1 June 2022
The level crossing on Glenroy Road has been removed by lowering the rail line under the road and trains are now running to the new Glenroy Station.
With the boom gates gone, the 19,000 vehicles that travel through the area each day can do so without risking a hold up of up to 43% of the morning peak and passengers are already enjoying the benefits of the new station.
The level crossing on Glenroy Road is gone and the new Glenroy Station is open
Along with Glenroy Road, we have also removed 5 dangerous and congested level crossings on the Upfield Line and are removing a total of 6 on the Mernda Line, as well as Buckley Street in Essendon. By removing these level crossings, we are making it easier and safer for locals to get to where they need to go in Melbourne's north.
Read more in this update about the final works leading up to the level crossing removal and station opening, as well as some facts and figures about the project.
Why we've removed this crossing and built a new station
- 19,000 vehicles used to pass through the level crossing each day
- The boom gates were down for up to 43% of the morning peak
- 4000 people use Glenroy Station each day
Your new Glenroy Station
Local passengers have been enjoying the new features and an improved journey since the station opened in early May.
Access to the station has been upgraded, with safe, well lit paths throughout the area.
Bus passengers can also enjoy better connections, with a bus interchange on Hartington Street, metres from the station entrance.
A temperature-controlled waiting room means passengers can wait for their trains in comfort – with a view of the city skyline.
Undercover seating is also available on the platforms below.
Two lifts and stairs are available for access between each of the lowered platforms and the ground level concourse.
The Hartington Street car park is open, with over 140 spaces available.
While we finish works in Dowd Place, access to the new Glenroy Station is from Hartington Street only.
In September, the new station's western entrance will open to the community, along with a further 396 car spaces and the landscaped areas of the station precinct.
A look back at the past few months
We worked, at times 24/7, to complete the rail trench and new station and prepare the road for traffic without boom gates.
We captured the progress in pictures.
Glenroy by the numbers
Constructing a rail trench to remove the level crossing meant the majority of works were completed below ground. But it wasn't out of sight, out of mind. Check out these facts and figures that sum up the size of some of our works.
- 80,000 cubic metres of rock and soil was excavated
- 850 metres of track was installed in the rail trench
- 3500 tonnes of ballast was laid
- 505 tonnes of concrete was poured to build the station concourse
- 1350 sleepers were used in the rail trench
- 86 solar panels were fitted to the station roof
Meet Ernest, 96 (and a half) years old
When we first spoke to people in Glenroy in 2019, we heard just how much the community was looking forward to the level crossing being removed and a new station being built.
One community member in particular has been looking forward to the project for quite a while.
At 96 (and a half, as he is quick to remind people) years old, Ernest Carter has been living in Glenroy since his military service was completed in 1948.
Ernest Carter, with his 2 sons Bruce and Neil and daughter-in-law Kay at the opening of the new Glenroy Station
Ernest remembers the area being largely paddocks, not the residential suburb it is today. He was a late bloomer when it came to driving, only getting his driver's licence at 43.
He can still recall what it was like being stuck at the boom gates on Glenroy Road.
'Cars used to be backed up all the way to the Glenroy Golf Club, kilometres away. That's a long time to wait,' said Ernest.
Before he began driving, Ernest was a keen train passenger, even continuing to catch the train from Glenroy Station after getting his licence.
Once the project team heard that he'd been watching the construction with great interest, Ernest was invited to be one of the first members of the public to visit the new station and he's certainly a fan.
As a long-term local for more than 70 years, we're glad the changes we've made to the area get Ernest's tick of approval.
'It's big, much bigger than the old Glenroy Station. It's beautiful.'
Glenroy becomes a gallery
The designed screens along the Glenroy Road Bridge
The new station precinct will feature art designed just for Glenroy.
Artist Tom Borgas has created 2 designs that will be a vibrant addition to the community space and mark the transport hub for locals and visitors alike.
A sculpture, standing more than 5m high, will be installed on the corner of Hartington Street and Glenroy Road. Built by Sculpture and Co in Sunshine, it features red and white stripes, iconic of the level crossing and old signage that used to exist in the area.
The screens along Glenroy Road incorporate the Murnong, also known as the yam daisy, found in and around Glenroy.
You can already see the screens over the rail trench and the sculpture will be installed later this year.
Titled 'Scape' the designs reflect the past and present of the local area.
The new sculpture will be located in the new linear park along Hartington Street
Spend and Win!
With the level crossing gone, there’s never been a better time to shop in Glenroy.
Simply spend $20 or more at a participating Glenroy Trader and go into the weekly draw to win a locally sourced hamper valued at $200.
Find out more or grab an entry form from a local trader today.
One hamper will be won each week until Sunday 4 September.
Thank you, Glenroy!
To say thank you for your patience while we removed the level crossing and built the new station, we hosted a Glenroy pop-up food fair on Saturday 14 May.
Local traders took to the stage in Morgan Court to demonstrate their favourite recipes, with the dishes enjoyed by the eagerly awaiting audience.
And the culinary entertainment didn't end there, with kids' activities including pedal-powered smoothies, pasta craft activity and herb planting workshops, along with face painting and live music entertaining visitors.
Despite the rain, the community came out to celebrate the precinct opening up.
Thank you to all who attended on the day.
Kid's pasta craft making workshops
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