Works start in Cheltenham, boom gates gone in 2020

Construction to remove the level crossing at Charman Road and Park Road in Cheltenham is underway, and the level crossing will be gone for good by late 2020. The level crossings will be removed by lowering the rail line into a trench.

The Victorian Government is removing 18 dangerous and congested level crossings on the Frankston Line, including at Charman Road and Park Road in Cheltenham and at Balcombe Road in Mentone.

Currently 38,000 vehicles use these level crossings each day.

We have been listening to the community since we shared early designs in 2016. Key features of the updated design include:

• New station with forecourt seating, open space and landscaping
• Improved connections with the shopping precinct and Cheltenham Park
• New 3.5km long bicycle and pedestrian path
• Additional bicycle parking in Parkiteer cages and bicycle hoops
• Existing Cheltenham Station buildings will be refurbished. Final location
• to be confirmed after speaking with the local community
• The ability to run more trains, more often, by connecting the third track to the main line at Cheltenham

Your New Station

Our team has been working on the designs for the new Cheltenham Station precinctsince we shared early concepts with the community in 2016. Community and stakeholder feedback has resulted in some key improvements to the design.

• The new station will have forecourt seating and open space, landscaping, kiss and ride car bays and additional bicycle parking in Parkiteer cages and bicycle hoops.
• We will refurbish and relocate the existing Cheltenham Station heritage buildings and are working through the best location for the buildings when our works are complete. We will be speaking with the local community as we work through options.
• The new station will connect the shopping precinct and bus interchange and have safer access across the rail line, through the station precinct.
• There will be improved connections with the shopping precinct, transport hub and the Cheltenham Park, with open plazas and connecting paths.
• A new 3.5km long bicycle and pedestrian path from Heather Grove in Cheltenham to Warrigal Road in
• Mentone.
• There will continue to be pedestrian and bicycle access through the station precinct on the new shared used path.
• More trains more often by connecting the third track to the main line to improve operations on the Frankston Lne.

New multi-level car park

You have told us that station car parking is important. A four-storey rail passenger car park will be built within the station precinct at Cheltenham.

We will also keep some existing station parking and formalise parking on neighbouring streets. This will provide 350 spaces, the same number of rail passenger parking spaces as there is now.

Better pedestrian connections

We are creating a new 3.5km long pedestrian and bike path along the rail line from Heather Grove, Cheltenham to Warrigal Road, Mentone. This will provide safer and more convenient access for the community, whether you are out for a stroll, walking the dog, or cycling to school, work or the shops.

By refining the design we have been able to shorten the length of the rail trench and no longer need the pedestrian overpass near Heather Grove.

There will be easy pedestrian access through the new station precinct across the rail line. This will make it easier to walk between Cheltenham Park and the shopping area

What to expect during works

Initial construction started in Cheltenham in December.

Early works at Cheltenham involve confirming the location of electricity, gas, water and telecommunications services that will need to be relocated during major works. These investigations will continue until April.

Major construction will begin in mid 2019, the level crossings will be gone for good and 2 new stations will be open by late 2020’. This will involve a series of weekend rail line closures, and one extended closure in mid 2020 when we dig the trench under Park Road and Charman Road and re-build the roads over the trench.

During construction you can expect:

• changes to the way you access the areas around the rail line and station precinct
• rail and car park closures. We will provide temporary alternative parking nearby.

The existing path that runs along the rail line between Park Road and Heather Grove will be closed for periods during construction. We will keep you informed about detours.

We have a dedicated team that will be working with the community and rail passengers to keep you informed about what's happening during construction.

How we’ll keep you informed

We will be out and about in the local community soon to talk with you about this project, answer your questions and seek your feedback on areas such as landscaping, and the potential locations of the heritage station

• Come and talk to us at our Mentone Info Hub at 116 Balcombe Road, Mentone opening in May 2019. We will be hosting special events and walking tours during construction
• We will be providing work alerts and door knocking local homes and businesses and working closely with them – this includes our ‘open for business’ program for local traders
• We will provide regular newsletter updates, that will be delivered to local homes and businesses and available online
• Registering for email updates is the easiest way to stay up to date on all project information.
• You can also visit the Charman and Parks road, Cheltenham page.
• And if you’ve got questions, contact us.

Community reference groups

We have formed 2 community reference groups, one in Cheltenham and one in Mentone, to help us keep the community informed in the lead up to and during works. These groups comprise residents and representatives from local community groups.

We have also established a trader reference group that will help us ensure it is business as usual for the shops and businesses in Cheltenham and Mentone. In Mentone we also have a dedicated school reference group to make sure we understand the specific needs of the busy local school community.

For more information on the groups and their members, visit our CRG page.

Timeline

Ongoing to March 2019

• Geotechnical investigations at Cheltenham and Mentone

March 2019

• Final designs released

April 2019

• Site set up, service proving and enabling works begin at Cheltenham and Mentone

Mid to late 2019

• Major construction begins at both sites

2020

• Rail line closed to excavate trench
• Build new station
• Construct bridge over Park Road and Charman Road
• New Cheltenham station opens

Mid 2021

• Project completion

*Please note the timeline above is subject to change.