An intense period of construction activity beginning in August will see off three more Melbourne level crossings – in Essendon, Seaford, and Dandenong South.
Buses will replace trains along some sections of the Craigieburn line between 24 August and 9 September to allow works for the removal of Buckley Street’s level crossing in Essendon. Buckley Street itself will close around the level crossing site for 52 days from 9 August.
The crossing will be gone by early October, according to the Level Crossing Removal Authority, with traffic separated from the train line via a new road underpass.
Works on the Seaford Road level crossing, to be removed by the end of September, will see buses replace trains between Carrum and Stony Point between 18-19 August and again between 8-16 September.
Works here involve lowering Seaford Road by about 1.5 metres and placing the rail line onto a planted embankment, eliminating the need for the level crossing.
To remove the Abbotts Road crossing in Dandenong South, trains services will be replaced by buses between Dandenong and Cranbourne between 28 August and 8 September. To separate trains from traffic, the Cranbourne rail line will be raised over Abbotts Road via a 410-metre-long bridge.
State transport minister Jacinta Allan said that the Andrews Labor government’s level crossing removal programme was on schedule to have 50 gone by 2022.
“We’ve smashed our promise to remove 20 in our first term – 26 are gone, with another three to go in the coming months, we’re getting it done,” Allan said.
“We thank passengers for their patience as we get on with the works which will get them home safer and sooner.”