Level Crossing Removal Project


The Level Crossing Removal Project is a program of the Government of Victoria, Australia, to remove 75 level crossings in Melbourne. After pledging the project at the 2014 Victorian state election, the Andrews Government committed $2.4 billion in the 2015-2016 budget to remove the first 20 crossings by 2018. The remaining 30 are expected to be completed by 2022 at an estimated cost of $6 billion to be funded through the privatisation of the Port of Melbourne. Prior to the 2018 state election, the Government committed to removing a further 25 level crossings, using a new prioritisation framework.

Background

When Melbourne's railway network was built, because of the city's flat topography and sparse population, many railway crossings were via level crossing rather than bridges or underpasses. As traffic levels increased, these began to become bottlenecks, both for road traffic as well as limiting the number of trains that can be run, especially at peak times. In 1954, the State Government established a committee to look at removal of level crossings at Clifton Hill, Elsternwick, Footscray, Moorabbin, Newport. These projects were completed by 1960.
In 1983, the level crossing at Station Street, Box Hill was removed.
In the 2000s, level crossings were removed at Laburnum and a few others.
In the early 2010s, level crossings were removed at Epping, Nunawading, Springvale, Sunshine and Mitcham.
As of 2014, there were 170 level crossings left on the Melbourne railway network and 228 places where railways had been separated from roads. Over two-thirds of these grade separations were constructed between 1863 and 1918, with fewer than one level crossing removal per year between 1918 and 2015. The commitment by the government to remove fifty level crossings over eight years represented the fastest rate of crossing removals in Melbourne's history.

History

compiled a report of the most dangerous level crossings in Victoria and handed it to the State Government in 2014, which in turn prioritised the top 50 for removal through grade separation projects, honouring a commitment made in its 2014 state election manifesto. Many of the projects also involve the construction of new stations.
In September 2016, the Port of Melbourne lease was concluded providing $9.7 billion into infrastructure and securing funding for the remaining 30 level crossing removals.
A report by the Victorian Auditor General, released in December 2017, found that the level crossing removal project was unlikely to represent value for money for the state. The report criticised the LXRA for its haste in delivering the program, and found that the rapid pace of the project had contributed to a failure to properly assess the merits of each grade separation. The Auditor General stated that the value of the project was compromised by the apparent political motivation for some crossing removals at the expense of more dangerous or congested intersections.
In October 2018, LXRA surpassed the State Government's 2014 election commitment of removing 20 level crossings by 2018, having officially removed 29 crossings. The Andrews Government also committed to removing a further 25 level crossings if it won the 2018 state election, and introduced a new prioritisation framework based on safety, congestion and proximity to emergency services to select the crossings.

Governance

The Level Crossing Removal Authority was formed in May 2015 as an administrative office of the then-new Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources to deliver the project.
Later, the LXRA led delivery of other rail projects, including extension of the South Morang railway line to Mernda and upgrades of the Hurstbridge line and Frankston station. The authority also delivered a new stabling facility north of Wyndham Vale station and train storage at Kananook.
The LXRA was abolished as an independent administrative office following the 2018 state election and its functions were absorbed into the newly formed Major Transport Infrastructure Authority at the Department of Transport.

