Engineering, Passenger Rail

Another station coming to Melbourne’s west

V/Line train going through level crossing. Photo: RailGallery.com.au

A new station will be built by a consortium of Lendlease, Coleman Rail and SMEC, to service the growing community of Toolern in Melbourne’s west, the Andrews Government has announced.

Toolern station will be built on V/Line’s Serviceton railway line, between Rockbank and Melton stations.

The station will be funded via the Government’s Growth Area Infrastructure Contribution (GAIC), and will be ready to go by late 2019.

It will be built near Ferris Road in Melton South, to service the community of Toolern, which is expected to see its population grow from roughly 1,000 now, to 55,000 in coming decades.

The station construction will include car parking, a bus interchange, and bike storage.

“We’re delivering more frequent and reliable services for Melbourne’s growing western suburbs – helping passengers get to where they need to go,” public transport minister Jacinta Allan said.

“We know the population in Melbourne’s outer west is booming. That’s why we’re planning for and delivering the public transport options they need now and in the future as they grow,” planning minister Richard Wynne added.

The new station builds on the Labor Government’s massive upgrade of the line through Melbourne’s west, which will duplicate 18 kilometres of track, paving the way for future electrification to Melton.

Rockbank Station will be rebuilt with new facilities and more than 300 new car parks. Additional platforms and pedestrian links will also be built at Bacchus Marsh and Ballan, giving both stations a second platform to boost capacity and allow trains to easily pass each other.

Early construction works kicked off last month, with station upgrades and track duplication to begin next year and the project to be complete by late 2019.