Engineering, Passenger Rail

Timeline set for Lilydale/Belgrave crossing removals

Level crossing in Melbourne. Photo: RailGallery.com.au

A consortium led by CPB Contractors will soon get to work removing four level crossings on the Melbourne Metro line out to Belgrave and Lilydale, with acting premier Jacinta Allan announcing work will begin in less than a month.

Allan on Sunday announced a series of major road and rail closures would enable construction crews to safely and rapidly remove level crossings at Blackburn Road in Blackburn, Heatherdale Road in Heatherdale, and Mountain Highway and Scoresby Road in Bayswater from October 15, “well ahead of schedule”.

The minister said Bayswater Station will close and be demolished, before being rebuilt to suit the new track alignment. Belgrave line trains will run express through Bayswater during this time, with buses running from stations either side.

The Belgrave line will fully close between Ringwood and Belgrave for a 37-day construction blitz beginning in November, with 63,000 cubic metres of soil and rock set to be excavated to lower the rail line, before road bridges are built over the tracks, to replace level crossings at Mountain Highway and Scoresby Road, in Bayswater.

Buses will replace trains between Box Hill and Ringwood stations for 34 days from December 27, 2016 to January 29, 2017 while 800 workers lower the rail line under Blackburn and Heatherdale Roads, upgrade Blackburn Station, and build the new Heatherdale Station, Allan added.

“Our level crossing removals are fully funded and we’re not wasting a moment getting it done,” Allan said.

“Four more crossings will be gone by the end of summer, reducing congestion, improving public transport and saving lives.”