3 more level crossings to go on the Werribee Line

The Victorian Government is committed to removing the last three level crossings on the Werribee Line – delivering a better transport network for the booming west.

We’re removing 7 level crossings on the Werribee Line and building a new station.

4 crossings are already gone and now we’ve added another 3 including:

• Hudsons Road, Spotswood
• Maddox Road, Newport
• Maidstone Street, Altona
• Anderson Street, Yarraville (closure)
• Champion Road, Newport (closure)

Removing these crossings will improve safety, reduce congestion and allows more trains, more often.

Better transport, less congestion

Making the Werribee Line level crossing-free will change how locals along the entire rail corridor will live, work and travel.

The Metro Tunnel will free up space in the City Loop to allow for more trains on the Werribee Line.

These boom gates can be down for an hour of the 2 hour morning peak. This number would rise to up to 100 minutes when the planned extra trains hit the Werribee Line. With no more level crossings, local roads will be safer and journeys will be faster and more reliable.

Removing these level crossings means more benefits for local communities and paves the way for Geelong Fast Rail.

New station

A new station will be built at Spotswood as part of the crossing removal.

Why these level crossings need to go

• About 34,000 vehicles travel through these crossings each day
• Boom gates are down for up to 56 minutes of the morning peak (7am to 9am)
• Up to 48 trains during the morning peak (7am to 9am)
• One fatality and 4 serious injuries since 2006, 37 near misses since 2016.

Crossings already removed

• Aviation Road, Laverton
• Old Geelong Road, Hoppers Crossing
• Cherry Street, Werribee
• Werribee Street, Werribee

And we’ve also removed Ferguson Street on the Williamstown Line and Kororoit Creek Road on the Altona Loop.

Level crossing removals and new stations

Who we are

The Level Crossing Removal Project was established in 2015 by the Victorian Government to remove 50 dangerous and congested level crossings across metropolitan Melbourne by 2022.

In 2018, the Victorian Government committed to removing a further 25 level crossings by 2025. This was followed by another commitment in 2021 to remove an additional 10 crossings.

Now in 2022, we're ahead of schedule so we're adding even more level crossings to be removed.

Removing more level crossings will deliver:

• More reliable roads and rail – traffic congestion will be reduced, and more trains will be able to run more often.
• Improved safety – crossing the rail line will be safer for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.
• More open space – removing level crossings will enhance and create vibrant areas for the community.

Project benefits

We're removing 7 level crossings on the Werribee Line and building a new train station by 2030.

• The Werribee Line will be crossing-free by 2030
• Allows more trains to run more often
• Eases local road congestion
• The new Spotswood Station will have better facilities for passengers including more lighting and CCTV
• Paves the way for Geelong Fast Rail and Metro Tunnel

The best designs

Each level crossing is unique and needs a design that considers environmental, community and technical factors. A design that works well for one area may not necessarily suit another.

Yarraville

The Anderson Street level crossing has been the site of a tragic fatality and 4 serious injuries since 2006, plus 16 near misses since 2016. Metro Tunnel and Geelong Fast Rail will add more trains to the line meaning the boom gates could be down for up to 85% of the two-hour morning peak.

Removing the level crossing at Anderson Street in Yarraville presents a set of unique design challenges, including the narrow and curved rail corridor and the density of buildings near the crossing. Rail or road bridges and underpasses are not feasible at this site.

We'll close the level crossing to vehicles and build a new pedestrian underpass – helping the many pedestrians and cyclists who cross the rail line everyday.

People who are visiting the Yarraville Village by car from the west will be able to use nearby Somerville Road and Francis Street to cross the rail line. Alternatively people can park and walk into the Village using the new pedestrian underpass.

Read our Anderson Street fact sheet.

Anderson Street, Yarraville

Spotswood and Newport

We'll build new rail bridges at Hudsons Road, Spotswood and Maddox Road, Newport.

This design will suit each of these areas and will mean:

• a new Spotswood Station
• more opportunity for open space
• better walking and cycling connections

We'll close the level crossing at Champion Road, Newport with vehicles able to cross the rail line at nearby Maddox Road.

We’ll build a grade-separated pedestrian crossing at Champion Road that will link in to local paths.

Champion Road, Newport

Maddox Road, Newport

Hudsons Road, Spotswood

Altona

A new road bridge at Maidstone Street in Altona will provide the best outcome for the community and local businesses.

This design will:

• support the busy industrial area and get vehicles to Kororoit Creek Road
• avoid impacts to important utilities We are in the early stages of project design.

Further detailed design, engineering assessments and community engagement will be undertaken on all these projects.

Maidstone Street, Altona

Next steps

As we prepare to remove a level crossing, it is important that we have a detailed understanding of the conditions at each site.

To do this, we complete lots of site investigations to better understand the ground conditions and work out what designs and construction methods can be used in each location.You'll hear more from our teams early next year about the removal of these crossings.

This will include information on how to get involved, project timelines and what early investigations will be happening in your area.

Developing the best design

Designs for all level crossing removals are assessed and developed by teams of technical experts including engineers and construction specialists.

A design that may suit one area may not necessarily suit another. We are in the very early stages of project design for these new locations.

Further detailed design, engineering assessments and community engagement will be undertaken on all the projects.

Keep in touch

We will be out in the community to talk to you about these projects in the coming months. In the meantime, the best way to stay in touch is by subscribing to our email updates.

Send us a private message on our Facebook page.

Contact our 24/7 call centre on 1800 105 105 or email contact@levelcrossings.vic.gov.au