Passengers in Melbourne's south-east are reminded to plan ahead as construction ramps up in Pakenham to remove three dangerous and congested level crossings and build two new stations at Pakenham and East Pakenham.
The level crossings at McGregor Road, Main Street and Racecourse Road are being removed by building an elevated rail bridge over the roads. The crossings will be gone for good and new, modern, accessible stations at Pakenham and East Pakenham will open to passengers in 2024.
A team of more than 500 construction crew will work around the clock in July and August, with works including piling - using giant drills to install large posts into the ground - installing overhead cables and signals and drainage works along the line.
In recent months, the project team has set up site sheds for the Pakenham workforce in Bourke Park and at East Pakenham and completed track and excavation works.
A new, modern premium station will be built at Pakenham, rejuvenating the town centre and providing safer and more direct connections between public transport, local shopping and additional parking.
The Pakenham rail line will also be extended by two kilometres and a brand-new East Pakenham Station built to meet the needs of this fast-growing community. Expected to include more than 7000 homes, residents of the new Pakenham East suburb will have easy access to the new station when it opens - connecting locals to public transport, schools, shopping and employment opportunities from the day they move in.
In other great news for commuters, the new East Pakenham Station will include 300 car parking spaces, as well as bike facilities, bus bays and dedicated pick-up and drop-off zones to allow passengers to be easily dropped off and collected close to the station - giving people the option to leave the car at home.
Featuring four tracks - including two dedicated bypass tracks - the new station will remove a major V/Line and Metro trains bottleneck, slashing congestion and boosting reliability for regional and metropolitan passengers.
The project will create six MCGs worth of new community open space underneath for locals to enjoy, with designs expected to be released later this year, incorporating community feedback.
To allow crews to safely get the works done, buses will replace trains on sections of the Pakenham, Cranbourne and Gippsland lines between Wednesday 27 July and Sunday 7 August.
The Pakenham line will be level crossing free by 2025, with 22 level crossings being removed on the line. When it opens in 2025, the Metro Tunnel and associated network improvements will create room for 121,000 passengers every week on the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines during peak periods.
For more information about the Pakenham Level Crossing Removal Project or to plan your journey please visit www.bigbuild.vic.gov.auExternal Link.
As stated by Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Jacinta Allan
"We're getting on with this project that will mean locals will never get stuck at a level crossing in Pakenham again."
"We'll make the roads and rail line safer for everyone, easy traffic congestion and create more than six MCGs worth of open space for the whole community to enjoy."
As stated by Member for Bass, Jordan Crugnale
"It's great to see so much progress on site. I know the construction team has already been working hard and their efforts will ramp up over the coming months.
"I'd like to thank the community for their patience as we get on with this crucial job at Pakenham. The new Pakenham Station will be a real centrepiece for the suburb and the station at East Pakenham will help ensure the right infrastructure is in place for our newest residents."
