Early concept designs have been released for the Bedford Road Level Crossing Removal Project in Melbourne. The project will reduce congestion and improve safety in Melbourne’s eastern suburb of Ringwood by taking trains underneath the road via a 380-metre rail trench.
This solution will reduce the impact on important infrastructure nearby like the rail junction at Ringwood Station. Building a rail trench also provides opportunity to improve pedestrian and cycling connections across the rail tracks and throughout the local area.
More than 13,500 vehicles travel through this level crossing each day, where the boom gates are down for up to 23 minutes of the morning peak.
Removing the boom gates will improve safety for pedestrians and drives, reduce congestion and create a more reliable network with faster travel times, and allow more trains to run, more often.
The Bedford Road level crossing removal was one of 4 additional Lilydale and Belgrave line projects announced by the Victorian Government in 2021, which also included Coolstore Road in Croydon, Dublin Road in Ringwood East and Cave Hill Road in Lilydale.
In total, 12 level crossings will be removed on the Lilydale and Belgrave lines, with six already gone for good and two underway at Union Road, Surrey Hills and Mont Albert Road, Mont Albert.
By 2025, the Victorian Government is aiming to remove 85 level crossings – with 58 already gone for good – improving safety and reducing congestion in Melbourne’s suburbs.
For more information on the project, click here. To view the designs, click here.
Related stories:
- Level crossing now gone at Berwick, Melbourne
- Last VIC level crossing removed for 2021
- New road bridge complete and level crossing removed as part of Hoppers Crossing works