New regional rail timetable targets 20-minute frequency on Ballarat line by December

The Victorian government released its updated regional rail timetable on Friday, promising 20-minute peak frequency on the Ballarat line by December. The new timetable, which takes effect on November 30, adds 14 weekday services to and from Ballarat and upgrades three weekend services to express. For the 6,400 Ballarat residents who commute by train daily, the change means the longest wait at Southern Cross will drop from 40 minutes to 20 minutes between 7am and 9am.

Why the change is happening now

The timetable overhaul follows the completion of the Ballarat Line Upgrade, a $556 million project that added 18 kilometres of duplicated track between Bacchus Marsh and Melton. The project, funded under the 2022 Regional Rail Revival program, also included stabling upgrades at Wendouree and new passing loops at Gordon. The Department of Transport says the duplication removed a bottleneck that had capped train frequency since the 1980s. The new schedule is the first to fully use the duplicated track, allowing trains to run in both directions without conflicting with freight services operated by Pacific National.

What it means for Ballarat residents

For the 1,200 workers at Ballarat Health Services and the 800 staff at Federation University's Mount Helen campus who commute from Melbourne, the extra services are projected to reduce average travel time by eight minutes. The 7:14am express from Ballarat Station will now arrive at Southern Cross at 8:06am, down from 8:19am under the old timetable. The government says the new schedule was designed after a six-week consultation period that drew 2,100 survey responses from Ballarat residents. Local passenger advocates note that the 20-minute frequency only applies in the morning peak; off-peak services remain hourly until 2027, when further upgrades are expected to allow 30-minute intervals.

The updated timetable also extends the last departure from Southern Cross to Ballarat from 10:30pm to 11:15pm, a change the government says will benefit the 350 Ballarat hospitality workers who rely on evening trains. The same night service will stop at Wendouree, Bacchus Marsh, Woodend and Gisborne, replacing a coach that previously operated after 10pm.

What happens next

The new timetable will be trialled for six months, with the Department of Transport scheduled to publish passenger load data quarterly from March 2027. Ballarat mayor Cr Daniel Moloney told the council's July meeting on Wednesday that he expects the council to monitor on-time performance and carriage capacity closely. The government says it will open a second round of consultation in February 2027 to address any issues raised by Ballarat residents. Longer term, the 2026-27 state budget allocated $45 million for business case development on a 30-minute off-peak service on the Ballarat line, with construction expected to start in 2029 if the business case is approved.