Project Management Fundamental: Rail Project Victoria Analysis Report

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the Rail Project Victoria, a project aimed at improving public transport services in the G21 region. It begins with a project background, highlighting the need to address overcrowding and delays on the Geelong-Melbourne rail line. The report then details the project scope, deliverables, and acceptance criteria, followed by a draft business case that includes project description, goals, stakeholder analysis, and associated risks and issues. A draft project charter outlines the project overview, scope, objectives, deliverables, milestones, funding, and organizational structure. The report also covers the organizational structure and the design and application of a balanced scorecard for project management. The project addresses the need for increased capacity, frequency, and connectivity of rail services, aiming to reduce overcrowding and improve accessibility for the G21 region. The report discusses the project's benefits, including increased services and dedicated tracks, and the challenges faced, such as schedule and budget constraints. The report concludes with recommendations for the project's successful execution.

Running head: PROJECT MANAGEMENT FUNDAMENTAL
Project Management Fundamental: Rail Project Victoria
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Table of Contents
Introduction..........................................................................................................................3
1. Project Background.........................................................................................................3
2. Project Scope...................................................................................................................4
3. Draft Business Case.........................................................................................................5
3.1. Project description....................................................................................................5
3.2. Project Goals.............................................................................................................6
3.3. Project Stakeholders.................................................................................................6
3.4. Associated Risks/Issues............................................................................................7
3.4.1. Risk of new track on local People.....................................................................8
3.4.2. Benefit of new track from Melbourne to Geelong.............................................9
3.5. Business Impact......................................................................................................10
3.6. Work Breakdown Structure....................................................................................10
4. Draft Project Charter......................................................................................................11
4.1. Project Overview and Justification.........................................................................11
4.2. Scope and Objectives..............................................................................................11
4.3. Major Deliverables.................................................................................................11
4.4. Milestone................................................................................................................12
4.5. Funding Source and Budget....................................................................................15
4.6. Project Organization...............................................................................................15

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4.7. Charter Approval....................................................................................................15
5. Organisational Structure................................................................................................15
6. Design and Application of Balanced Score Card..........................................................16
Conclusion.........................................................................................................................17
Recommendation...............................................................................................................18
References..........................................................................................................................19

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Introduction
The second largest city of Victoria, Geelong is the second fastest growing city in
Australia. However, the Geelong-Melbourne rail service was overcrowded and suffers frequent
delays. The public transport systems and services in G21 region was needed to be upgraded so
that the problem of overcrowding can be addressed. The project is a large scale project and it is
needed to investigate the high speed rail service project (Mees, 2010). The upgraded public
transport services in G21 will improve the connectivity within the region that will in turn provide
a better linkage with the main rail services to Melbourne. The project was proposed mainly
because the current rail service is overcrowded and suffers the frequent delays. With the
dramatic increase of the passengers, the regional rail link needed amendments in order to address
the problems of overcrowding (Authority & Stage, 2012). A report has been prepared that
discusses the project background, scope and the business case of the proposed Rail project
Victoria (Brookes, 2013). The report gives an idea of the project charter and organizational
structure of the project and the balanced scorecard of the project. It is needed to prepare a
balanced scorecard for the project as it helps in better management of the ongoing project.
Balanced scorecard monitors the progress of the project and ensures that the project is executed
according to the plan.
1. Project Background
In order to address the overcrowding issues associated with the public transport system in
G21, new rail project is proposed. This project is essential since during the peak hours, the trains
are up to 140 per cent capacity which increases the need for developing the new express tracks
for Geelong trains (Bayley, 2012). The aim of the project is to increase the capacity of Geelong-

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Melbourne Rail passenger service as failure in separating the suburban and the regional trains of
the area will make Melbourne quite less accessible for the G21 region and residents (G21
Geelong Region Alliance, 2018). In order to increase the frequency of Geelong-Warrnambool
rail passenger service the new project is proposed. The project is sponsored by the State and
Federal government. The project further aims at increasing the services from 1 per day to five
services per day. The project aims at relocation of the Geelong rail yard as well which will help
in increasing the number of peak commuter services in south of Geelong. The current service of
Geelong-Melbourne rail is overcrowded and therefore often suffers delays.
2. Project Scope
The project is expected to increase the capacity of Geelong to Melbourne rail passenger
services. Apart from that, the project further aims in increasing the frequency of Geelong to
Warrnambool rail passenger services. The improvement in the services will support the delivery
of improved capacity, frequency and connectivity of the rail services (Pheng, 2018). Increase in
the frequency of rail service is essential in order to address the overcrowding problems
associated with Geelong-Melbourne rail service. The deliverables of the project are as follows-
1. Increase in the capacity of Geelong and Melbourne rail passenger service
2. Increase in the frequency of Geelong-Warrnambool rail passenger service
3. Improvements of the service to support delivery of the improved capacity, frequency
and connectivity of the rail service.
4. Duplication of the rail tracks from Waurn Ponds to Geelong
5. Relocation of Geelong rail yard

