As part of the $15 billion investment to upgrade the Pakenham line in Victoria, more works are set to get underway under the Pakenham Level Crossing Removal Project following the release of designs for the new Pakenham and East Pakenham stations.
The two new stations are going to be delivered through the fast-tracked project that will remove level crossings at McGregor Road, Main Street and Racecourse Road along with the creation of a new open space.
“These are some of the fastest growing suburbs in Victoria. The new stations at Pakenham and East Pakenham will ensure we have the right infrastructure in place at the right time to serve people in these booming communities.
“We’re removing 22 dangerous and congested level crossings on the Pakenham line, with 10 already gone, seven underway and we’ve recently added another five, making the line level crossing free by 2025,” Minister for Transport Infrastructure Jacinta Allan said.
The Pakenham Level Crossing Removal Project aims to deliver a boom gate free line by 2025 as well as transform the way locals travel, work and live. The project will extend the metropolitan rail track by two kilometres and deliver a new East Pakenham Station in this growing Melbourne area.
The new suburb will feature about 7,200 homes and create an additional 1,300 jobs as well as inject more than $1 billion into the Victorian economy over the coming years. The more-than-one-thousand jobs are in addition to the 750 jobs to be created during the construction phase.
The new East Pakenham Station will remove a major bottleneck of M/Line and Metro trains through the delivery of four tracks and dedicated bypass tracks. The new station will also help bust congestion and improve reliability for metropolitan and regional passengers.
On the other hand, the new premium Pakenham Station will help bring life back to the busy pedestrian and shopping precinct while also creating safer and more direct links between public transport, the town centre and additional parking.
The new Pakenham Station – designed by renowned architecture firm Genton – will reflect the character of the suburb. This new station will feature a new forecourt, bus interchange and two dedicated pick-up and drop-off zones to provide people with easier and safer access to the station.
Other features include lifts and stairs that will take passengers to two platforms for regional and metropolitan trains, upgraded modern facilities and a street level climate-controlled waiting room.
450 additional car parking spaces will also be built at Pakenham Station along with secure bike storage as well as new cycling and walking paths alongside the rail line.
“Pakenham is a great place to live and work, it’s also a vital connector to both Melbourne and regional Victoria. These new state-of-the-art stations will be centrepieces our community can be proud of.
“These level crossing removal projects are a real game changer for Pakenham and the region. They will have huge amounts of open space for everyone to enjoy, a main bus interchange and we can’t wait to see our trains run every 10 minutes,” Member for Bass Jordan Crugnale said.
The Pakenham Level Crossing Removal Project will deliver a 2.5-kilometre rail bridge over McGregor Road, Main Street and Racecourse Road, creating new local space the size of six MCGs. Locals are now invited to have their say on these projects.
Works to remove the level crossing are set to commence later this year, with the level crossings permanently gone in 2023/2024. The new stations and open space, on the other hand, will be ready to welcome passengers and locals in 2024.
Source: Premier of Victoria – Media Centre; Level Crossing Removal Project; Construction Advisor