The local community is invited to have its say on the removal of another three dangerous and congested level crossings to make Victoria’s Pakenham Line level-crossing free in 2025.
The design of the new road bridge at Station Street, Beaconsfield means the level crossing can be removed sooner and construction will be less disruptive for road and rail users. The boom gates at Station Street are down for 33 minutes on average during the morning peak, causing delays for the 5200 vehicles that use the crossing each day.
At the nearby level crossing at Station Street, Officer, there have been six near misses since 2012 with the Labor Government preparing to permanently close it – improving the safety of all road users by removing the risk of incidents between cars, trains and pedestrians.
For locals who use this level crossing regularly, access north and south of the Pakenham line via the Siding Road underpass will remain open, around 450 metres east of Station Street.
A new road bridge will also be built to connect Fowler Road and Progress Street, Dandenong South, providing businesses in this busy industrial precinct with safer access to Princes Highway via South Gippsland Highway. The Fowler Road and South Gippsland Highway intersection will also be upgraded and signalised to improve traffic flow.
About 44 per cent of Victoria’s manufacturing takes place in Melbourne’s south-east, with the industry worth around $30 billion to the Victorian economy each year, providing more than 27 per cent to the nation’s output, so easing congestion and improving safety is crucial to its efficient operation.
On the Pakenham line, 22 level crossings are being removed – with 13 already gone for good – to make the Pakenham line level crossing-free by 2025. With no level crossings on the train line, journeys will be faster and local roads safer, changing the way people live, work and travel.
The upgrade of the Pakenham Line also includes new high-capacity trains and the Metro Tunnel, which will create room for 120,000 more passengers on the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines each week when it opens by 2025.
Visit the online hub at Engage Victoria to have your say by 11.59pm on Sunday, October 30.