- Published:
- Sunday 16 February 2020
The bayside suburb of Carrum is now completely free of level crossings, with trains running over a rail bridge to the brand new station.
Minister for Transport Infrastructure Jacinta Allan and Member for Carrum Sonya Kilkenny officially opened the new Carrum Station this morning after a two-week construction blitz delivered the project on time and on budget.
During the blitz, a crew of 180 worked around the clock to remove parts of the temporary track, open McLeod Road and connect the new rail bridge to the existing Frankston line.
The Station Street level crossing was used by 12,000 vehicles each day, with the boom gates down for up to 49 minutes in the two-hour morning peak – and the road configuration saw drivers zig-zagging through dangerous level crossings with congestion clogging Station Street and the Nepean Highway.
The new direct connection from McLeod Road to the Nepean Highway opened last week, slashing travel times and allowing traffic to flow more freely between the Nepean Highway, Frankston Freeway and EastLink.
Thanks to a new intersection and the connection of Station Street over the Patterson River, the dangerous level crossings at Eel Race Road, Carrum and Mascot Avenue, Bonbeach have all been removed.
While construction continues on finishing touches to the station and community spaces, station access will be through the southern entrance near Walkers Road – with the main entrance at McLeod Road to open in mid-2020.
Based on community feedback, the station has been specifically designed to accommodate coastal weather conditions, with weather protection pods, shelter canopies on the platform and wind screens in entrances.
The station will create a town square at its main entrance, a garden at the southern entrance, and a new foreshore park and beach promenade linking Carrum to the bay. More than 80,000 mostly native and indigenous trees and shrubs will also be planted around the station by the end of the year.
Preliminary works are also underway in Carrum to upgrade the Frankston-Dandenong and Thompsons Road roundabout with traffic lights are underway, with major works set to begin in the coming weeks.
The Andrews Labor Government’s massive $3 billion investment on the Frankston line includes the removal of 18 level crossings, with five already gone, and building 12 new stations – allowing for more trains, more often.
For information about major projects across Victoria, and to plan your journey, visit www.bigbuild.vic.gov.au.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Transport Infrastructure Jacinta Allan
“It’s great to see the new Carrum Station bustling with passengers right on schedule - we thank residents and local businesses for their patience during a long construction period to get the job done.”
“With 34 crossings gone and 26 new stations opened, we’re not wasting a minute delivering the road and rail projects our city and state needs.”
Quotes attributable to Member for Carrum Sonya Kilkenny
“The dreaded ding of the boom gates will no longer plague our community, making it safer and quieter.”
“The new direct connection from McLeod Road to the Nepean Highway as well as the Station Street bridge is slashing travel times for local drivers.”