but no station means no interchange and thus lots of backtracking. 

Here's ideas for seven new stations and quick notes explaining why they'd be good. 

1. Campbellfield (Upfield line)

On the Upfield line, a station at Campbellfield would plug the 4km gap between Gowrie and Upfield. 

The area is very pedestrian hostile and the station would have little walk-up residential patronage. But there are a couple of business parks and shopping centre (including a K-mart) within 400m. Of greatest network significance though is that it would connect the Upfield Line to the 902 SmartBus on Camp Rd, thus plugging a hole in a currently coarse grid. And if 901 and 902 were swapped at the Broadmeadows end so that 902 went to Melbourne Airport then a Campbellfield Station would enable direct airport access to suburbs like Coburg and Fawkner without backtracking via the CBD. 

Hence, although Campbellfield might not bring network coverage to the same extent as new stations elsewhere, the connectivity gains could give a much needed boost for northern suburbs public transport including the ability to get around in all directions. 

2. Paisley (Werribee line)

There once was a station here but it closed in the 1980s. The Park & Ride is open but gets very little use with it serving as the terminus for the once-popular 232 bus. 

A Paisley station at Millers Rd would plug a 10 km gap between Newport and Laverton on the Werribee line. It would serve a large part of Altona North without a station and permit a connection between the Werribee line and several bus routes including the 903 SmartBus. Right now the 903 is western Melbourne's only SmartBus and lacks a direct connection with the popular Werribee line. A Paisley Station would resolve this and facilitate trips like Hoppers Crossing to Altona North that currently involve significant backtracking. It may also be possible to better use the existing Park & Ride and potentially regenerate local shops on Ross St. 

Similar comments for Campbellfield apply to Paisley with a new station here greatly improving network connectivity and removing backtracking for some trips that should be easy on public transport but currently aren't.  

3. Keilor East (Airport line)

Not on an existing passenger line but will be when Melbourne Airport line gets built. A station here would be about mid way between Sunshine and Melbourne Airport and bring rapid transit to a large area with only buses and trams. Another benefit is that it would give the airport line a larger and more diverse patronage base; a formula successfully followed on airport lines in Sydney (and soon Perth) but not Brisbane. 

A station here is not the sort of place that you would expect much walk-up patronage. But there may be scope for some park and ride with some great road connections. Of greater network importance is that it could form a useful stop for existing well-used buses eg 406 and 465 that have weak termini. And even more exciting it could be a stopping location for a north-west BRT that would join several close but hard to travel between points between Broadmeadows and Caroline Springs, also giving them an easy airport connection. Hence this plus the abovementioned Campbellfield station would make Melbourne airport so much more accessible from Melbourne's north and west.

4. Clyde (Cranbourne line)

Did you know that, well before the housing came, there was once was a Clyde station in the days when trains went to Leongatha? A massive growth area south-east of Cranbourne, there is much local advocacy for a rail extension along the disused alignment. 

There's a reasonable case for it as development spreads further from established stations such as Cranbourne and Berwick. Cranbourne has recently had its line duplicated to facilitate such an extension. Not only could there be a station at Clyde but also Cranbourne East (shown on street maps as proposed).

5. Truganina (Geelong line)

Another growth area but in the west. It already has the RRL line passing through but no station. Currently residents must take a bus backwards to Tarneit or south to Williams Landing. Tarneit is the busiest V/Line station outside Southern Cross so an extra station would offer some relief. 

It's shown in street directories so there's a widespread expectation that it would be built (along with two other stations between Wyndham Vale and Tarneit). If people were asked in 2015 (when Regional Rail Link opened) if there would be a station by 2022 they'd probably thought there would be. But there's been zero action since. Even the government's 2018 Western Rail Plan appears stalled despite fast population growth. 

Complicating factors for a Truganina station include ensuring that metropolitan passengers get capacity while preserving speed for Geelong and Warrnambool passengers. Thus the station may need to be considered as part of wider works to deliver a true two-tier service.

Local seats were formerly considered safe for Labor but independents and Liberals are sniffing opportunities given big anti-Labor swings in the 2018 state and 2022 federal elections. It's clear from last Thursday's Transport Forum that the Liberals are showing increased interest in the west despite currently being without local representation. So I wouldn't be surprised if there's promises here in the lead up to the 2022 state election. 

6. Black Forest Rd (Geelong or Werribee line)

This would be another Wyndham growth area station. It's also shown in street directories with similar local expectations raised as to its construction. 

If built now it would be on the Regional Rail Link to Geelong. Or, more ambitiously, it could be done as a Metro train station if the electrified line from Werribee was extended to there or Wyndham Vale (which would bring network connectivity benefits). 

A Black Forest Rd station can be justified by the degree of development and its distance from Werribee and Wyndham Vale stations. 

7. Cave Hill (Lilydale)

An idea that's been around for at least 20 years but nothing ever seems to happen. For example PTUA proposed it back in 2008. Street directories show it as proposed (between Hull Rd and Maroondah Hwy). Construction would plug the 5km gap between Mooroolbark and Lilydale. 

I've put it here to give some representation for the east but just can't see the same interest or momentum compared to new stations in the faster growing west.

Conclusion

Seven station ideas have been presented. All but two are on existing operating lines. 

They would add seven new stations with boosted multimodal network connectivity at four of these. The cost? Even with today's inflated construction costs it would likely be in the low billions. 

Some might wish to compare this with the (much dearer) six-station Suburban Rail Loop East which, in contrast, would add rail coverage at just two sites and extra rail connectivity at the remaining four. 

Which of these stations are worthwhile and which should have lower priority? Maybe there's others that are needed? Will MPs and candidates propose some in the state election campaign? Comments are appreciated and can be left below.