The Carroll government will spend $80 million over two years on site investigations, design work and planning approvals for duplicating the four-kilometre single-track section between Gowrie and Upfield stations, which currently limits the frequency of services on Melbourne’s least reliable train line.
The duplication, estimated to cost between $650 million and $1.4 billion, is expected to increase capacity by 50 per cent. Premier Ben Carroll said the project would be crucial for the northern suburbs, noting that residents have complained about long waits between services on the single-track line.
“I’m from Melbourne’s north-western suburbs – this has been spoken about for generations,” Mr Carroll said. “$80 million to do a detailed study on what the duplication will require, those four kilometres of track.”
The government has not committed a completion date for the duplication, stating it will become clear after the planning study is finished in 2028. Mr Carroll said the line would be duplicated by 2033 if Labor is re-elected in November.
As part of the announcement, removal of eight level crossings along the Upfield line will be delayed. The crossings were originally promised by former premier Daniel Andrews in 2022 with a 2027 deadline, later pushed back to 2030, and now further delayed to 2033. Treasurer Colin Brooks said the decision was about “commonsense and timing” and would save the state budget $686 million and minimise disruption.
“We are making commonsense decisions to save money and minimise disruption along the Upfield Line,” Brooks said. Minister for Public Transport Vicki Ward described the $80 million investment in planning as a financially prudent commitment to Melbourne’s north.
The announcement comes after the Albanese government provided $7.05 million in February 2025 towards a business case for upgrades to Melbourne’s northern metropolitan railway lines. The 2026-27 state budget allocated $3.6 million for a final program business case that included duplicating the Upfield line.