Local residents have campaigned for decades for a better Upfield Train Line. Last state election Labor Party promised this line would see a significant increase in services once the Metro Tunnel was built – but then broke the promise. All they have done is add a few off-peak services, and fund some business cases. Enough! We need a firm commitment to duplicate the Upfield Line north of Gowrie Station. This is the only way to get more trains more often.

Momentum for the upgrade is growing. CAM and other campaigners have refreshed the Upgrade Upfield Train Line campaign. We are pushing for the northern section of the line to be duplicated by 2030 to allow for more frequent, and more reliable trains. Can you help?

The new website is called Upgrade Upfield Train Line. We want lots of residents to write to our politicians, before the November 2026 state election. Here is the link on how you can help. It includes email addresses all the relevant politicians, plus a sample email you can send. In summary, we suggest you request:

• That the Upfield Train Line be duplicated north of Gowrie Station
• That the business case for Upgrading the Upfield Line be released as soon as possible – preferably before the election.

Infrastructure Victoria says Upfield Line Duplication is equal top rail priority

In a recent interview on ABC radio 774, Jonathan Spear, CEO of Infrastructure Victoria, identified two top priority rail issues for the coming state election:

• Electrification of rail services to Melton
• Duplication of Upfield Rail Line along with improved signaling and power. “It meets a real pressing need but also it’s a very important key unlocking further enhancements that we are going to need to the rail system to Melbourne’s fast growing north that is going to happen over coming decades”

The Melton Line electrification has received funding from the state and federal government of $152.7 million to start development work. But the Upfield Line has only received funding for a business case, despite being of equal importance.

No more delays! Let’s get this train line upgraded

The duplication of the Upfield Train Line is part of the Northern Rail Program which was first outlined in the 2012-13 Network Development Plan – Metropolitan Rail (link below). The plan is to join the Upfield Line and Craigieburn iIne by reinstating the Somerton Link (which runs north of Upfield Station and then joins with the Craigieburn Line near Roxborough Park). VLine services from Seymour and Shepparton could then run down the Upfield Line. This would then allow more local train services to use the Craigieburn Line, particularly to serve the growth areas north of Craigieburn. The plan also included electrification of the line to Wallan.

The plan stated that this “will enable a flat 10 minute service to operate at all times (except late at night and early morning) on the Upfield line, enable an extra two services to operate on the Craigieburn line at peak times and provide a more regular, more reliable and faster travel time for V/Line passengers”.

The May 2026 Victorian budget included $3.6 million for the “Northern Rail Program development”. The budget papers stated “Funding is provided to complete a final program business case to improve capacity on the Craigieburn, Upfield and Seymour (Wallan) rail corridors and improve access for Melbourne’s north, including duplicating the Upfield Line.”

The level crossing removals in Brunswick (which are planned to be completed by 2030) will allow are a higher volume of trains (local and Vline) to use the Upfield Line without disrupting east-west vehicle traffic in Brunswick. The duplication of the Upfield Line from Gowrie to Ufield Stations needs to be done at the same time – by 2030.

We have pulled together a timeline of campaigning and promises since 1980.

Upfield Line Campaign Timeline

2026

• August: Off-peak services promised in May 2025 commence, with trains running at least every 20 minutes.
• July: The New Upgrade Upfield Train Line campaign launched.
• May: The state budget, includes $3.6 Million for the final business case to improve capacity on the Craigieburn, Upfield and Wallan rail corridor, including duplicating the Upfield Line.  
• February: Occurrences of short-shunting on Upfield Line skyrocket. Residents north of Batman Station get even worse service.
• January: The Metro Tunnel opens. The Upfield Line does not get any more services despite previous promises.

2025

• November: Infrastructure Victoria recommends that the Government duplicate the Upfield Line by 2030.
• September:Merri-bek Council selects the duplication and upgrade of the Upfield rail line, extension to the Craigieburn rail line and electrification to Wallan as its core advocacy priority for the state election. See details here.
• May: The federal Labor government promised $7 million for upgrade planning of Upfield and Craigieburn lines
• May: The state budget promised an “increase in off-peak services with trains running at least every 20 minutes on the line, including late at night and on weekends”. This is to be delivered in winter 2026. Note that in 1974, off-peak trains ran every 20 minutes (but there were no trains on Sundays at all and none after 7pm).
• January: The Age revealed that the proposed turnback at Gowrie on the Upfield Line had been scrapped, meaning that the frequency could not be increased to better than every 15 minutes. See blogpost.

