Four dangerous and congested level crossings in Melbourne’s west are one step closer to being gone for good, with contracts awarded for crossing removals at Coburns and Exford Roads in Melton, and Ferris and Hopkins Roads in Truganina.
A $560 million contract has been awarded to John Holland, Kellogg Brown and Root (KBR), Metro Trains Melbourne, V/Line, and the Level Crossing Removal Project. This alliance will deliver the new Melton Station and remove the level crossings at Coburns and Exford Roads by constructing a rail bridge.
Additionally, a $229 million contract has been awarded to an alliance comprising Fulton Hogan, Metro Trains Melbourne, V/Line, and the Level Crossing Removal Project. This team will deliver new road bridges to get rid of the level crossings at Ferris Road, Melton, and Hopkins Road, Truganina.
The removal of the Melton level crossings will also see the introduction of larger nine-car VLocity trains as part of the $650 million Melton Line Upgrade, boosting passenger capacity by 50 per cent. The new Melton Station will feature two additional platforms to accommodate Ballarat train services and the short-starter services that begin and terminate at Melton.
Minister for Transport Infrastructure Danny Pearson spoke about the announcement.
“We said we’d get it done and we’re not wasting a minute – getting rid of four dangerous and congested level crossings on the Melton line and improving capacity for people in this growing area,” he said.
Final designs for all four level crossing removals and the new Melton Station will be released later this year. The new station will have an expansive pedestrian walkway, pick-up and drop-off zones, a new relocated bus interchange, and platform accessibility via lifts and stairs. It will also feature an air-conditioned waiting room, a staffed ticket office, and lighting and security cameras throughout the area.
Since the initial designs were released earlier this year, crews have been on site testing ground conditions with geotechnical drills and preparing for construction, paving the way for a workforce of 550 construction workers from recent crossing removal projects, with works set to begin later this year.
The level crossings will be gone for good in 2026, along with the completion of the new Melton Station, transforming the way locals live, work, and travel.
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Costing 10 times the real price to pay the overpaid engineers, union workers and safety officers and excess workers hanging around doing nothing?