Trains are once again running on Melbourne’s Hurstbridge Line, following the completion of two level crossing removals and the construction of the new Rosanna Station.
Works for the Hurstbridge Line upgrade have also include the duplication of 1.2 kilometres of single track between Heidelberg and Rosanna.
Six weeks of intensive work on these projects forced the closed of sections of the Hurstbridge Line and the replacement of train services by buses.
Over four months, teams worked on the construction of a new tunnel under Darebin Street in Heidelberg, which enabled the installation of the new track section. This will alleviate the line’s bottleneck between Heidelberg and Rosanna, which has long been a cause of service delays.
Level crossing boom gates on Lower Plenty Road at Grange Road were removed last month, easing traffic congestion on the two busy roads. The equivalent of five Olympic swimming pools of soil were also excavated from under Grange Road to lower the train line, while a new rail bridge over Lower Plenty Road.
“My community has fought to have the level crossing removed, and I am proud to be part of ensuring that happened,” Labor’s member for Ivanhoe Anthony Carbines said.
“The new station and level crossing removals will make it quicker and easier for locals to catch the train, and get home safer and sooner.”
The old Rosanna station was demolished in October last year, making way for the construction of the new station featuring elevated platforms and improved station facilities. With train services returning to the Hurstbridge Line, passengers will today be able to use the new station for the first time.
In August, two extra services will run on the Hurstbridge Line every weekday in addition to the four extra peak services introduced last year.
“This upgrade means better and more reliable services for Melbourne’s north east, enabling us to run more trains, more often and more safely,” state transport minister Jacinta Allan said.
“We thank everyone for their patience while we delivered this massive upgrade to run more trains and bust congestion.”
The next stage of upgrades to the line are reportedly currently in the planning phase.