Engineering, Passenger Rail, Rail Supply, Safety, Standards & Regulation

Preferred bidder named for next four level crossing removals

Level Crossing Victoria. Photo: Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources

The Victorian Government has named a consortium as preferred bidder for the removal of four more level crossings as part of its multi-billion dollar crossings removal plan.

An Alliance including Leighton Contractors, Aurecon and Hyder Consulting has been selected as the preferred contractor to design and construct the level crossing removals at Heatherdale Rd in Mitcham, Blackburn Rd in Blackburn, and Main and Furlong Roads in St Albans.

The alliance also includes VicRoads, Public Transport Victoria and Metro Trains Melbourne.

State premier Daniel Andrews joined transport minister Jacinta Allan at Heatherdale Station on Tuesday to announce that the package of works will cost around $480 million, including $151 million from the Australian Government, and will create nearly 200 jobs.

At each location, the rail line will be lowered under the road. St Albans, Ginifer and Heatherdale stations will be re-built with platforms below street level and Blackburn Station will be upgraded.

Works will begin on Main and Furlong Road in the coming months and be completed in 2017. The removal of Heatherdale and Blackburn Road level crossings will start later this year and these crossings will be gone by 2018.

The Heatherdale Rd, Blackburn Rd and Furlong Rd projects have been funded by the Victorian Government, which has partnered with the Australian Government in funding the Main Road level crossing with savings from the Regional Rail Link project.

“These level crossings clog roads, risk lives and stop us running more trains. They’ve got to go – and we’re getting on with removing them,” Andrews said.

“These four level crossings will all be removed by 2018, and are part of our $2-2.4 billion commitment in the 2015-16 Victorian Budget to remove at least 20 of these congested death traps over four years.”

“This package of works will get rid of four of our worst level crossings, rebuild three stations, upgrade another and create nearly 200 jobs,” Allan added.

“The Andrews Labor Government is investing billions of dollars in the transport infrastructure we need to get Victorian’s home safer and sooner.”

And federal assistant minister for infrastructure and regional development, Jamie Briggs added: “The Australian Government is delivering world class infrastructure upgrades across Victoria, with $151 million committed to remove the level crossing at Main Road, St Albans.”

The second four-crossing contract follows the announcement in May that a John Holland and KBR consortium would remove the first four level crossings, at Centre Road in Bentleigh, North Road in Ormond, McKinnon Road in McKinnon and Burke Road in Glen Iris, under a $524 million contract.

Next up will be the Cranbourne-Pakenham package – a bundle of nine level crossing removals that will see every level crossing between Dandenong and Caulfield removed, as part of a multi-billion dollar upgrade of the busy line, which also includes four station rebuilds and the purchase of 37 high capacity trains.