AFTER hope that years of inaction would finally be overcome and the region’s main rail line would finally be fit for purpose, campaigners’ dreams have come to nought after the Federal Budget.

The Budget, released last week, contained nothing for the upgrade of the Maroona-Portland rail line, despite a $2.2 million federal government-funded business case calling for it to happen.

There had been some hope late last year that the upgrade would get the go-ahead in the Budget, then-chief executive Greg Tremewen telling the Observer that he and a Port director were “received very favourably” when in Canberra to discuss the issue with the federal Infrastructure Minister’s office.

The line has been operated since 2008 by the Australian Rail Track Corporation, a federal government organisation that leases the track from the Victorian government – that lease obligated the ARTC to maintain the track at least at an axle load of 19 tonnes at 80 km/hr.

Since the early 2000s advocates have been pushing for the 172km-long line to be upgraded from an axle load of 19 tonnes to that of 23 tonnes, to allow more freight to be carried on each load and bring it up to par with lines carrying freight to the ports of Geelong and Melbourne.

It would also see rail freight get to the Port of Portland quicker, with the line plagued by speed restrictions since grain trains resumed about two years ago.

The committee overseeing the business case unanimously decided that an option be pursued to get the track to a 21-tonne axle load at 80 km/hr.

However, that has been ignored in the Budget.

Port chief executive Greg Burgoyne said it was further consigning an economic powerhouse of the nation to backwards status.

“I’m extremely disappointed in the lack of funding for the Maroona-Portland line in the Federal Budget,” he said.

“That business case showed a positive return to upgrade the line to 21 tonnes and 80 km/hr.

“At present the line is at best 17 tonnes at 40 km/hr and I’ve heard it’s down to 20 km/hr in some sections.

“A 160 km trip takes nearly seven hours. If the region and Australia wants to be competitive with export markets it needs to have infrastructure funded to create efficiencies in the supply chain.

“This section of ARTC track is probably the most neglected in the country and it hasn’t been maintained to the level that mandates freight on that line.”

Mr Burgoyne said the federal government talked about “decarbonisation”, but words needed to be followed with actions.

“One of the easiest ways to achieve that is to get trucks off the road and freight on to rail,” he said.

“It also provides an off road option that lowers the road maintenance task with obvious benefits for road safety.

“It’s good economic sense and good for the environment. It also opens up new markets for exporters.

Mr Burgoyne said the state government had been “very supportive” in its advocacy for the upgrade “but as this is a federal responsibility we’re beholden to the federal government to fund this”.

And the outlook remained bleak.

“I also understand that the federal government is reviewing the way capital projects are evaluated and funded- in the most recent Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Economics paper on road and rail supply chain resilience, they’ve omitted the Maroona-Portland line.

“This omission puts at risk the medium to longer-term funding opportunities for this critical infrastructure.

“Regional Victoria needs better than Third World freight infrastructure.”

There had been at least two derailments on the line – in 2021 and 2022 – opening up “real safety issues”.