New North Williamstown Station precinct

What's growing in the new North Williamstown Station precinct

We've removed the dangerous Ferguson Street level crossing in Williamstown by lowering the rail line beneath the road, making way for a new North Williamstown Station and an upgraded precinct for the community to enjoy.

Works to remove the dangerous Ferguson Street level crossing are complete and train services have resumed from North Williamstown Station.

In 2022, we'll focus on putting the finishing touches on the new North Williamstown Station building and precinct area.

As part of this work we'll:

• Plant more than 400 mature trees
• Plant more than 40,000 shrubs, groundcovers, native species and grasses
• Use more than 50 different plant species
• Planting and landscaping works will continue into 2022.

Urban design features

Extensive community consultation highlighted the preference for the new North Williamstown Station to feature native vegetation and landscaping, heritage and village features, and well-defined pathways.

The new station will be modernised with improved facilities. Stairs, ramps and lifts will connect passengers to lowered platforms and allow for all-ability access to trains.

The arbour structures from the old station will be repurposed in the new station forecourt. They will be fitted with wires so that climbing plant varieties can grow, adding greenery to the landscape design.

The materials in the forecourt will include familiar design elements to Williamstown, such as red brick and bluestone paving. Existing bluestone pavers and red bricks from the eastern station building will be reused within the new station precinct.

We recognise Williamstown’s rich heritage and its' importance to the community, and the station’s design. The red brick western station building has been meticulously restored and preserved on the city-bound platform. This will be used for Protective Services Officers’ facilities and station operations.

The North Williamstown Station forecourt will have new features including:

• New seating areas
• Shade structures
• Stairs, ramps and lifts to lowered platforms
• Native trees, plants and shrubs
• Secure bike storage facilities.

Landscaping and replanting

The greenspaces around the new station precinct will create an open, coastal feel that links to the Williamstown community and blends well with other elements of the new precinct.

The Level Crossing Removal Project works with environmental and sustainability specialists across all projects to minimise the amount of vegetation removal required, and to manage the impacts on flora and fauna.

The lowered rail trench design at Ferguson Street allows the project to retain more mature trees and maximise space to replant new trees, plants, shrubs, and grasses near the rail line and in the new station forecourt area.

For every tree removed, two new trees will be planted in the area.

Landscaping plan North Williamstown Station precinct

Pedestrian and cyclist access

A new four-metre wide shared use path will be built in the station precinct. This allows for connection to the Department of Transport's Strategic Cycling Corridor and Hobsons Bay City Council's future Champion Road shared use path.

A new bike Parkiteer storage facility will be built in the North Williamstown Station forecourt, alongside a bike repair station and 17 bike hoops. A drink fountain will also be installed in the eastern station forecourt.

With improved accessibility and security, there will be more ways for pedestrians and cyclists to safely access the station precinct.

Plants, trees and shrubs

Over 40,000 native plants, trees and shrubs, including more than 400 mature trees,

will be planted around the new North Williamstown Station and surrounding areas.

The plants below have been selected to ensure an open, coastal feel that links to the Williamstown area and blends well with other elements of the new station precinct.

The plants are native to Australia and tolerant to southern and coastal conditions.

The green spaces will include mixed garden beds of small plants, shrubs, groundcovers and grasses.

Some of these species will include:

• Pig Face
• Seaberry Saltbush
• Emu Bush
• Berry Saltbush
• Coastal Banksia
• Austria Indigo
• White Correa
• Coastal Flax Lily
• We'll also plant a mixture of large trees including:
• Drooping Sheoak
• Willow Bottlebrush
• Flowering Gum
• Yellow Box

Minimising tree removal and the impact to wildlife was a priority for the project. Our design allows us to retain mature trees including all the large eucalyptus trees near the Power Street playground.

Some of the logs from removed trees will be used as habitat logs in the landscaping design.

For every tree removed, at least two more will be planted.

No protected species were identified within the project area.