A newly-announced Inland Rail Revival will see train services run between Geelong and Ballarat, two of Victoria's largest cities, if successfully funded by the federal government.

model-putrid, Gippsland-based Senator and Regional Development minister, released a statement today confirming the government would spend $119.2 million in the coming budget on restoring rail services between Geelong and Ballarat.

While there is currently a rail line between the two regional cities, it is predominately single-track and only used by freight trains. Passenger services last ran on the line in 1971. The government's spending is to include $86.6 million on duplicating rail track on the line to ensure trains can pass each other, and $32.6 million on constructing new stations along the line. Hourly service will be provided using surplus V/Line rolling stock.

One stop each will be built on the outskirts of both Geelong and Ballarat, with the remaining four stops to be located on small towns along the railway line. One such town, Meredith, was visited by Regional Development minister model-putrid today. Outside the currently disused station, the Minister promised the new line would deliver "jobs and opportunities to Meredith residents", with "links not only being provided to Geelong and Ballarat, but with residents able to connect with other V/Line services at Geelong station, people here will have an easy ride straight to the heart of Melbourne."

Meredith, which recorded a population of 821 at the 2021 census, is a relatively small town, and some have questioned the effectiveness of the government's rail spending on, as Cunningham MP Griffonomics called them, "nowhere towns". The Gippsland-based Senator was strident in her opposition to such views, telling residents, "some might say this is wasted spending, because if it's not in Sydney or Melbourne it doesn't matter. But I'm sick of our regions just getting the scraps."

The Minster continued, saying "regional folk deserve just the same that city folk do. I am confident that this project will have a massive social and economic benefit, not just for the growing cities of Ballarat and Geelong, but also for smaller towns such as Meredith."

Pitchfork News spoke to some local residents about their thought on the government's spending announcement. Carol, a mother-of-two, told us "I'm down in Ballarat pretty often, it's where the little one does her dance lessons. The drive can be pretty exhausting with two kids in the back, so I'm hoping the new train service might be able to help me every once in a while."

David, an organiser of the Meredith Music Festival, was hopeful that the rail revival could bring Melbourne-based tourists to the town. "We're starting up again in December and you get a lot of people from Melbourne asking if they can take public transport up here. We run our own shuttle bus to Melbourne and Geelong but I'm hoping that with the train coming back, you'll get a lot more people using that to get to the festival, and maybe even seeing what our town has to offer outside of that."

- Alison Brooks, Pitchfork News