Boom gates gone early, new stations open by Christmas

The Manchester Road, Mooroolbark and Maroondah Highway, Lilydale level crossings will be removed months ahead of schedule, and two new train stations at Mooroolbark and Lilydale will open early, thanks to a massive construction blitz that will kick off mid-year.

From mid July, the intensive period of construction will see Mooroolbark station close for up to 4 months.

Lilydale Station will close in September for up to six weeks.

There will also be some temporary road disruptions during this time and buses will replace trains between Ringwood and Lilydale for one week in July.

This will be followed by a longer closure of the rail line later in the year as crews work around the clock to remove the boom gates and open the new stations.

The construction blitz - which is an alternative to rolling closures spread out over a longer period of time - will see both sets of boom gates gone well ahead of the previous 2022 commitment. Passengers will be able to catch a train from the new stations before Christmas.

The new station buildings are being pre-fabricated off site using a modular approach, reducing three months’ worth of work to just two weeks.

Part of the existing Mooroolbark Station will be relocated and refurbished by students at Box Hill TAFE before it goes to the Yarra Valley Railway.

The new multi-deck carpark at Mooroolbark Station will be complete in 2022, doubling capacity to 900 parking spots for commuters.

As works heat up, we're also inviting Mooroolbark and Lilydale locals to our community viewing sessions where they can see how we install key components of the rail bridges.

The Victorian Government is removing 75 level crossing by 2025, with 46 already gone for good. In 2021, one level crossing is being removed on average each month.