Level Crossing Removal Project

Level Crossing Removal Program

Project overview
Formed	2015
Type	Project team
Jurisdiction	Melbourne
Headquarters	Melbourne
Employees	382 (June 2018)
Minister responsible	Jacinta Allan, Minister for Transport Infrastructure
Project executive	Kevin Devlin, CEO
Parent department	Department of Transport
Parent authority	Major Transport Infrastructure Authority
Website	levelcrossings.vic.gov.au

The Level Crossing Removal Project (LXRP) is a program of the Government of Victoria, Australia, to remove 85 level crossings in Melbourne. After pledging the removal of 50 level crossings at the 2014 Victorian state election, the Andrews Government committed $2.4 billion in the 2015–2016 budget to remove the first 20 crossings by 2018. The remaining 30 are planned to be completed by 2022 at an estimated cost of $6 billion, which was funded through the privatisation of the Port of Melbourne.^[1] Prior to the 2018 state election, the Government committed to remove a further 25 level crossings, using a new prioritisation framework.^[2] In 2021 the government announced a further 10 level crossing removals and 4 level crossing closures would occur by 2025, bringing the total planned level crossing removals to 85 by 2025.^[3][4] As of September 2021, 47 crossings had been removed and 26 train stations had been rebuilt as part of the project.^[3] Previously its own administrative agency, in 2019 the LXRP became a project within the Major Transport Infrastructure Authority, an office of the Victorian Department of Transport.^[5]

Background[]

When Melbourne's railway network was built, because of the city's flat topography and sparse population, many railway crossings were via level crossing rather than bridges or underpasses. As traffic levels increased, these began to become bottlenecks, both for road traffic as well as limiting the number of trains that can be run, especially at peak times. In 1954, the State Government established a committee to look at removal of level crossings at Clifton Hill, Elsternwick, Footscray, Moorabbin, and Newport.^[6][7] These projects were completed by 1960.^[8]

In 1983, the level crossing at Station Street, Box Hill was removed. Other level crossing removals include Dorset Road, Boronia (1998), Middleborough Road, Laburnum (2007), as well as others.

In the early 2010s, level crossings were removed at Nunawading (2010), Springvale (2014), Sunshine (2014) and Mitcham (2014).^[9][10][11]

As of 2014, there were 170 level crossings left on the Melbourne railway network and 228 places where railways had been separated from roads;^[12] by the end of the project only 95 level crossings will remain. Over two-thirds of these grade separations were constructed between 1863 and 1918, with fewer than one level crossing removal per year between 1918 and 2015.^[12] The commitment by the government to remove fifty level crossings over eight years represented the fastest rate of crossing removals in Melbourne's history.^[12]

History[]

Level Crossing Removal Authority contractors working to remove the level crossing at Centre Road, Bentleigh in July 2016

VicRoads compiled a report of the most dangerous level crossings in Victoria and handed it to the State Government in 2014, which in turn prioritised the top 50 for removal through grade separation projects, honouring a commitment made in its 2014 state election manifesto.^[13] Many of the projects also involve the construction of new stations.

In September 2016, the Port of Melbourne lease was concluded providing $9.7 billion into infrastructure and securing funding for the remaining 30 level crossing removals.^[14]

A report by the Victorian Auditor General, released in December 2017, found that the level crossing removal project was unlikely to represent value for money for the state. The report criticised the LXRA for its haste in delivering the program, and found that the rapid pace of the project had contributed to a failure to properly assess the merits of each grade separation. The Auditor General stated that the value of the project was compromised by the apparent political motivation for some crossing removals at the expense of more dangerous or congested intersections.^[15]

In October 2018, LXRA surpassed the State Government's 2014 election commitment of removing 20 level crossings by 2018, having officially removed 29 crossings.^[16] The Andrews Government also committed to removing a further 25 level crossings if it won the 2018 state election, and introduced a new prioritisation framework based on safety, congestion and proximity to emergency services to select the crossings.^[2] In 2021 it was announced another 10 level crossings would be removed at a cost of $2.5 billion, with 4 additional level crossings closed and five train stations rebuilt.^[4] This would leave the Pakenham and Lilydale lines level-crossing free.^[17]

Governance[]

The Level Crossing Removal Authority (LXRA) was formed in May 2015 as an administrative office of the then-new Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources to deliver the project.^[18][19][20]

Later, the LXRA led delivery of other rail projects, including extension of the South Morang railway line to Mernda and upgrades of the Hurstbridge line and Cranbourne line as well as Frankston station. The authority also delivered a new stabling facility north of Wyndham Vale station^[21] and train storage at Kananook.^[22]

The LXRA was abolished as an independent administrative office following the 2018 state election and its functions were absorbed into the newly formed Major Transport Infrastructure Authority at the Department of Transport.

Public discussion and engagement[]

There has been much debate surrounding the project specifically the use of above ground structures to replace the level crossings. The term Skyrail has been defined to describe the development of overhead track structures as a solution to the removal of the at grade crossing. Skyrail has been applied to some not all crossing removals. Other solutions included under ground and over road development.

List of crossing removals[]

Original 50 crossing removals: 2014–2022[]

Below is the LXRA's list of 50 level crossing removals and 3 additional grade separations that will be gone by 2022:^[23]

*Park Road, Cheltenham; Mascot Avenue, Bonbeach and Lochiel Avenue, Edithvale were added to the committed 50 level crossing removals after further consultations. This pushed the number of level crossing removals to 53.

Additional 35 crossing removals: 2022–2025[]

In addition to the extra 25 crossing removals committed to prior to the 2018 state election, a further 10 removals and 4 closed off were proposed in 2021.^[2][53]

New and rebuilt stations[]

26 railway stations have been rebuilt as part of the project, with a further 22 planned or under construction. In addition, four new stations have been added to the metropolitan railway network, with a further new station planned at Pakenham East.

Gallery[]

Notes[]

References[]