A brand new Parkdale Station has opened and another two sets of boom gates are gone for good, marking three quarters of the way to removing 110 level crossings by 2030.
During a two-week closure of the Frankston Line, a crew of 450 worked around the clock to get the new station ready for passengers and connect the elevated rail bridge to the existing Frankston Line.
Passengers will enjoy Parkdale Station’s modern facilities, filled with natural light and featuring a forecourt, gathering places for locals, more lighting, station precinct parking and better CCTV.
Crews will continue to work on the station, including finishing the lifts in spring – with a shuttle service to continue between Mentone and Mordialloc stations until the lifts open, for passengers who are unable to use the stairs.
The team will also continue working on around two MCGs worth of open space, and recreational facilities including a basketball half court, open-air gym, village green, a community garden and a nature-based play area.
By 2025, a new shared use path will connect Parkdale to Cheltenham via Mentone and set the groundwork for a future connection to Mordialloc.
More than 100,000 trees, shrubs and grasses will be planted in the area as part of the project, increasing vegetation and greenery in the area.
Parkers Road in Parkdale will reopen to vehicles on Thursday 8 August, improving journeys for more than 20,000 vehicles travelling through the former level crossings each weekday, where the boom gates were down for up to 44 minutes during the morning peak.
The Frankston Line will be level crossing free by 2029 – meaning more benefits for local communities and a better transport network for all Victorians.
Since 2015, the Level Crossing Removal Project has built more than 50 new and upgraded stations, created the equivalent of 21 MCGs of open space for communities to enjoy and built 60km of walking and cycling paths across the city.
Across Melbourne, 84 level crossings are gone for good – saving more than 50 hours of boom gate down time during the morning peak every day, and avoiding 100 crashes and near misses every year.
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