East Werribee $30 billion ‘super city’ options include rail loop, driverless trains

A $1.3 billion rail loop as well as robot trains are among transport options being considered to connect a proposed $30 billion ‘super city’ at East Werribee.

Initial works to determine the feasibility of a major new heavy rail interconnection to Australian Education City, creating a link between existing Werribee as well as Hoppers Crossing stations, have been recently done as part of the ongoing proposal.

The project would feature a city-within-a-city with university campuses, schools, high-rise apartments as well as research and development hub. Many supporters have compared this proposal to California’s Silicon Valley.

Project  proponents are reportedly prepared to foot the bill for a $1.3 billion rail loop, if it can recover some money from users who get off at a new station.

The public-private partnership will be working in a similar way to a toll road, but will require current ticketing systems to be upgraded.

One more option is being considered and that is a link between the existing Hoppers Crossing train station as well as the AEC, which can operate with robot trains.

The driverless vehicle concept would be synched to the existing Werribee line services for allowing passengers to hop off suburban heavy rail trains as well as get on to the autonomous vehicles running on a new line.

One of the many advantages of creating a new heavy rail loop that have been spruiked by proponents is that passengers will not have to change their transport modes.

But, it would need changes to existing timetables as well as signalling upgrades along the packed western suburbs line.

Arguments have been mounted for the new rail loop & station as it would be acting as a “counter flow” to the traffic that’s heading into the Melbourne CBD.