Trains will return to the Hurstbridge line tomorrow, with two level crossings gone and the new Rosanna Station open.
Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan joined Member for Ivanhoe Anthony Carbines today at Victoria’s newest station, which will open to passengers tomorrow.
Over more than six weeks, around 1,000 people worked around-the-clock to build the new station and remove crossings at Grange and Lower Plenty roads, excavating the equivalent of five Olympic swimming pools of soil from under Grange Road to lower the train line. A new rail bridge over Lower Plenty Road has also been installed.
The $395 million Hurstbridge Rail Line Upgrade has also duplicated 1.2 kilometres of single track between Heidelberg and Rosanna, alleviating a bottleneck that has plagued the line and caused delays for many years.
Over four months, 3,700 cubic metres of soil has been excavated to create a new tunnel under Darebin Street in Heidelberg to make way for the new section of track. The total combined weight of the new track and rail rock is equivalent to 31 Boeing 747 aeroplanes.
To enable this mammoth task to occur, sections of the Hurstbridge line were closed for about six weeks and replacement buses moved thousands of passengers every day.
Travelling along Grange Road and Lower Plenty Road is now much easier for the 25,000 and 17,000 cars respectively that use the two roads each day. Both roads opened in the middle of last month following works to remove the boom gates, getting rid of two dangerous level crossings months ahead of schedule.
The completion of the Hurstbridge Line Upgrade Stage 1 and the removal of two level crossings will see the introduction of two extra services every weekday from August, on top of the four extra peak services introduced in 2017. Planning work also continues on the Hurstbridge Line Upgrade Stage 2.
Work to fully complete the station – including landscaping and car parking – will take place over coming months. For more information about this project, visit levelcrossings.vic.gov.au.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan
“This upgrade means better and more reliable services for Melbourne’s north east, enabling us to run more trains, more often and more safely.”
“We thank everyone for their patience while we delivered this massive upgrade to run more trains and bust congestion.”
Quotes attributable to Member for Ivanhoe Anthony Carbines
“My community has fought to have the level crossing removed, and I am proud to be part of ensuring that happened.”
“The new station and level crossing removals will make it quicker and easier for locals to catch the train, and get home safer and sooner.”
Quote attributable to Member for Eltham Vicki Ward
“Thanks to everyone for their patience while we’ve done the hard work upgrading the Hurstbridge Line – we promised in 2014 more peak hour services, which we’re delivering and the planning work on Stage 2 is well underway.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020