The Victorian Government has removed Melbourne’s 75th dangerous and congested level crossing, with traffic returning to Bedford Road in Ringwood while trains start running in the new rail trench more than a year ahead of schedule.
Premier Jacinta Allan today announced the major milestone as new data shows that, on top of easing congestion across Melbourne’s suburbs, level crossing removals have made the roads much safer – preventing more than 100 crashes and near misses every year.
“We’re getting rid of these dangerous and congested level crossings that frustrate thousands of drivers every day,” she said.
“We promised, we delivered – and we’re not done yet.”
Metro Trains data indicates the number of train and vehicle collisions and near misses across the metropolitan network has fallen by almost three-quarters, from an average of 21 incidents a month in 2017 to just five incidents a month in 2023 as a result of the Level Crossing Removal Project.
Removing the crossings has also slashed commutes – saving close to 50 hours of boom gate down time during the morning peak each and every day and allowing additional train services without more congestion.
The Victorian Government has also delivered 47 new and upgraded stations, created the equivalent of 31 MCGs of open space for communities to enjoy and built 58 kilometres of walking and cycling paths across the city.
The Project has averaged one crossing removal almost every six weeks since the first set of boom gates were removed at Burke Road in Glen Iris in 2016.
More than 91 million hours have been worked across the congestion-busting program, making it one of Victoria’s biggest employers supporting almost 6,000 jobs.
More than 13,500 vehicles used the busy Bedford Road crossing every day, experiencing frustrating delays when the boom gates were down for 23 minutes in the morning peak – including families and school buses dropping students at Ringwood Secondary College, which sits next door to the crossing.
With the level crossing gone, the Belgrave Line is now boom gate free from the city to Ferntree Gully. The Lilydale Line will be the first rail line to be boom gate-free later this year when level crossings at Dublin Road in Ringwood East, Coolstore Road in Croydon, and Cave Hill Road in Lilydale go a year ahead of schedule.
Boom gates at Brunt Road in Beaconsfield, Keon Parade in Reservoir, Warrigal and Parkers roads in Parkdale, plus three level crossings in Pakenham, are all set to go this year – with the Pakenham Line extended two kilometres and two new stations being built.
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