VicTrack, trading as the Victorian Rail Track Corporation, is a Victorian Government state-owned enterprise which owns all railway and tram lines, associated rail lands and other rail-related infrastructure in the state of Victoria, Australia,[1] with the exception of the Emerald Tourist Railway Board's heritage Puffing Billy Railway.
VicTrack also carries out a range of commercial activities on railway land, including:
property leasing and licensing of surplus railway land
providing telecommunications services using surplus railway network capacity
outdoor advertising
commercial property development
environmental programs on railway lands such as remediation of contaminated land.
Objective
The Transport Integration Act 2010 provides that VicTrack's primary object is "to act as the custodial owner of the State's transport-related land, infrastructure and assets" consistent with the vision statement in the Act and objectives which emphasise transport integration and sustainability. The Act also states that VicTrack's activities should be primarily directed at supporting the transport system and other purposes which support Government policy.[4]
Victorian Rail Track was established on 1 July 1997 by the Rail Corporations Act 1996[5] to hold, manage and maintain railway land and infrastructure in Victoria for the Victorian Government.
In 1999, the standard gauge tracks from Melbourne to Serviceton (near the South Australian border) and to Albury (on the New South Wales border) were leased for five years to the newly formed Australian Rail Track Corporation.[6] This was later extended for another 10 years and in May 2008, for another 45 years.[7][8]
As part of the extension, the rundown and underutilised broad gauge line from Seymour to Albury that paralleled the Melbourne to Sydney line, was converted to standard gauge.[9] Included was construction of a five kilometre Wodonga Rail Bypass to eliminate 11 level crossings.[10]
In May 1999, a 45-year lease on the regional network was sold to Freight Victoria. The lease was included in the sale of the business to Pacific National in August 2004, before being bought back by the State Government in 2007.[11][12]
In July 2008, the line from Maroona to Portland was leased to the ARTC for 50 years with $15 million to be invested in the line.[13][14][15] The line was handed over in March 2009.[16]
Director of Public Transport
In August 1999, the office of Director of Public Transport was created in the Department of Transport to manage, coordinate and regulate public transport in Victoria. The responsibilities of the Director included the entering into and management of franchising contracts with train, tram and bus companies to provide public transport services in Melbourne and Victoria. To further these goals, the Director leased the metropolitan and intrastate train and tram infrastructure and assets from VicTrack through the Metropolitan Infrastructure Head Lease, and would sub-lease various assets to the various franchisees through Infrastructure Leases. On 2 April 2012, these functions of the Director were transferred to the newly created Public Transport Victoria, as were the leases.
The Victorian Rail Track Corporation (VicTrack) was re-established with a new corporate charter from 1 July 2010 by the Transport Integration Act 2010.[4][17] The 2010 Act also changed the name of the Rail Corporations Act 1996 to the Rail Management Act 1996.[18]
Relationship with Public Transport Victoria
VicTrack is the custodian of all rail infrastructure and assets in Victoria. VicTrack leases the metropolitan and intrastate train and tram infrastructure and assets to Public Transport Victoria (PTV), which then sub-leases the infrastructure and assets to the metropolitan train and tram operators and V/Line. PTV manages the rights and obligations contained in the sub-leases on behalf of the State.
