For the first time ever and 5 full days earlier than scheduled, trains are now running on the Upfield Line beneath Camp Road, Campbellfield, without creating traffic congestion.
A major month-long construction blitz originally saw the Upfield Line slated for reopening on Monday 18 December, but good weather conditions and around the clock works for the first 2 weeks saw the rail track ready ahead of schedule, with full services resuming from the first service on Wednesday 13 December.
Major works started on 15 November, and Camp Road reopened to traffic 2 weeks later on 30 November. The focus then shifted below the deck to the rail line where 90,000 cubic meters of soil was removed to allow the rail track infrastructure to be installed in the new 870m trench.
With major construction complete and trains now running, only minor works and landscaping are still to come, with the project set for completion in early 2018.
Camp Road in Campbellfield is one of northern Melbourne’s busiest east–west arterial road. During the 2-hour morning peak the boom gates were down for about 10 minutes, causing delays and congestion for the 30,000 road users each day.
Now the boom gates on Camp Road have gone and the train line has reopened, both road and rail commuters in Melbourne’s north can enjoy a safer and less congested journey, all in time for the busy Christmas period.