21 May 2024

Pakenham Station under construction.

Boom gates going and stations opening

Pakenham’s boom gates will be gone for good at McGregor Road, Main Street and Racecourse Road this month, before the new Pakenham and East Pakenham stations open on Monday 3 June.

The new elevated Pakenham Station will open with temporary access arrangements in place while crews continue works on the station precinct.

The new East Pakenham Station will also open with the precinct and facilities ready for passengers including 300 car spaces, boosting transport connections for this growing community.

Check the new timetable before you travel at the PTV website.

Until early June a construction blitz is taking place with crews working around the clock to demolish the existing Pakenham Station, and finish the 2.5km rail bridge.

With trains travelling on the new rail bridge and the boom gates gone, journeys on Melbourne's busiest train line will be more reliable and local roads will be safer for drivers and pedestrians.

Removing these boom gates will help create a level crossing free Pakenham Line in 2025, which will change how locals live, work and travel.

Project benefits

  • Brand-new stations at Pakenham and East Pakenham
  • Boom gates gone for good at McGregor Road, Main Street and Racecourse Road
  • Eliminating more than 30 minutes of boom gates down time in the morning peak
  • Saving travel time for 63,000 vehicles each weekday
  • Increased accessibility to public transport services
  • Improved safety and better connections around Pakenham
  • Six MCGs worth of new community open space

Getting the new stations and tracks ready for trains

We're working around the clock until Monday 3 June to get the new rail bridge ready for trains and removethe boom gates on McGregor Road, Main Street and Racecourse Road.

Works will include:

  • removing the boom gates at each level crossing
  • connecting the new and existing tracks
  • testing the new tracks on the rail bridge and at East Pakenham
  • demolishing the existing Pakenham Station
  • completing signalling and overheads works
  • building the northern foundations for the new Pakenham Station.

When we’re done, trains will be running and Pakenham and East Pakenham Station will be open to passengers from Monday 3 June.

Colourful piers at Pakenham.

Changes to the way you travel

While we work, there will be changes to the way you travel around the area.

Pakenham Line

Buses replace trains on the Pakenham Line at the following times:

  • between Dandenong and Pakenham from 9.30pm, Friday 17 May to last service Tuesday 21 May
  • between Berwick and Pakenham from Wednesday 22 May to last service Friday 31 May and
  • between Dandenong and Pakenham from Saturday 1 June to last service, Sunday 2 June.

Plan your journey at the PTV website or via the PTV app.

Road closures

McGregor Road, Main Street and Racecourse Road will be closed at the level crossings, at times, for short periods during the construction blitz while the boom gates are removed.

Traffic management and detours are in place for the safety of the community and workforce. Please follow the signage and instructions when travelling around the project area.

See below for more about Street and McGregor Road works starting in mid-June.

We thank residents, passengers and local traders for their patience while we complete these works.

Platform signage at East Pakenham Station

Your new stations opening Monday 3 June

Pakenham Station

When the new premium Pakenham Station is complete it will become the centrepiece of the town, creating easier and safer local connections.

East Pakenham-bound access

When Pakenham Station opens on Monday 3 June, platform 2, the East Pakenham-bound platform will have temporary stairs. For those who require lift or ramp access, we will be running a shuttle bus between Cardinia Road Station and Pakenham Station.

Works will continue around the station precinct including the new bus interchange, the car park, platform 2 lifts and stairs and the station forecourt until spring.

We'll also be working on the six MCGs worth of new open space which will include garden areas, a playground, a half basketball court, active spaces and walking and cycling paths. The new open space will open this spring.

The completed southern canopy at the new premium Pakenham Station.

Pakenham Station features

  • 450 additional car spaces off Bald Hill Road
  • Dedicated pick-up and drop-off zones
  • Improved facilities, including public toilets and a kiosk
  • Integrated bus interchange
  • Climate-controlled waiting room
  • Upgraded lighting and CCTV cameras
  • Ticket office staffed from first train in the morning until last train in the evening
  • New Parkiteer bike storage cage and bike hoops

East Pakenham Station

We've extended the metropolitan rail line by two kilometres, and built the new East Pakenham Station to service this growing local community.

The new station will open with the precinct and facilities finished and ready for passengers.

East Pakenham Station features

  • 300 car spaces
  • Dedicated pick-up and drop-off zone
  • Bike hoops
  • myki facilities and a Protective Services Officer (PSO) office
  • Landscaped areas Lighting and CCTV cameras

Main St, Pakenham

Main Street and McGregor Road works

Main Street and McGregor Road will be closed from mid-June while we remove the old rail infrastructure and resurface the roads. We will also build a new roundabout on Main Street.

We will share more information with the community in the coming weeks about these works.

Big Build Roads

Pakenham Roads Upgrade and Healesville Koo Wee Rup Road Upgrade projects will also be working in the area during May and June.

Plan your travel by visiting the Big Build website.

Supporting Pakenham traders

Your local shopping precincts remain open for business as works continue throughout winter and spring.

Thank you for your patience while we carry out these important works. Please continue to shop, dine, and support your local Pakenham traders.

Project timeline

2019

  • Site investigations
  • Technical and engineering assessments
  • Community engagement

Early 2021

  • Community engagement
  • Further engineering investigations

Mid 2021

  • Station designs announced

Late 2021

  • Open space community consultation

Early works 2022

  • Construction
  • Open space designs released

2023

  • Construction

Mid 2024

  • Boom gates gone for good
  • Pakenham and East Pakenham stations open
  • Works continuing on Pakenham Station precinct, southern car park, bus interchange, open space and landscaping

Late 2024

  • Pakenham Station complete
  • Community space open

* Timeline subject to change.

View the PDF

Pakenham Community Update May 2024 (PDF 1.7 MB)