Project overview

The Victorian Government is removing 50 dangerous and congested level crossings across Melbourne, including the level crossings at Bell Street in Coburg and Moreland Road in Brunswick.

Each day over 55,000 vehicles drive through these 2 level crossings combined, where the boom gates are down for up to half an hour during the 7:00am to 9:00am morning peak.

The Bell Street and Moreland Road level crossings will be removed together as part of one project. The project is being overseen by the Level Crossing Removal Authority (LXRA) and the level crossings are expected to be gone in 2020.

What does the project involve?

The project involves separating the rail line from the road at Bell Street in Coburg and Moreland Road in Brunswick.

Removing these level crossings will improve traffic flow, ease congestion and make it safer for people in the area.

As part of the project, there will be an opportunity to provide feedback and share ideas. We want to hear from you about what is important to the community, and how the removal of these 2 level crossings could make your journeys safer and easier.

We'll be coming out next month to talk with the community and to provide more information about possible designs for the removal of these level crossings.

Project benefits

• Improving safety for pedestrians and road users
• A more reliable road network
• Making it easier for people to move around the area
• Better transport connections

Project timeline

2017

• Site investigations

2018

• Community consultation: June
• Design development
• Finalise design

2019

• Works proposed to start

2020

• Boom gates removed

Design assessment process

There are 4 basic designs for removing a level crossing. They are:

• lowering the railway line under the road, into an open trench
• raising the railway line over the road
• lowering the road under the railway line
• raising the road over the railway line.

A comprehensive design assessment process helps to ensure we find the best design for the area. All possible designs to remove the crossing are considered and assessed against key criteria.

1. Technical investigations: site investigations are carried out to better understand the area around the level crossings. This includes seeing what underground utility services exist, and testing soil and water conditions. These investigations help us to identify any technical constraints we need to consider in assessing designs for the removal of the level crossings.

2. Benefits assessment: all designs are assessed to ensure they deliver key benefits, including improved safety, reduced congestion and better connectivity for the local community.

3. Initial feasibility assessment: designs are evaluated to determine if they are technically feasible to implement. At this stage, some designs may be ruled out if they are not technically feasible or do not deliver positive community outcomes. For example, a design may be ruled out if it requires purchasing a large amount of businesses or homes.

4. Preliminary designs: the feasible designs will be shortlisted and evaluated based on their expected benefits and challenges. We will seek community feedback on these preliminary designs to better understand how people currently use the area and what is important to the community.

5. Detailed technical assessment: further technical investigations will be undertaken on the preliminary designs as we work towards selecting the final design for the removal of the level crossings.

After these assessments are completed, a design will be selected and shared with the community. We’ll provide information explaining why the design was chosen.

Key considerations

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.

Some important factors to consider in developing a design for the level crossing removals at Bell Street, Coburg and Moreland Road, Brunswick are:

Narrow rail corridor

The area around the Bell Street and Moreland Road level crossings is narrow and built-up, with mostly residential properties next to the railway line. In choosing a design, the project team will consider the construction constraints of working in a narrow area, avoiding compulsory property acquisition and minimising disruption to local residents.

Heritage

The Upfield line has significant heritage value. Four stations between Royal Park and Coburg are listed on the Victorian Heritage Register, including Coburg and Moreland stations. We'll work closely with Heritage Victoria and other stakeholders to ensure the significance of these stations is preserved and any potential impacts are managed appropriately.

Urban design

Urban Design Guidelines are an integral part of each level crossing removal project. The guidelines help to identify issues and opportunities to create great places and positive urban design outcomes for each project. They are used to guide planning and inform the design assessment process, with input from key stakeholders and local council.

Environmental conditions

Some areas near the level crossings are prone to flooding, which must be factored into the chosen design.

There are also underground drains and sewerage systems located around Bell Street and Moreland Road which may cause major challenges during construction. Impacts on existing vegetation, such as mature trees, will also be taken into consideration as part of the project.

Upfield Bike Path

The Upfield Bike Path is a major cycling route and is also used by pedestrians. The path runs north to south along the rail line; starting near Gowrie Station and ending at Royal Park Station. It is important to ensure the design to remove the level crossings minimises any impacts to the Upfield Bike Path during and after construction.

Geological conditions

A hard rock layer has been found below the surface near the level crossings. Any design to lower the road or lower the rail line would result in increased noise and vibration as heavy machinery is used to break through the hard rock layer.

Transport planning

The design will need to consider future transport planning and upgrades in the area. We’re working with other transport agencies to ensure the level crossing removal works do not preclude other projects from happening.

East-west connectivity

Bell Street and Moreland Road are both major east-west arterial roads which provide important connections between CityLink, the Tullamarine Freeway and Melbourne’s eastern suburbs. Significant consideration will be given to minimise disruptions to traffic on Bell Street and Moreland Road during construction.

Local council

We’re working closely with Moreland City Council to ensure the project integrates with local council strategies for future development and urban renewal projects for the area.

Get involved

We’ll be coming out next month to talk to you about possible designs for the level crossing removal.

We want to keep you up-to-date as we remove these 2 dangerous and congested level crossings. As we move forward with this project we’ll be holding community info sessions, pop-ups at local train stations and there’ll be opportunities to engage online as well. But one of the simplest ways to keep up with all the key project milestones is to sign up for project updates at levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/contact/subscribe. Whether it’s an announcement, an event coming up or a progress update – it’s an easy way to make sure you’re in the know.

Getting in touch

To get in touch with the team, send an email to contact@levelcrossings.vic.gov.au, or call 1800 105 105.