Moving Melton

Transport Prospectus 2024

Level Crossing Removals

We welcome the commitment of the Victorian Government to remove six level crossings in the City of Melton, including:

  • Calder Park Drive, Calder Park by 2025

  • Old Calder Highway, Diggers Rest by 2025

  • Exford Road/Station Street, Melton by 2026

  • Coburns Road, Melton by 2026

  • Ferris Road, Cobblebank by 2026

  • Hopkins Road, Truganina by 2026.

And the Construction of the new Melton Station by 2026.

These projects will help improve congestion and make journeys safer and more reliable.

We seek the removal of the remaining level crossings along the Melton line.

Removal of the level crossing at Leakes Road, Rockbank will improve safety, reduce congestion and allow more trains, more often.

Boom gates are currently down for up to 28 minutes of the morning peak while 16 trains pass through. The recent upgrade to the Ballarat Line allows an additional 125 trains a week through the crossing.

Safety

In the five-year period between 2015 and 2019 (pre-COVID), there have been 6 crashes in the project area, including 2 serious collision and 8 injuries.

Congestion

Leakes Road, at the level crossing, carries approximately 9,000 vehicles a day and traffic modelling commissioned by Council indicate that this will increase to over 20,600 vehicles per day by 2031.

Solution

  • Leakes Road will be closed at the Ballarat Rail Line and a new arterial road, named Rockbank Road, will be grade separated from the Ballarat Rail Line and constructed from the Western Highway to the west of the future Rockbank town centre.

Leakes Road, Rockbank

• Artist’s render of the completed project

Closure of the level crossing at Troups Road North, Rockbank will improve safety, reduce congestion and allow more trains, more often.

Boom gates are currently down for up to 28 minutes of the morning peak while 16 trains pass through. The recent upgrade to the Ballarat Line allows an additional 125 trains a week through the crossing.

Safety

In the five-year period between 2015 and 2019 (pre-COVID), there were no crashes in the project area.

Congestion

Troups Road North, at the level crossing, carries approximately 1,500 vehicles a day. The expectation is that this will fall as the road is expected to be truncated at the Western Highway as part of the Western Highway upgrade.

Solution

  • The level crossing at Troups Road North can be closed and residents can use the upgraded Leakes Road. This will be possible as Troups Road North will be truncated at the Western Highway

Troups Road North, Rockbank

Removal of the level crossing at Paynes Road, Rockbank will improve safety, reduce congestion and allow more trains, more often.

Boom gates are currently down for up to 28 minutes of the morning peak while 16 trains pass through. The recent upgrade to the Ballarat line allows an additional 125 trains a week through the crossing.

Safety

In the five-year period between 2015 and 2019 (pre-COVID), there has been one crash in the project area.

Congestion

Paynes Road, at the level crossing, carries approximately 670 vehicles a day and traffic modelling commissioned by Council indicates that this will increase to over 9,300 vehicles per day by 2031.

Solution

  • A new road bridge over rail will improve traffic flow and shared path will improve local connections

Paynes Road, Rockbank

• Artist’s render of the completed project

Removal of the level crossing at Mount Cottrell Road, Rockbank will improve safety, reduce congestion and allow more trains, more often.

Boom gates are currently down for up to 28 minutes of the morning peak while 16 trains pass through. The recent upgrade to the Ballarat line allows an additional 125 trains a week through the crossing.

Safety

In the five-year period between 2015 and 2019 (pre-COVID), there have been two crashes in the project area, including one serious collision and one fatality.

Congestion

Mount Cottrell Road, at the level crossing, currently carries approximately 1,500 vehicles a day and traffic modelling commissioned by Council indicates that this will increase to over 9,300 vehicles per day by 2031.

Solution

  • A new road bridge over rail will improve traffic flow and shared path will improve local connections from Thornhill Park into Cobblebank.

Mount Cottrell Road, Rockbank

• Artist’s render of the completed project