The Andrews Labor Government will remove seven dangerous and congested level crossings and close two more on the Frankston Line - making it boom gate-free by 2029, and changing the way locals live, work and travel.
Level crossings are set to go from:
- Wickham Road, Highett
- Highett Road, Highett
- McDonald Street, Mordialloc
- Station Street, Aspendale
- Groves Street, Aspendale
- Armstrongs Road, Seaford
- Station Street, Seaford
- Latrobe Street, Mentone (closure)
- Bear Street, Mordialloc (closure)
As part of the removals, we will also build new stations at Highett, Mordialloc, Aspendale and Seaford, delivering modern facilities for passengers - which means that by 2029, 17 new stations will have been delivered on the Frankston Line.
More than 51,000 vehicles travel over these level crossings each day - and during the morning peak, 43 trains pass through, leaving the boom gates down for up to 48 minutes. There have been 51 near misses at these locations since 2016, and tragically, one fatality.
A total of 27 level crossings will be gone from the Frankston Line by 2029, clearing the way for more frequent services, improving safety and easing congestion.
Early engineering assessments have informed preferred design options for each of these level crossing removals.
A rail bridge is the preferred design to remove the level crossings at Wickham Road and Highett Road, Highett. This rail bridge design will minimise land acquisition and avoid a four-month closure of the Frankston Line.
Proximity to Mordialloc Creek means McDonald Street, Mordialloc and Station Street, Aspendale are also best removed with a rail bridge, with a new alignment likely for the road at Station Street in Aspendale. Removing the McDonald Street level crossing will allow nearby Bear Street to be closed, so the rail bridge can return to ground level before the stabling yards near Mordialloc Station, avoiding the need to relocate them.
Armstrongs Road and Station Street in Seaford will also be removed with a rail bridge. The proximity of the Kananook Creek precludes consideration of a rail trench through this area. These designs will create opportunities for open space, as well as cycling and walking connections.
The preferred solution to remove the level crossing at Groves Street, Aspendale is to lower the rail line underneath the road.
The recent removals of the boom gates at Park and Charman Roads, Cheltenham and Balcombe Road, Mentone, coupled with the removal at Warrigal Road, Mentone and Parkers Road, Parkdale, allow for the closure of the Latrobe Street level crossing, with a pedestrian crossing to be maintained.
Final designs will be released after consultation with the community and detailed site investigations.
The Metro Tunnel will deliver more capacity for the Frankston Line when it opens in 2025 and removing level crossings is critical to ensuring we can run more trains, more often across the network.
Since 2015, the Government has removed 67 level crossings well ahead of schedule, built 37 new and upgraded stations, created 50km of walking and cycling paths and unlocked 20 MCGs of open space to deliver massive improvements for communities across Melbourne.
For more information about the new level crossing removals and preferred design solutions, visit levelcrossings.vic.gov.auExternal Link
As stated by Premier Daniel Andrews
"We know how important removing dangerous and congested level crossings is - that's why we've removed 67 of them. But now we'll do more, getting rid of every single level crossing along the Frankston Line."
"We're on budget and well ahead of schedule with our unprecedented level crossing removal projects, and now we'll make the Frankston Line level crossing free - delivering huge benefits to local communities."
As stated by Minister for Transport Infrastructure Jacinta Allan
"We will make the Frankston Line level crossing free, which makes our busiest sections of the rail network safer and less congested."
"You can't trust Matthew Guy's Liberals on public transport - they've opposed every single level crossing we've removed on this line, and they've promised to 'reprioritise' level crossing removals, putting a boom-gate free Frankston Line at risk."
As stated by Member for Mordialloc Tim Richardson
"Today's announcement is exciting - with the removal of these dangerous and congested level crossings improving safety, reducing congestion and creating better connections for our community. We've seen so much investment on the Frankston Line but there is more work to be done."
As stated by Member for Carrum Sonya Kilkenny
"We've seen how amazing the new Carrum Station and foreshore park looks and the community is enjoying the new open spaces created by this project. I look forward to seeing these new crossings gone for good and a new Seaford Station, which will make a real difference to our community."
As stated by Member for Bentleigh Nick Staikos
"The level crossings we've removed in Bentleigh have made a huge difference - better connecting our community and improving safety. It's great to see these new sites added to the list to deliver even more benefits for our growing community."
As stated by Member for Frankston Paul Edbrooke
"The level crossing removals along the Frankston Line have made such a difference to traffic congestion in the area and made it safer for road users who no longer have to wait for boom gates. The new stations provide updated facilities to passengers and a more comfortable travel experience."