List of crossing removals

Original 50 crossing removals: 2014-2022

Below is the LXRA's list of 50 level crossing removals and 3 additional grade separations that will be gone by 2022:
RoadNearest stationLineSolutionStatusDate of completion
Mountain HighwayBayswaterBelgraveHybridCompleted
Scoresby RoadBayswaterBelgraveRail underCompleted
Blackburn RoadBlackburnBelgraveRail underCompleted
Heatherdale RoadHeatherdaleBelgraveRail underCompleted
Buckley StreetEssendonCraigieburnRoad underCompleted
Glenroy RoadGlenroyCraigieburnRail underContract awarded
Abbotts RoadDandenongCranbourneRail overCompleted
Thompsons RoadMerinda ParkCranbourneRoad overCompleted
Centre RoadBentleighFrankstonRail underCompleted
Station Street/Bondi RoadBonbeachFrankstonRail underUnder construction
Mascot AvenueBonbeachFrankstonClosed offCompleted
Station StreetCarrumFrankstonRail overCompleted
Charman RoadCheltenhamFrankstonRail underUnder construction
Park RoadCheltenhamFrankstonRail underUnder construction
Edithvale RoadEdithvaleFrankstonRail underUnder construction
Lochiel AvenueEdithvaleFrankstonClosed offUnder construction
Skye/Overton RoadFrankstonFrankstonRail overCompleted
McKinnon RoadMcKinnonFrankstonRail underCompleted
Balcombe RoadMentoneFrankstonRail underUnder construction
North RoadOrmondFrankstonRail underCompleted
Eel Race RoadSeafordFrankstonClosed offCompleted
Seaford RoadSeafordFrankstonHybridCompleted
Burke RoadGardinerGlen WaverleyRail underCompleted
Toorak RoadKooyongGlen WaverleyRail overCompleted
Grange RoadAlphingtonHurstbridgeRail underCompleted
Lower Plenty RoadRosannaHurstbridgeRail overCompleted
Maroondah HighwayLilydaleLilydaleRail overUnder construction
Manchester RoadMooroolbarkLilydaleRail overUnder construction
Bell StreetBellMerndaRail overUnder construction
High StreetReservoirMerndaRail overCompleted
Clyde RoadBerwickPakenhamRoad underUnder construction
Grange RoadCarnegiePakenhamRail overCompleted
Koornang RoadCarnegiePakenhamRail overCompleted
Centre RoadClaytonPakenhamRail overCompleted
Clayton RoadClaytonPakenhamRail overCompleted
South Gippsland HighwayDandenongPakenhamRoad overUnder construction
Hallam RoadHallamPakenhamRail overEarly planning
Poath RoadHughesdalePakenhamRail overCompleted
Murrumbeena RoadMurrumbeenaPakenhamRail overCompleted
Chandler RoadNoble ParkPakenhamRail overCompleted
Corrigan RoadNoble ParkPakenhamRail overCompleted
Heatherton RoadNoble ParkPakenhamRail overCompleted
Furlong RoadGiniferSunburyRail underCompleted
Main RoadSt AlbansSunburyRail underCompleted
Melton HighwayWatergardensSunburyRoad overCompleted
Moreland RoadMorelandUpfieldRail overUnder construction
Camp RoadCampbellfieldUpfieldRail underCompleted
Bell StreetCoburgUpfieldRail overUnder construction
Aviation RoadAircraftWerribeeRoad overCompleted
Cherry StreetWerribeeWerribeeRoad overUnder construction
Werribee StreetWerribeeWerribeeRail overUnder construction
Kororoit Creek RoadSeaholmeWerribeeRail overCompleted
Ferguson StreetWilliamstownWilliamstownRail underContract awarded

*Park Road, Cheltenham; Mascot Avenue, Bonbeach and Lochiel Avenue, Edithvale were added to the committed 50 level crossing removals after further consultations. This pushed the number of level crossing removals to 53.

Additional 25 crossing removals: 2022-2025

The following 25 crossings are proposed by the State Government to be removed by 2025:
RoadNearest stationLinePreferred solutionStatusDate of Completion
Fitzgerald RoadArdeerBallarat & GeelongRoad overEarly planning2023
Mt Derrimut RoadDeer ParkBallarat & GeelongRail overEarly planning2023
Robinsons RoadDeer ParkBallarat & GeelongRoad underEarly planning
Mont Albert RoadMont AlbertBelgrave & LilydaleRail underEarly planning
Union RoadSurrey HillsBelgrave & LilydaleRail underPlanning2025
Camms RoadCranbourneCranbourneRoad overPlanning2025
Evans RoadMerinda ParkCranbourneRoad overUnder construction
Greens RoadDandenongCranbourneRail overUnder construction
Webster StreetDandenongCranbourne & PakenhamHybridEarly planning
Argyle AvenueChelseaFrankstonRail underUnder construction
Chelsea RoadChelseaFrankstonHybridUnder construction
Swanpool AvenueChelseaFrankstonClosed offUnder construction
Glen Huntly RoadGlenhuntlyFrankstonRail underEarly planning
Neerim RoadGlenhuntlyFrankstonRail underEarly planning
Cramer StreetPrestonMerndaRail overPlanning
Murray RoadPrestonMerndaRail overPlanning
Oakover RoadBellMerndaRail overPlanning
Cardinia RoadCardinia RoadPakenhamRoad overUnder construction
Main StreetPakenhamPakenhamRail overEarly planning
McGregor RoadPakenhamPakenhamRail overEarly planning
Racecourse RoadPakenhamPakenhamRail overEarly planning
Gap RoadSunburySunburyRoad underEarly planning
Munro StreetCoburgUpfieldRail overUnder construction
Reynard StreetCoburgUpfieldRail overUnder construction
Old Geelong RoadHoppers CrossingWerribeeRoad overUnder construction

Rebuilt stations

The following railway stations have been rebuilt as part of the level crossing removals:
Belgrave line
Craigieburn
Cranbourne
Frankston
Glen Waverley
Hurstbridge
Lilydale
Mernda
Pakenham
Sunbury
Upfield