Major works ramping up

Major works are well underway to remove the dangerous and congested level crossings at Union Road, Surrey Hills and Mont Albert Road, Mont Albert and build the new Union Station. The boom gates will be gone and Union Station open in 2023.

Works have started on building the trench walls as we prepare to excavate the rail trench and remove the level crossings.

We have now finalised the designs for the new Union Station and the station precinct using the thousands of pieces of feedback we’ve received since starting community consultation in December 2020.

Locals are invited to help us determine what plants should go where, as we fine-tune the new open spaces and put the finishing touches on landscaping plans.

From July, works will ramp up again with an intense construction period that will involve lane and road closures on both Mont Albert Road and Union Road, as well as a two-week closure of the rail line.

Upcoming disruptions

We've carefully scheduled our work to ensure one of either Union or Mont Albert roads is open most of the time. We’re also keeping the stations open as long as possible to keep rail passengers moving and to maintain pedestrian access across the tracks.

Roads

• Union Road will be closed from Friday 1 July, reopening Monday 15 August
• Mont Albert Road will be closed from Friday 8 July, reopening Monday 25 July and then closed again for one week in August
• There will be lane closures on both roads outside of these times

Rail

• Buses will replace trains on sections of the Belgrave and Lilydale lines from 8 July to 24 July

Please allow extra time and plan ahead.

Safer, faster journeys

Removing the Union Road and Mont Albert Road level crossings will improve traffic flow for the 22,000 vehicles which travel through the two level crossings each day, with benefits for the whole area.

The boom gates at these sites can be down for up to 40% of the morning peak, when up to 61 trains run through the crossings.

In 2016 two people were killed at the dangerous Union Road level crossing, which is why the project has been fast-tracked for removal and will be completed 2 years earlier than originally planned.

The Mont Albert and Surrey Hills communities can look forward to:

• less congestion and faster journeys, shorter travel times on Union Road and Mont Albert Road
• shorter traffic queues on Union Road, Mont Albert Road, Canterbury Road and connecting side streets
• less wait time when turning onto Mont Albert Road and Union Road from local streets during peak hours
• more trains stopping at Union Station in the future without impacting road users
• a safer transport network for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists.

More open space

Surrey Hills

Montrose Street pocket park

The new station entrance and pocket park on Montrose Street provides better access to the station and Lorne Parade Reserve for residents north of the rail line, as well as new open space with lawn, trees and gardens.

Union Road open space

At Union Road, we’ve created new open spaces on the north and south of the rail line and widened the bridge to create a total area of more than 2000 square metres with new pedestrian paths, lighting, and a multi-use space with integrated seating for public events and community celebrations.

Mont Albert

Mont Albert drop-off area

The drop-off area at Mont Albert Road has been designed to provide a welcoming green space and a convenient, accessible drop-off point. In response to community feedback, we’ve made the area more convenient for commuters and added a dedicated drop-off space for people with a disability, with more space to manoeuvre wheelchairs and other mobility aids.

Mont Albert heritage plaza

The historic Mont Albert station building will be re-homed close to its original position on a new heritage plaza connecting Beresford Street and High Street to the Hamilton Street shopping village.

The heritage plaza features a centralised turf area in front of the station to create an open area at the top of the Hamilton Street shopping village.

We'll remove, restore and reassemble the old station building, retaining as much of the original material as we can.

Thank you for your feedback

Since announcing our concept designs, we’ve made a number of changes in response to your feedback including:

• three new open spaces
• two decks to create new open spaces
• a station entrance and pocket park on Montrose Street
• improved disability access with a dedicated drop-off area at the Mont Albert Road drop-off
• better, more durable station materials that reflect the heritage of the local area and will look good for longer
• maximised mature tree plantings as part of our plans to deliver 52,000 new trees, shrubs and plants.
• 2574 feedback submissions received during consultation
• More than 7000 pieces of feedback received
• 598 face-to-face conversations with residents, traders and stakeholders
• Regular community updates sent to about 40,000 households
• 658 attendees at 14 community information sessions since December 2020

Project timeline

Early 2021

• First phase of community consultation completed

Mid 2021

• Updated designs released
• Further community engagement
• Design enhancements released
• Contract award announced
• Early works begin

Early 2022

• Major construction begins
• Final designs released

2023

• Level crossings gone for good
• New station open
• The timeline above is subject to change.

Have your say

We’d like to hear from you on some of the landscaping options and proposed elements of the open spaces. Complete the survey on our online engagement portal or you can request a hard copy by calling us on 1800 105 105.

Translations

Read this community update in 简体字 (Chinese Simplified) and 繁體字 (Chinese Traditional) below.