The primary aim of the Western Rail Plan is to deal with the significant demand on the growing western corridor, which had been growing exponentially over the previous decade, particularly following the completion of the Regional Rail Link, which provided a route into the City for passengers from the growing outer western suburbs such as Tarneit and Wyndham Vale, who had previously had little or no public transport. The project aims to solve that problem by electrifying the lines to Melton and Wyndham Vale to take pressure off crowded regional trains, along with high-speed rail to Geelong cutting down travel times between Geelong and the CBD. The project was welcomed by local councils along the lines affected, as well as public transport advocates such as the Rail Futures Institute and the Public Transport Users Association.
