A marathon nine-day dig to excavate soil along the Craigieburn line in Glenroy starts tonight, as part of work to remove the dangerous and congested level crossing at Glenroy Road and build a brand new Glenroy Station.
Around 19,000 vehicles pass through the Glenroy Road crossing each day, with the boom gates down for up to 43 per cent of the morning peak. Crews started preparing for this major excavation mission in March. The team is aiming to remove 4 Olympic swimming pools worth of soil from the rail line by the end of the blitz and 30 will need to be excavated for the rail trench that will remove the level crossing for good.
Buses will replace trains on sections of the Craigieburn line from 8:15 pm Tuesday 6 April to first service on Friday 16 April.
Crews are expected to hit basalt rock – as the rail corridor is built on top of the Western Victorian Volcanic Plain, which is the third largest rock formation of its type in the world. These works will cause higher than normal levels of noise, dust and vibration. Locals are thanked for their patience.
Also, in Melbourne’s west, major construction is about to kick off at another congested level crossing site at Robinsons Road in Deer Park, which is being removed with a road under rail solution. The first of three 100-tonne piling rigs has now mobilised on to site and will soon start creating deep foundations for a new road underpass. Excavation under the rail line will start in the middle of the year.
Meanwhile, a contract will shortly be awarded to remove two more level crossings at Neerim Road and Glen Huntly Road, both in Glen Huntly – where boom gates can be down for up to 58 per cent of the morning peak, when 40 trains run through the crossings.
Early works on this project – which will lower the rail line into a trench – will begin towards the end of the year and be complete by 2024 – a year ahead of schedule. A new pedestrian and cycle path connecting Ormond and Caulfield will be a feature of the Glen Huntly level crossing removal, as will a new, modern Glenhuntly Station.
Back at Glenroy, regional crews will use the upcoming construction blitz to get on with the next stage of the Shepparton Line Upgrade, carrying out bridge repairs, track maintenance and other critical works. The Glenroy Road level crossing will be gone, and the new Glenroy Station open for passengers in 2022 as part of a massive pipeline of work to improve transport in the northern suburbs.
Work is now underway at 22 level crossing sites around Melbourne, with 46 of 75 dangerous and congested level crossings already removed.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Transport Infrastructure Jacinta Allan
“In 2021 we’ll be removing one level crossing, on average, every single month. That’s a cracking pace and it’s exciting to see progress unfold at sites all over Melbourne.”
“I want to thank the local community for their patience over the coming months – but we know the end result will be worth it. This crossing is one of the most congested in Melbourne, it’s time for it to go.”
Quote attributable to Member for Pascoe Vale Lizzie Blandthorn
“Thousands of vehicles get stuck at this level crossing every single day – it’s going to be great to see it gone for good and a brand-new station being built.”
Reviewed 06 April 2021