Melton City Council has voted to explore a partnership with the Victorian government to deliver train stations at Thornhill Park and Mount Atkinson in Melbourne’s outer west. The move is a preliminary inquiry into how the long-awaited stations could be delivered, rather than a commitment to build them or an agreed funding arrangement.
Star Weekly reported that councillors supported the proposal 9-1 at their 28 September meeting. The council’s meeting archive lists the partnership proposal among the business considered. Officers were asked to begin discussions about partnership opportunities, including a possible public-private partnership, and investigate whether an arrangement could provide ongoing revenue for the municipality.
The discussions would not involve detailed feasibility work or commit council money to the stations, Star Weekly reported. Their initial purpose is to establish whether the state government would consider a partnership after the November election. Neither station’s delivery nor a particular funding model is guaranteed by the council’s decision.
Charging for parking at the proposed stations was among the suggestions canvassed, according to the ABC’s report on the proposal. The broadcaster said both stations were already council election priorities, alongside road upgrades and electrification of the Melton rail line. A parking charge remains a suggestion, not an adopted fee.
The ABC reported that the council’s advocacy booklet seeks the stations to relieve pressure on Caroline Springs, Rockbank and Cobblebank. It described crowded trains and car parks filling early in the morning. The partnership inquiry is one option being explored for delivering the additional stations residents have sought for years.
At Mount Atkinson, the proposed station also forms part of plans for a new town centre. The council’s town-centre project page places the centre south of the Melbourne-Ballarat railway corridor and says it would be anchored by a future station and bus interchange to be delivered by the Victorian government.
Council adopted the town centre’s urban design framework on 23 February 2026. The framework sets the vision and design direction for future planning applications and development. The council’s project information separately identifies station design and delivery as the responsibility of the Department of Transport and Planning, subject to state funding and planning.
Community feedback recorded on the project page called for station and bus services to minimise traffic congestion, as well as essential shops for daily needs. The council said the town-centre framework would ensure appropriate transport connections to the future station, while the station itself remains separate from that planning process.
The next step is for council officers to gauge the state government’s appetite and report back on whether discussions should continue, Star Weekly reported. If the government is supportive, the council would seek written in-principle confirmation before updating councillors on viability and further steps. For now, the proposal remains exploratory.