2024

• August: The Northern Council’s Alliance launches its campaign to improve transport services in Melbourne’s north, starting with a call to duplicate and extend the Upfield rail line.
• March: Merri-bek’s Transport Strategy “Moving Around Merri-bek” states as a core advocacy priority “Connect the Upfield Line to the Craigieburn Line via Somerton; Duplicate track from Gowrie Railway Station to the end of the line; Increase frequencies on the Upfield Line; Transition Seymour Regional Rail Services to the Upfield corridor to free up capacity on the Craigieburn Line”

2023

• September: The Upfield Transport Alliance holds snap actions calling for duplication of the Upfield Line.
• August: Upfield Transport Alliance submission to Merri-bek’s draft transport strategy calls for Council to prioritise advocacy on public transport issues, including addressing the north-south divide in Merri-bek, and extending the Upfield Line to Wallan

2022

• October: Campaigning for the state election. Labor candidates in the seat of Brunswick and Pascoe Vale promise that the Metro Tunnel would deliver 71% more services on the Upfield Line. This didn’t happen (as Gowrie turnback was scrapped).
• September: State government announces it will remove eight level crossings in Brunswick on the Upfield Line (now expected to be delivered in 2030). This was in part to enable “more trains, more often“, though government publicity focused on level crossings being “dangerous” . Residents established a Facebook group to organise campaigning.
• In the leadup to the state election, Moreland Council calls on the state government to prioritise “duplicate the Upfield line between Gowrie and Upfield Stations, [and] modernise Batman, Merlynston, Fawkner and Gowrie Train Stations as part of any duplication works”

2020

• December: The Coburg skyrail project is completed and the new stations at Coburg and Moreland opened. During planning and construction, residents raised many concerns about poor community consultation and the loss of the Gandolfo Gardens. See for example town hall meeting.
• March: Residents along the Upfield Line create the Angry Upfield Line! Facebook group to share their experiences, particularly around short shunting (trains being turned around at Coburg or Batman)

2019

• September: Signatures collected on a Parliamentary Petition to Upgrade the Upfield Line. were presented to parliament by Fiona Patten MLC. Residents had collected had nearly 4000 signatures (3129 on paper, 763 digital.)
• August: Hume City Council votes to support the campaign to upgrade the Upfield Line.

2019

• In March, the Upfield Transport Alliance held a rally in Fawkner, in August, a rally in Merylnston, and in November a rally in Coburg. They also held regular meetings and stalls.  
• May: Residents establish the Upfield Corridor Coalition Facebook group to organise campaigning for level crossing removals.

2018

• The Upfield Transport Alliance was formed following a meeting of community groups and individuals. In November 2018, it organised a protest at Upfield station to call for immediate duplication
• July: Moreland Council notes that too many trains were being short-shunted at Coburg, disadvantaging people living further north, and resolves to campaign for solutions. 

2017

• October: Fiona Patten MLC raises in Parliament that the Upfield Line should be duplicated during Camp Road level crossing works.

2016

• The Victorian State Government budget includes $5 million to plan for the Somerton Link (extension of the Upfield Line). The study has not been published, despite requests including from State MLC Anasina Gray-Barberio in May 2025.
• The Metro Tunnel Business Case includes a turnback at Gowrie to allow for a 10 minute frequency on the Upfield Line. It assumes the Gowrie to Upfield track duplication would occur after the Metro Tunnel was complete.
• The Upfield Line gets the Night Network, with 24 hour service on weekends.

2015

• Hume City Council advocates for the extension of the Upfield Line to Wallan by 2026.