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6. Increase in the capacity on the Warrnambool line
The acceptance criteria of the project are as follows-
1. The public transport network in G21 is extended or upgraded to improve the
frequency.
2. The new rail services are able to tackle the traffic of peak hours along with the
completion of new express tracks to tackle the delays and overcrowding problems.
3. The project is delivered in good quality.
It is assumed that funding will be approved by the State and Federal Government to
complete the project. Along with it, it is further assumed that the resources required will be
readily available in time of project implementation.
One of the main constraints of implementation of the project is time. Since the public
transport system is to be modified, it is essential to complete the project as soon as possible so
that the normal services are not hampered (Crawford, 2014). Along with the time constraint,
there is a schedule constraint of the project as well. The project is currently being executed.
3. Draft Business Case
The business case has a number of sections which is discussed as follows (Hardin &
McCool, 2015)-
3.1. Project description
The project aimed at improving the public transport services in G21 region as the railway
services from Geelong to Melbourne was overcrowded. With the increase in the number of

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passengers, the problem of frequent overcrowding was observed in the region. The Regional rail
services from Geelong-Melbourne have a growing demand that makes this project an absolute
necessary. In order to improve the rail services and to deal with the overcrowding problem, it
was essential to built new express tracks. The new express track that was to be developed can be
used and operated by Metro train (Regan, 2014). The smaller amendments to the existing rail
tracks helped in increasing the services south to the Geelong line, which was needed.
Furthermore, a failure in separating the suburban and the regional trains will hamper the
accessibility of Melbourne (Fewings, 2013). The project therefore aimed in building new express
track for Geelong trains for reducing problem of overcrowding. The existing line will be used
and operated by metro rail. The separate metro and V Lines will therefore help in reducing the
problem of overcrowding.
3.2. Project Goals
The main goal of the project is to have a separate line for Metro services. The existing
line can be used for Metro rail service while the project will develop new lines for the express
trains (Hwang & Ng, 2013). Overcrowding of the trains has been a significant problem over the
years in G21 region. The Public transport services of this region needs immediate upgrade for
increasing the frequency and the connectivity within the region. The goal of the project is to
provide a better linkage to the main rail service of the region as well (Brookes, 2013).
3.3. Project Stakeholders
The project was proposed by Government of Victoria, one of the main stakeholders of the
project. Regional Rail Link Authority was in charge of the management of the project and is an
important stakeholder of the project. The Regional Rail Link Authority was working on the

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project on behalf of Victorian Government (Joslin & Müller, 2015). The following table gives an
idea of the associated stakeholders and their power, role and interest in the project.
Stakeholders Interest Influence Power
Government of
Australia
High High High
Government of
Victoria
High High High
Regional Rail Link
Authority
High Medium Medium
Project Manager High Medium Medium
Passengers (Geelobg,
Bendigo and Ballarat
Lines)
High Low Low
Contractor and Sub
Contractors
Medium Low Low
V/Line (Operator) High Medium Medium
These are the major stakeholders associated with the project. The interest, Influence and
the power of each stakeholder are represented in the table.
3.4. Associated Risks/Issues
The issues and the risks associated with the project are needed to be evaluated in order to
develop a risk management plan that will help in addressing all the risks that the project might
face while it is being implemented (Kerzner & Kerzner, 2017). Since it is a large scale

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construction project, identification of the risks in the initiation stage of the project is essential.
The major risks associated with the project are as follows (Richardson, 2014)-
1. The project was proposed in the year 2009; however, it could only be started in the
year 2011 giving rise to a major schedule risk.
2. The project could not be completed within the budget proposed by the project. The
budget underwent revision for a number of times. After the completion of the project it was
found out that the estimated price was $880 million that it was stated at the beginning of the
project.
3. A number of operational challenges were faced after the completion of the project.
Although the new tracks and the stations were ready, there were not enough trains available to
operate in the proposed timeline.
4. Certain risks and issues were faced due to the velocity of the trains. Due to the
increasing velocity of the trains, certain wear issues in the wheels were identified, which were
risky. The wear issues were faced mainly due to the tight curves of the track in Dynon flyover.
5. The inaccurate prediction of expected growth in the number of passengers gave rise to
a number of issues. The transport forecasting models that were used to estimate the passengers’
growth failed to work.
However, the operation risks and the issues associated with this project were mitigated by
V/Line. The V Line operator for
3.4.1. Risk of new track on local People

