Another Crossing Removal for Melbourne

Another crossing removal for Melbourne set to be completed a year ahead of schedule! The removal of the notoriously busy Mt Derrimut Road level crossing will be added to the list of removals by 2024, which is a year sooner than expected. Once complete the Victora Level Crossing Removal Project aims to remove 75 dangerous level crossings, with 46 already removed permanently.

Works on a two-kilometre rail bridge over Mt Derrimut Road and a brand new Deer Park train station will kick off by the end of the year, eliminating the accidents, near misses and risky driver behaviour that has long plagued the intersection.

Raising the train line will also boost the community’s connections to schools, parks and healthcare for the pedestrians, cyclists, and up to 23,000 motorists passing through the crossing each day.

The new Deer Park station will deliver better links to the newly-built residential areas of Derrimut, with a new pedestrian connection that links the suburbs to the north and south of the station, as well as more car parking and bike facilities to encourage passengers to park and catch the train into Melbourne.

The station will see 150 new and upgraded car spaces delivered as part of the Labor Government’s Car Parks for Commuters program, catering for the western suburbs’ growing population.

The existing boom gates at Mt Derrimut Road can be down for long periods of time, often causing massive traffic delays while multiple trains pass on the Geelong and Ballarat lines. In December last year, traffic banked up for hours after an incident where a truck collided with a boom gate, breaking it in two.

Works on the nearby Fitzgerald and Robinsons Road level crossing removal are already well underway, with the combined removal of the three Ardeer and Deer Park crossings paving the way for future improvements to the area’s rail infrastructure under the Labor Government’s Western Rail Plan.

Three massive piling rigs will soon start work at Robinsons Road to drill 118 circular foundations that will support retaining walls for the new road underpass and rail bridge.

From Monday 19 April locals will be able to provide feedback on concept designs for the project along with options for open space and landscaping around Deer Park Station.

Minister for Transport Infrastructure Jacinta Allan said:

“By 2024, Deer Park and Ardeer will be completely level crossing-free – reducing congestion and delivering better community connections for our growing western suburbs.”

“More trains than ever are now running on this part of the rail network – so it’s essential we get these crossings gone for good as soon as possible.”

Read the full Media Release here. 

© Copyright State Government of Victoria.

Image attributed to © Level Crossing Removal Project 2020 and is an artisits impression of the planned designs.