This project's history begins in earnest during the late 2010s, with its complexities rooted in policy decisions, funding allocations, and the practicalities of rail infrastructure development.

The lines connecting Melbourne to regional centers like Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Gippsland, and Warrnambool were showing signs of wear, with services that were slower, less frequent, and sometimes unreliable compared to urban rail networks.

[5] [6] The federal Liberal/National government under Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in 2017 initiated a policy direction that would have profound effects on regional rail in Victoria.

Victoria, under the Labor government led by Premier Daniel Andrews, was quick to engage with this initiative, seeing an opportunity to address the long-standing issues with its regional rail.

The process was bureaucratic, involving environmental assessments, heritage considerations, and logistical planning for construction phases that would minimally disrupt existing services.

[11] [12] Regional Rail Revival is made up of multiple projects:[13] Member of the Legislative Assembly for Mulgrave (2002–2023) Premier of Victoria Ministries Elections Royal Commissions