Boom gates to go a year ahead of schedule

Work is powering ahead to make the Lilydale Line level crossing free, and get rid of more boom gates on the Belgrave Line.

A series of construction blitzes across Ringwood, Ringwood East and Croydon, will make the Lilydale Line level crossing free and the Belgrave Line level crossing free between the city and Ferntree Gully in 2024, a year ahead of schedule.

Four massive construction blitzes across Ringwood, Ringwood East, Croydon and Lilydale will deliver the biggest upgrade to the Belgrave and Lilydale Lines since they were electrified in the 1920s.

We'll start our first construction blitz at the Bedford Road level crossing, working day and night to finish building

the rail trench, easing congestion for the 13,500 vehicles that drive through this crossing every day. Once trains are running again, the Belgrave Line will be level crossing free between the city and Ferntree Gully.

Next, we'll start the construction blitzes at Dublin Road, Ringwood East, Coolstore Road, Croydon and Cave Hill Road, Lilydale.

With no level crossings on the Lilydale Line, journeys will be faster and local roads safer for commuters, cyclists and pedestrians.

We’re also building a new station at Ringwood East with better facilities for passengers, including more lighting and CCTV.

In September and October, crews marked a key project milestone, constructing 28 piles from 50 tonnes of steel and 350 cubic metres of concrete to form the new road bridge at Dublin Road.

In summer, large concrete foundations will arrive on site in preparation for the new Ringwood East Station buildings.

Upon completion of these works, we will have removed 12 level crossings on the Belgrave and Lilydale lines and built 7 new stations, allowing more trains to run more often, and changing the way locals live, work and travel.

Changes to the way you travel in 2024

• Bedford Road closed at level crossing from 30 January 2024 to April 2024
• Buses replace trains on sections of the Belgrave Line from 30 January to April 2024

Dublin Road and Ringwood East Station precinct – final landscaping designs

You spoke, we listened. You told us your preference was for the project to use native flora for planting.

We've now put the finishing touches on our landscaping designs for Bedford Road and Dublin Road, where we'll plant a mix of around 60,000 native plants in the new open spaces to support the natural environment.

Victoria's natural environment is richly diverse and unique. At the end of the project, we'll plant native trees and shrubs exclusively in the new open spaces.

We've chosen to plant a variety of eucalyptus, wattle, correa and brush box among other native trees, shrubs and grasses to support Victoria's biodiversity and attract native wildlife and pollinators.

View the PDF roll plot map in detail.

Purple coral pea

A mix of planting including the purple coral pea, snowy daisy-bush and coastal rosemary bush, will provide green coverage and flowering along the new rail trench.

Queensland brush box

We’ll landscape around the western car park and shared use path with native trees and planting such as the Queensland brush box, Morning iris and Wattle mat-rush, which feature green foliage and do not require a lot of effort to grow and maintain.

Golden wattle

There will be colourful native landscaping north of the station, including golden wattle trees surrounded by shrubs such as the common correa and cushion bush, which are fast-growing and can tolerate tough weather.

White correa

The new station forecourt area will provide fresh open space and an abundance of landscaping, including the white correa, silver wattle, dwarf lemon scented gum tree and cherry clusters grevillea.

Australian indigo

The eastern end of Railway Avenue will be landscaped with a mix of native planting such as the Australian Indigo, gold dust wattle and cinnamon wattle. These plants are bright and beautiful and provide important habitat and food for local wildlife.

New community green space at Bedford Road

In a win for the community, two parcels of land on the western side of Bedford Road will be turned into brand new green open space.

The area is currently being used as a construction site while we remove the level crossing by building a rail trench.

Once the project is complete, we’ll transform the area into a green basin with grassed areas that will assist in managing water during significant rainfall.

The green space will be conveniently located near residents, schools and Bedford Park and will provide open space amenities.

Key construction dates

To safely remove the Dublin Road, Ringwood East and Bedford Road, Ringwood level crossings and build the new Ringwood East Station ahead of schedule, there will be road and rail disruptions from early 2024.

• Bedford Road closed at level crossing from 30 January to April 2024
• Buses replace trains on sections of the Belgrave Line from 30 January to April 2024
• New Ringwood East Station open by spring 2024 with 2 entrances and modern facilities

When works are complete, you can look forward to:

• Improved safety for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers
• A more reliable road network and faster travel times for over 23,000 vehicles
• New walking and cycling connections including the missing connection between Heathmont Rail Trail and Bedford Park
• Around 60,000 new trees, shrubs and grasses as part of native landscaping plans
• New community open spaces

There will also be disruptions in Croydon and Lilydale:

• Trains will not stop at Croydon Station from 30 January 2024 and will reopen in spring 2024
• Coolstore Road, Croydon closed at level crossing for several months
• Cave Hill Road, Lilydale permanently closed at level crossing from 24 January 2024

View local disruptions and detours visit the disruptions map.

Reaching out to the community

As works ramp up at Bedford Road and Dublin Road, we've been busy with pop-ups in your area, including the Maroondah Festival, the Ringwood East Community Market, Aquanation, Eastland and Realm Ringwood.

Our project team has also been regularly visiting local schools close to the project area to keep parents and students up to date.

Recently, we held community site tours around Bedford Road and Dublin Road, where participants were able to get up close to the construction sites and ask our engineers about the works being done.

We've heard good things from the community about our site tours so stay tuned for more as works progress.

We're grateful to the community for its support and look forward to continuing to work with you to make Ringwood safer and more connected.

Be rewarded while shopping local

Thousands of shoppers have been rewarded via Stamp Me while they shop in Ringwood East.

Purchases of $10 or more with a participating Railway Avenue trader gets you a stamp - and for a limited time only, you only need 5 stamps to earn a $10 voucher!

Shops are open while we work, so don't forget to keep shopping local.

Sign up for Stamp Me

Project timeline

2022

• Project designs released
• Contract awarded

Early 2023

• Site establishment
• Early works

Mid-late 2023

• Major construction underway
• Final landscaping designs released

2024

• Bedford Road and Dublin Road level crossings gone for good
• New Ringwood East Station opens

* Timeline subject to change.

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