The Age reports that for the past nine months, the government has been again studying traffic to the airport, but despite the facing traffic problems, Public Transport Minister Martin Pakula has said the state government will not resurrect Labor's ditched 1999 promise to build a rail line to the airport. “The Melbourne Airport Transport Requirements Study, completed by consultants IMIS, predicts traffic to the airport will slow to a crawl by 2021 unless major changes are made.

In its brief to IMIS, the Department of Transport specified it must measure the likely popularity of the train line based on a $16 one-way fare (the cost of the existing SkyBus).

It found few people who now drive to the airport would be convinced to use the rail line, and it would instead take passengers off existing bus services and taxis.I

t also found an airport rail link would ruin the taxi industry, which relies on 7000 trips a day to the airport. The report is believed to have concluded that a train line would not be needed until well after 2021 if existing transit lanes on the CityLink and Tullamarine motorways were enforced”, The Age reports.

The government said the rail link is not needed as the SkyBus from Southern Cross - which takes 20-30 minutes - is good enough.

The article raised heated public dispute among the airport rail link advocates.

“Sure, it would kill the Sky Bus, but it wouldn’t ruin the taxi industry. When was the last time anyone could say they visited an airport with a rail link and not found a busy cab rank”, writes one blogger in his ‘Getting Public Transport Wrong’ article.

According to the Melbourne Airport Ground Transportation Plan for 2030, the nearest rail line is some 5 km to the south therefore providing a rail connection over this distance is an expensive capital investment, and would need to be supported by on-going funding for the rail services.

“Melbourne Airport aims to provide improved accessibility by all modes of transport for passengers and staff, providing choice through the provision of information on transport alternatives to passengers and staff, integration of transport options and provision of transport infrastructure”, is stated in the Plan.

airrail NEWS asks our readers, do you think the Australian government is taking the right approach? The rail link to airport would not only ease traffic but provide an environmentally friendly public transportation alternative. Maybe the government has asked the wrong question?

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