Melbourne's airport rail is back on track after a compromise was reached between the state government and the airport.
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WHY WERE THE GOVERNMENT AND AIRPORT AT ODDS?
* The Victorian government says an above ground train station will be quicker and cheaper to build but the airport believed an underground facility would future-proof the station
* The airport has conceded that an above ground station is better than none at all
* The compromise comes soon after federal government-appointed mediator Neil Scales declared the underground station should no longer be entertained
WHEN WILL THE TRAIN LINE BE UP AND RUNNING?
* Completion isn't expected until 2033
WILL PASSENGERS BE ABLE TO CATCH THE TRAIN STRAIGHT TO THE HEART OF MELBOURNE'S CBD?
* Passengers won't be able to go direct to the CBD, they will have to go to Sunshine station to change trains and join the Metro network into the city
WHY DOES MELBOURNE AIRPORT NEED A TRAIN STATION?
* Melbourne is one of few international cities without a train connecting its city to the airport
* The airport is planning a third runway and when it opens, 45 million passengers a year are expected
* Car parking options at the airport are already close to capacity
HOW MUCH WILL A TICKET COST?
* Premier Jacinta Allan suggested ticket prices would mirror those in Sydney, around $22.
HOW MUCH WILL THE PROJECT COST?
* Between $8 billion to $13 billion
* The business case says the project will have a "benefit cost ratio" of up to $2.10 for every dollar spent
HOW LONG HAS MELBOURNE BEEN WAITING FOR TRAINS TO THE AIRPORT?
* Under the Bolte government in 1965 a bill was introduced proposing a link between the Broadmeadows line at Glenroy and the new "jetport"
* There was also a deal in the early 1970s with the French government to build an 'aerotrain' between the city and airport, but it was forgotten by 1975
* The Bracks government promised an airport rail link when it was elected in 1999, but changed its mind saying it wouldn't be commercially viable for at least another decade.
WHAT DO THE MAJOR PLAYERS HAVE TO SAY?
* "There are still other ... issues that need to be resolved, including the airport's demand for compensation from governments for land that is leased to them for their private operation - with delay does come cost." Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan
* "Victorians have waited long enough for an airport rail line." Melbourne Airport chief executive Lorie Argus
* "This is a way to get to get the project going and provide value for the Victorian public." Public Transport Users Association president Tony Morton
* "Affordable connections between the city and the main airport in Melbourne is a critical piece in the puzzle to get workers back into aviation and operations running smoothly." Transport Workers Union Victorian secretary Mem Suleyman
* "The time for excuses and delays is over - Labor must get on with building Melbourne Airport Rail." Liberal MP David Southwick
Australian Associated Press
