• Over $1 billion for rail upgrades between South Geelong and Waurn Ponds
• Creating 1,300+ jobs
• 5 train services per hour during the peaks, and 3 per hour between the peaks

New Fyans Street rail bridge

The dangerous and congested five-way roundabout at Fyans Street in South Geelong will soon be a thing of the past, with new designs showing a simplified intersection as part of new designs for the Fyans Street level crossing removal.

The new design removes the roundabout and extends Fyans Street to Breakwater Road – improving traffic flow and safety, as well as enhancing the area for residents and businesses.

The new design responds to community feedback calling for greater separation between the Carr Street residential area and the industrial area south of Fyans Street, and for more opportunities for open space and recreation.

Key benefits of the new design include:

• Roundabout completely removed improving safety and traffic flow
• More green open space, landscaping, and recreational areas
• Separates the Carr St residential area from the industrial area to the south
• Bridge embankment reduced by 300 metres, reducing visual impacts to residents.

The new rail bridge will allow for improvements along Carr Street with a new landscaped shared user path connecting to the Bellarine Rail Trail as well as new public open space under and adjacent to the new bridge.

South Geelong to Waurn Ponds Duplication

The South Geelong to Waurn Ponds Duplication includes upgraded stations at Marshall and South Geelong, new rail bridges at Fyans Street and Surf Coast Highway and duplicated track and signalling.

Once completed, passengers will benefit from five train services per hour during the peaks and three per hour between the peaks for Marshall and Waurn Ponds stations, new public open space and create a continuous shared user path between South Geelong and Waurn Ponds by adding over 5km of new connections.

New public open space and recreation area

There will be new public open space created under and adjacent to the new rail bridge and we want you to co-design these spaces.

New public open space under and adjacent to the rail bridge will provide opportunities for passive and active recreation and beautiful landscaped areas.

Options could include large boulders for seating and climbing, BBQ facilities, picnic tables, a rest stop area to recharge for those venturing along the Bellarine Rail Trail and garden beds to improve the visual appeal of the precinct.

Options for active recreation activities include outdoor gym equipment, playground equipment or table tennis tables to bring the local community together to take full advantage of the open space.

We want to ensure the space is valued and enjoyed long after the project is complete, so we need your input to co-design the public spaces and landscaped areas.

Creative opportunities

The new Fyans Street rail bridge will incorporate public artworks that will that celebrate the local area.

High quality public art and creative design outcomes, delivered as part of the South Geelong to Waurn Ponds Duplication, will enhance people’s experience of journey and place and leave a positive legacy for communities across Geelong.

Our Creative Strategy provides guidance on commissioning creative works on our projects which supports working with local artists and cultural organisations, engaging local communities and celebrating the creative culture of Victoria’s First Peoples.

You can view the Regional Rail Revival Creative Strategy.

We are currently exploring opportunities to integrate public artworks as part of the project.

We will seek feedback from the community later this year on themes for public artworks that celebrate the local area.

Local artists will be invited to express interest in developing artworks to be integrated into the designs of the different elements of the project.

Landscaping and revegetation

Two trees will be planted for every one removed during construction of the project.

Native trees and plants will make up a large number of these trees to enhance the local area and improve biodiversity along the rail corridor.

We are currently engaging with Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation and City of Greater Geelong on the plant and tree species they would like to see planted across the project area.

Local stakeholders and the community will be given the opportunity to provide feedback and input into the landscaping plans for the area.

Improved design and traffic flow

The community and nearby residents will benefit from the removal of the complex and congested five-way roundabout at Fyans Street, which will improve safety and traffic flow through the area

Vehicle movements will be altered to improve traffic flow with the separation of local residential drivers from industrial vehicles accessing the South Geelong precinct.

Changes to vehicle movements include:

• Fyans Street becomes a continuous stretch of road through to the Carr Street and Breakwater Road roundabout, reducing the idling of traffic and heavy vehicles
• Traffic lights installed at the intersection of Fyans and Wood streets allowing vehicles to safely turn right into Fyans Street
• no left-hand turns into Carr Street from Fyans Street
• no right-hand turn into Fyans Street from Carr Street
• access from Fyans Street to Carr Street will be via Breakwater Road and Martin Street or via Swanston Street to the west.

Cyclists and pedestrians are also set to benefit from a new pedestrian crossing over Fyans Street, connecting to the existing Bellarine Rail Trail.

The refined road layout design is still being finalised in consultation with Department of Transport and City of Greater Geelong and we will continue to update the community as the design is finalised.

What’s happening now

The Djilang Alliance, comprising McConnell Dowell, Downer, Arup and WSP, will deliver the South Geelong to Waurn Ponds Duplication project.

Early works have begun, including the relocation and upgrade of a number of Barwon Water pipelines, which will allow key sections of the track to be duplicated between South Geelong and Waurn Ponds.

We are working closely with the City of Greater Geelong and Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation on the urban design, new public open spaces and creative opportunities associated with the project.

The feedback from the community will continue to inform the final design and creative and urban design opportunities.

We will continue to engage the community to ensure the project reflects the character or the area and we leaves a legacy for the community.

Major construction is scheduled to commence later this year and is targeted for completion in late 2024.

Project timeline

2022 - Contract award, consultation and construction underway

• Engagement with the community continues.
• Early works underway with major construction to begin in late 2022.
• Major construction targeted for completion in late 2024.

2024 - Construction complete

Upgrading the Geelong Line

The Victorian and Australian governments are investing more than a billion dollars in projects to deliver better and more frequent services for communities between South Geelong and Waurn Ponds. This includes the South Geelong to Waurn Ponds Duplication, Waurn Ponds stabling and the completed Waurn Ponds Station upgrade.

The South Geelong to Waurn Ponds Duplication project will enable more frequent and reliable services and better stations for passengers on Victoria’s busiest regional rail line.

The project is part of the Regional Rail Revival program which is upgrading every regional passenger line in Victoria and creating 3,000 jobs. Regional Rail Revival is delivering the project on behalf of the Australian and Victorian governments.

Both governments have also invested in Geelong Fast Rail, to deliver faster services between Geelong and Melbourne.