Blitz on crossing removal

Two workers inspecting the elevated platform. Picture: SUPPLIED

A 24-7 construction blitz that will begin on Friday 24 November will see the level crossing on Webb Street finally removed.

Construction crews will be removing the boom gates and completing the one-kilometre elevated rail bridge.

This means the demolition of the old Narre Warren Station and the construction of the new one will commence, including lift shafts and stairwells.

For the crew’s safety, buses will be replacing trains on sections of the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines from 9:30 pm on Friday, until the last service on Sunday 10 December.

Normal train services will resume on Monday 11 December and run express through Narre Warren Station over the new rail bridge.

The new elevated station will remain closed and is set to be completed in late March 2024 featuring two accessible platforms, an air-conditioned waiting room and kiosk, secure bike storage and a landscaped forecourt with seating.

There will also be an improvement in pedestrian connections to the Narre Warren village, alongside new bus bays and a signalised pedestrian crossing on Webb Street.

A new drop-off and taxi zone will also be included, with upgraded car parking, improved lighting and CCTV.

The boom gates at Webb Street are down for 33 per cent on the duration of morning peak traffic, which saw huge delays for the 13,200 vehicles that travel through that area every day.

Removal of the crossing will bring the Pakeham line closer to being level-free by 2025, easing congestion and improving travel times in the southeast.

During the construction period sections of the Cranbourne Line will also be experiencing some disruptions to allow for minor commissioning works after the completion of the Port Rail Shuttle Network.

Across Melbourne, 72 level crossings have already been removed, with 110 in the process of being so.

The Cranbourne, Sunbury and Lilydale lines will also be level-crossing-free in 2025, the Frankston line in 2029 and the Werribee line in 2030.

For more information on road and rail projects, visit bigbuild.vic.gov.au.