The Webb Street Level Crossing Removal Project has taken a greener approach to managing stormwater, using underground tanks made from recycled plastic in the new Narre Warren Station precinct.
The level crossing at Webb Street was removed in December last year and a new Narre Warren Station opened in March this year, providing better connections and easing congestion on local roads.
During construction of the station precinct, crews installed 3 detention tanks made of recycled plastic instead of concrete.
These tanks use special plastic filters to slow down rainwater and prevent flooding in the station precinct.
By minimising the use of concrete, this innovative tank saves 183.4 tonnes of CO2e, which is equivalent to driving more than 1.1 million kilometres in a diesel car or charging 22 million smartphones at once.
The new Narre Warren Station design also reduced carbon emissions from concrete by using a mix of cement alternatives in the base slab for the station’s bin enclosure.
The cement alternative included materials such as flyash and sand and replaced 80% of the cement that would have been required as part of the slab, further reducing the carbon footprint of the project.
Work has also continued on the station precinct following its March opening. This includes a new air-conditioned waiting room, new toilet facilities and an updated ticket office, which has now opened.
In the wider precinct crews are also finishing the station forecourt, 672 upgraded car spaces, and planting more than 300 new trees and 63,000 plants, shrubs and grasses to revitalise the precinct.
It is just the latest sustainability initiative used as part of the level crossing removal. The project also used solar powered generators to power the site office and trialled the use of a crane powered by recycled cooking oil.
The Webb Street boom gates were down up to 33% of the morning peak, causing congestion for 13,200 vehicles every day. Since 2012 there have been 19 near misses at the level crossing.
When every Pakenham Line level crossing is removed in 2025 it will transform the way people live, work and travel in Melbourne’s booming south-eastern suburbs, providing more reliable journeys for drivers and improving safety by permanently separating vehicles and trains.
LXRP has removed 76 level crossings, with 110 going for good by 2030, boosting safety and easing congestion.
