V/Line passenger rail services beyond Ballarat were withdrawn in May 1994. In 1995 the main interstate line was rerouted via North Shore and Maroona; the broad gauge line between Ballarat and Ararat was closed to all traffic. However, the broad-gauge passenger service from Ballarat to Ararat was reinstated in 2004. Work began in 2005 on upgrades between Sunshine and Ballarat as part of the Regional Fast Rail project: heavier tracks and concrete sleepers were laid, ballast was renewed and a new signalling system was installed. Deviations were built to ease curves on the line, and seven new bridges were constructed – the Lal Lal Creek and Moorabool River bridges were among the longest in Australia. The works were completed and the first VLocity train ran on the line on 22 December 2005. The original line via Bungaree continued to be used by V/Line services as a passing loop in conjunction with the deviation. In June 2008 Pacific National and grain handler GrainCorp announced they would cease rail freight operations on the Yaapeet to Dimboola line. The decision was based on the Rail Freight Network Review chaired by former Deputy Prime Minister Tim Fischer, which placed the Yaapeet line at the lowest level of investment priority. As a result, farmers at Rainbow, Jeparit and Yaapeet needed to truck their grain to GrainCorp's Warracknabeal grain centre instead of the Rainbow depot. A local council attacked the plan as it would result in the need to upgrade roads in the area. As part of the Transit Cities program, a new station was opened at Wendouree on 14 June 2009. In January 2017 Caroline Springs station opened. The railway line was upgraded under the Regional Rail Revival project, beginning in early 2018 with major construction completed in 2021. The project, with a budget of $518 million, saw the duplication of 17 kilometres of track between Deer Park West and Melton, upgrade stations at Rockbank, Bacchus Marsh and Ballan, and added a new station at Cobblebank, also adding passing loops at Ballan and Millbrook. It paves the way for the future electrification of the line to Melton. The new passing loop at Millbrook also allowed the original line via Bungaree to be decommissioned, with level crossings and railway infrastructure at these crossings removed. Branch lines and extensions Ballarat region A branch line was built from Ballarat to Newtown and Skipton in 1883. This line closed