Regional Rail Link - the missing plans...
Regional Rail Link is the new set of tracks from Southern Cross Station, running through Sunshine, Tarneit and meeting the Geelong Line at West Werribee. The first plans were released June 2009 for the Deer Park - Werribee section, in July 2010 the Southern Cross - Deer Park alignment was released.
As of late 2010 the first set of maps have disappeared from the Department of Transport website. My question is why? An accidental omission, or does someone have something to hide?
What is available
The "airy fairy" maps of the RRL route are on the department of transport website here
The maps with the actual details are on a separate page, as a set of 38 individual PDF files. They only cover from Lloyd Street, West Melbourne to Anderson Road, Sunshine.
The slightly different version of the maps are also available as part of the appendix of the Regional Rail Link Environment Effects referral. The map is spread over two large PDF files, containing map sheets 1 through 65. They can be downloaded from the bottom of this webpage.
The missing maps
The maps that went MIA from the Department of Transport website are those which detailed the route from the Ballarat line at Deer Park West, through Tarneit and Manor Lakes, then meeting the Geelong Line at West Werribee.
Maps for this section originally appeared as part of the June 2009 report "Regional Rail Link: west of Werribee to Deer Park strategic assessment: Report for Public Consultation". It also shows a number of cutaways sections of railway stations along the route. This report can still be downloaded from these links:
The maps were also available as individual files, but these have since been deleted from the website. The most interesting file was this one (a copy of the original file), it shows a complex set of flying junctions at West Werribee, allowing RRL trains to avoid the standard gauge tracks which run parallel to the Geelong line. It also shows a flyover at Deer Park West, allowing RRL trains to avoid crossing the paths of local trains from Melton.
In August 2009 the route underwent some minor revisions, with another PDF file released. This file also "went missing" but is available here.
So now you know what they are (or were) planing! I wonder what their current plans look like - in September 2010 an animation was released of the alignment through Wyndham Vale and it looks nothing like the original plans...