Trains have returned to the Pakenham Line today and Pakenham is level crossing free, achieving a major milestone of 80 dangerous and congested level crossings removed across Melbourne.
Since mid-May, a crew of 200 people worked around the clock to complete the elevated 2.5km rail bridge, build 2 new stations, connect the new tracks to the existing line and get rid of the boom gates at Main Street, McGregor Road and Racecourse Road.
The new Pakenham Station opened this morning, and Melbourne’s longest metropolitan rail line has been extended 2kms to bring the new station at East Pakenham on to the network, ready to service a community of around 7,200 new homes being built in coming years.
In the coming months at Pakenham, works will ramp up on creating 6 MCGs of new open space below the 2.5km rail bridge. The design includes a shared use path as well as a basketball court, playground and parklands to open in spring.
Commuters at the new East Pakenham Station will benefit from the delivery of 300 new car parking spaces as part of the Victorian Government’s Car Parks for Commuters program, in partnership with the Australian Government. A further 450 new and upgraded spaces at Pakenham Station are in the final stages of construction and due to open later in the year.
Only 3 level crossings remain on the Pakenham Line, and these will be removed to make the rail line boom gate free. Pakenham Line passengers will also benefit when the Metro Tunnel opens next year.
For more information on how to access your new stations as we finish works, check out our news story.