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The new track that is proposed in the project although has a number of benefits, there are
certain risks associated with the project as well (Burke, 2013). The construction of new track
took almost 4 years and in those years of construction works, people faced a number of
problems. Due to the construction works, the lines of Sydenham, Ballarat and Bendigo remained
closed for almost 2 weeks. However, this duration of work was intelligently planned during the
Victorian School Holidays so that the effects on the local people are reduced. The delayed
opening of new route added to the already existing problems.
3.4.2. Benefit of new track from Melbourne to Geelong
As discussed earlier, the project aims in improving the existing rail services by
developing a new track from Melbourne to Geelong. A project has been proposed that is
scheduled for five years. This benefit of the project will eliminate the problem of slow and
overcrowded service offered. The current condition results not only in overcrowding train but
also results in more and more passengers standing in the aisles over the long journeys.
Another benefit of the project is the increase in number of trains and the services as the
demand for the increase in the number of trains has been growing so fast over the years. The new
rail tracks and rail link will therefore prove to be a huge benefit for the people who travel by
trains.
Geelong will mostly be benefited by the regional rail link project that is proposed. The
V/Line that is proposed to be developed will have dedicated tracks all the way from Geelong to
Southern Course. This will improve the access to the Southern Cross and will also help in
reducing the problem of overcrowding.

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The project aims in developing new tracks and platform along with new timetable for
Geelong line passengers (G21.com.au. 2018). The new tracks that have been proposed for the
project will provide an uninterrupted path in an out of Southern Cross.
The project is in its implementation stage and the passengers will get to see the benefits
real soon. The opening of dedicated tracks will help the trains in arriving in proper schedule and
in a regular interval thus reducing the problem of overcrowding. There are a number of other
benefits of the project as well.
3.5. Business Impact
The project not only had a positive impact on the daily passengers of the business but
also had a positive business impact. The economic benefits of the project were estimated to be
around $6.2 billion. The project could gather a larger number of business benefits with improved
transportation and fewer delays.
3.6. Work Breakdown Structure
The work breakdown structure of the project is represented in the following picture-
Geelong Regional Rail
project
Project Starts Requirements gathering
and Planning
The estimation of the
required new track
Planning and estimation of
the resource required
Estimating the increasing
demands of the
passengers
Development of project
charter
Charter approval
Design
Initial design layout
sharing the design with
the stakeholders
Approval of Project
Design
Construction Works
The beginning of the
Construction work
between Sunshine and
Tottenham
Re opening of Sydenham,
ballarat and Bendigo Lines
start and implementation
of construction of the new
tracks
Early Fitout of Platforms
in Southern Cross
Construction of Platforms
at Southern Cross
Construction of New
Platforms at Foorscray
Implementation
Constrcution and Opening
of new platforms at
Sunshine
Commissioning of new
and dedicated V/line
tracks between South
Kensington and Sunshine
Opening of new Platforms
at Footscray
Testing
Operation of first test train
via Tarneit
Subsequent testing and
delay in opening due to
testing
Release
Completion of the project
marking the opening of
Tarneit and Wyndham Vale
stations
Payment Completion
Resource Release
Project Closure

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Figure 1: Representing the work breakdown structure of the Project
(Source: Generated by author using MS Project and MS Schedule Pro)
4. Draft Project Charter
A project charter is a statement of objectives that provides the details of project goals,
responsibilities, that identifies the main stakeholders of the project (Muller, 2017). It is an
effective document that project manager make use of in order to control and manage the
activities of the project. The project charter of rail project of Victoria is proposed below-
4.1. Project Overview and Justification
The Regional Rail link project aimed in eliminating the problems of overcrowding faced
by the regular Geelong line passengers. These passengers had to face frustrating delays and the
project thus aimed in developing two new tracks to tackle the problem. The project is justified as
a separate line for metro rail and express train would reduce the problem of delays and
overcrowding.
4.2. Scope and Objectives
The project was expected to provide a separate Geelong Melbourne line along with the
increase in the platform capacity on the Geelong-Melbourne rail network. Along with this, it was
expected that the Geelong Melbourne rail network will accommodate nine-carriage trains in
order to address the overcrowding problem. It is expected that with the successful
implementation of the project, the overcrowding problem of the trains during peak hours can be
addressed. The objective of the project is to provide improved railway services to passengers.
4.3. Major Deliverables