Parkdale community update – January 2023

20 January 2023

Early works starting

The Victorian Government is removing 27 dangerous level crossings and building 17 new stations, making the Frankston Line level crossing free by 2030 and improving safety, reducing congestion and allowing more trains to run more often.

We’re removing the dangerous and congested level crossings at Warrigal Road, Mentone and Parkers Road, Parkdale by raising the rail line over the 2 roads. We will also build a new Parkdale Station.

A new rail bridge will reduce local congestion and allow more trains to run more often, as well as deliver new open space and better local connections for the community.

A $450m contract has been awarded to an alliance comprising Acciona, Coleman Rail, WSP, Metro Trains Melbourne (MTM) and the Level Crossing Removal Project. Works can now get underway to remove the level crossings and build the new rail bridge and station.

Early works will begin in February and over the next few months we’ll start setting up our site facilities and begin relocating services in preparation for major works to begin in mid 2023.

Project features

Two level crossings gone
A new Parkdale Station
New open space designed with community input
Better and safer transport networks
Improved connections

Why these level crossings need to go

34 trains during the morning peak
About 20,000 vehicles travel through these crossings each day
Boom gates are down for up to 44 minutes of the morning peak

Early works

A project of this size and scale involves months of planning. We carefully schedule works to ensure efficient use of large machinery and minimise disruption during construction.

Early works for the project will begin in the coming months and activities in the lead up to major construction will include:

setting up site offices and facilities
fencing off work areas to keep the community and our workforce safe
removing trees and vegetation that will be impacted by the project
relocating utility services and undertaking drainage works in preparation for the new rail infrastructure
starting works for the combined services route, which houses the wiring that powers and controls signals, internal rail network telecommunications and power supplies to trains and other parts of the rail network
relocating power lines and underground telecom lines where required.

Residents and businesses in the local area will receive more details ahead of any works.

Thank you for your feedback

So far we've received more than 1500 pieces of feedback from the community since we began the project.

Thank you to everyone who participated in our updated design consultation in October. The updated designs reflected feedback from previous consultations held earlier last year.

Your feedback, along with ongoing detailed design work, will be incorporated into the final designs, set to be released in the coming months.

Setting up site facilities

As part of our preparation for construction, we are setting up site facilities for our project team close to the works.

Starting in February, we will be setting up temporary site offices at 152 Como Parade West, Parkdale (formerly Calvary Health Care Bethlehem).

During this time, you will see an increase in construction workers and vehicles in the area.

This site will primarily be used during normal daytime construction hours, however when project works are required on weekends or at night for major construction, local residents will be notified in advance.

We’ll keep local residents and traders informed about the ongoing works taking place in the area.

We’ll provide further information about construction in February to residents and businesses who may be directly affected by the upcoming works.

Parkdale site office map

Trees and vegetation

Major works for the project will begin in mid 2023 and we need to start preparing the site by removing trees and vegetation that will be impacted by the works.

We understand that trees and greenery are important to the community, so we have worked hard to minimise our impact and protect trees where possible in the project area.

To help retain as many trees as possible we will be:

temporarily relocating the 5 palm trees near Parkdale Station. The palm trees will be cared for and stored off-site and returned to the new station precinct at project completion
temporarily relocating suitable trees along the rail corridor, including trees planted near Warrigal Road as part of the Balcombe Road, Mentone level crossing removal, and saplings planted more recently by Kingston Council. They will be cared for and continue to grow off-site and will be returned as part of the new, greener rail corridor
trimming trees rather than removing them.

Our environmental specialists and qualified arborists have been busy over the past few months assessing trees along the rail line. These assessments consider impacts to a tree root zone, pruning, age and health of tree to recommend the likely ability of the tree to remain stable and survive.

Trees and shrubs that can be safely retained will be protected during construction. Prior to removal, trees will be inspected for the presence of wildlife, with qualified wildlife handlers on call to safely relocate wildlife, if required.

We’ll provide further information about specific tree and vegetation removal zones in the coming weeks.

When the project is complete, we will plant more than 100,000 new trees, plants and shrubs along the rail corridor and in the new open space.