2014

• The Age newspaper pushes for duplication of track between Gowrie and Upfield Stations

2013

• Public Transport Victoria’s Network Development Plan – Metropolitan Rail  proposes duplication of the Line to Upfield Station and that the Upfield Line be extended to join the Craigieburn Line (the Somerton Link), and electrification to Wallan. This would allow a ten-minute service on the Upfield Line. The timeline was “within 15 years”.
• The Public Transport Users Association pushes for track duplication between Gowrie and Upfield Stations.

2012

• May: Public Transport Users Association says “Single track bottlenecks must be fixed”, including the Upfield Line north of Gowrie Station

2011

• Hume City Council says it will “Advocate for a new station at Campbellfield, electrification and duplication of the Upfield line from Upfield Station to Roxburgh Park Station, and duplication from Gowrie Station”

2010

• Moreland Integrated Transport Strategy (2010) notes the need to duplicate the Upfield Line north of Gowrie and build the Somerton Link, to allow more capacity on the Upfield and Craigieburn Lines.

2009

• The Victorian Transport Plan flags that the Metro Tunnel would enable 14 trains per hour on the Upfield Line

1999

• Sunday services were reinstated on the Upfield Line. They had been stopped in 1971.

1998

• Moreland Integrated Transport Strategy (1998) notes that “The Upfield train is only now, after many years of community and Council pressure, getting signalling and other works to bring it into the 20th century. Changes are promised, but the Upfield line still has no services on Sundays or after 7pm on weekdays, and the peak service, with its 20-minute frequency, is the worst in the metropolitan area.“ and “[Following the 1998 upgrades] the next objective is to improve the day-time off-peak frequency as was done with success on the Sandringham line. The ultimate goal would see Upfield trains running at least every 15 minutes until after 10 pm every day. Council will also pursue necessary infrastructure improvements including: a station on the Upfield line at Campbellfield; and electrification of the Upfield and Broadmeadows lines to Craigieburn.”
• Upgrades on the Upfield Line were completed, including signalling upgrades, replacing the manual gates with boom gates, duplicating the line from Fawkner to Gowrie.

1996 onwards

• The Upgrade Upfield Coordinating Committee continue to agitate for the Upfield Line to be upgraded.

1992-1995:

• In 1994 the Upgrade Upfield Coordinating Committee released their “Northern suburbs transport plan”. (Available in the Merri-bek Libraries). They called for the modernisation of Upfield Line (including automatic signaling and boom gates) and linking Upfield Station to the Craigieburn Line (the Somerton Link). It called for a “Passing loop” at Gowrie Station, and a single platform station at Campbellfield (opposite the shopping centre).
• The Kennett Liberal government won the state election of 1992. They proposed to shut the line and use part of the reserve for City Link. In April 1995, after negotiations between the Austraiian Railways Union, the sympathetic Liberal Minister for Transport, Alan Brown, insisted that the line stay open during the construction of City Link, and upgrade works commenced.

1988-1991

• The Cain Labor government proposed that the Upfield be converted to light rail (eliminating trams on Sydney Road). Campaign groups formed around each station and united under the ‘Upgrade Upfield’ umbrella. The campaign culminated in a big community festival at Coburg Station headlined by a tearful Thomas the Tank Engine (the real K159 steam train). The ALP reversed its plan to close the line in 1991.
• The Urban Land Authority suggests the Upfield Line be extended to Craigieburn in conjunction with the development of the new suburb Roxborough Park.

1980 – 1982

• In 1980, the Hamer Liberal Government’s Transport Minister Rob Macllellan commissioned the Victorian Transport Study (the Lonie Report) that recommended closing seven tram routes and 8 suburban rail lines, including the Upfield. Campaigns with union and community backing sprang up around the state with tactics including ‘no fares’ days. he Cain Labor Party won the state election in April 1982 and promised to retain the Upfield Line

References

Down the line to Upfield: a history of the North Melbourne-Coburg-Somerton railway / compiled by Jon Saul and Wendy Moore,  Coburg Public Transport Group (1991). This book provides a detailed history up till 1990. It is available in the Merri-bek Libraries

More background: John Stone, (2008) Political factors in the rebuilding of mass transit: An investigation of failure in Melbourne since 1970 through comparisons with Perth and Vancouver, PhD thesis, http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/36049

(Thanks to John Stonen who assisted with some early history.)