Another boost for regional areas!

As the road to the 2018 state election heats up, Victorian opposition leader Matthew Guy has announced a radical $19 billion plan to introduce high-speed rail between Melbourne and Geelong.

The opposition leader pledged to build a “European-style high-speed rail” link to promote economic growth in regional areas and promised to deliver the network within four years if elected.

Guy boasted that the ambitious proposal will halve travel times between Victoria’s largest regional centre and its capital with a 200km/h train service.

In an announcement on Wednesday, the opposition leader said that the proposal was the cornerstone of the Liberal-Nationals plan to ease population congestion.

The minister did not reveal how the project, with an estimated $15 billion to $19 billion budget, would be funded but told radio station 3AW that the fully-costed plan would be released prior to the election. He admitted that federal funding “would help”.

“Hopefully there is money from the feds that will come.”

“Melbourne’s population is bursting.

“With 2,500 people coming to Melbourne each week we must decentralise our population and European-style fast-rail at 200km/hr is the key way to achieve it.”

“I’m going to an election, I’m seeking a mandate from Victorians to lead a government that will take the pressure off Melbourne and take control of population growth once and for all.”

Guy said that the billion-dollar costing would be “realistic” if spread over 10 years.

Victoria opposition leader Matthew Guy unveiled the $19 billion plan for a “European-style” fast-rail network on Wednesday.