Labor adds 25 to its list of 50 level crossing removals

The Andrews Government has unveiled another election policy, this time extending its list of 50 level crossing removals to 75.  $6.6 billion is the pricetag for the additional level crossing removals and according to the government it will be paid for out of state budget surpluses.

The original list of 50 level crossings was an election policy for the Andrews Government in 2014 and so far 28 have been completed, financed primarily out of the sale of the 50-year lease over the Port of Melbourne.  Originally 20 were scheduled to be completed by the end of the first time of government and the full list of 50 after two terms.

Dandenong to Caulfield was one of the more high profile set of level crossing removals throughout the first term of government that saw 9 removed with elevated track and it also included rebuilding 5 stations on the line.

Other than the Frankston line, broadly speaking, the level crossing removals that have been completed have been all around the metropolitan area - Bayswater saw two removed, the Cranbourne line is seeing two to be removed, Bell Street on both the Mernda and Upfield lines will see removals.

Frankston line level crossings still feature heavily - mostly because there are just so many of them (closely followed by the Mernda line) - however one detectable theme is that the new additions to the list that have been announced 'round out' suburbs, Preston and Coburg are a prime example.

The election policy announcement from the Andrews Government named 14 level crossings with another 11 to be announced a later date.

• MONT ALBERT Road & Union Road in Surrey Hills/MONT ALBERT.  Once those two level crossings are removed, there will be zero level crossings left between Ringwood and the City.
• Glenhuntly Road and Neerim Road in Glenhuntly.  Glenhuntly Road includes the double-whammy train and tram track level crossing that slows trains to a crawl and both roads are the last in the Moorabbin - City segment to be removed.
• Argyle Avenue, Chelsea Road and Swanpool Avenue in Chelsea.  The three Chelsea level crossings plus the two in Glenhuntly will bring the total number of Frankston line level crossing removals to 16.
• Munro Street and Reynard Street in Coburg.  This increases the number of proposed level crossing removals in Coburg from 2 to 4.
• Oakover Road, Murray Road and Cramer Street in Preston. Removing these three level crossings, including the already identified Bell Street, will have the effect of removing all level crossings at Bell and Preston stations.
• Gap Road/Station Street in Sunbury.  This road ringfences Sunbury station and based on the surface level infrastructure located at Sunbury station and the extra cost in altering it, it's likely the road will pass under the rail track.
• Old Geelong Road in Hoppers Crossing. The last of the major roads to be removed on the outer end of the Werribee Line - several remain on the Altona Loop line and main line between the eastern Altona Loop junction and Footscray.

The level crossing removal authority has also today published a site prioritisation framework on its website.