By Lynda Myer
Pakenham East’s new station position in Victoria, has been revealed. It smooths the way for the elimination of three more level crossings in the area and the expansion of the rail line to the new suburb. The intended location for the new station is between Deep Creek and the Princes Freeway.
Due to this fast-tracked project a better transport connection will be happen in the growing Pakenham community.
Three hazardous and congested crossings – including the notorious McGregor Road boom gates (that interrupt the vital north-south connection through the heart of Pakenham), the Main Street and the Racecourse Road, will be elevated by this rail line.
A $15 billion budget has been awarded by Victorian Government for this project which will provide Pakenham’s development to the east, extend the metropolitan rail line by 2km, and generate new stations at Pakenham and Pakenham East.
Victorian Minister of Transport Infrastructure, Jacinta Allan, stated: “We’re delivering the infrastructure our growing south-east and Melbourne’s newest suburb needs – future-proofing the Pakenham and Gippsland lines and paving the way for more train services, more often.”
By removing a main bottleneck where nowadays V/Line and Metro have to elide onto the same tracks and separate Metro turn back tracks and dedicated V/Line tracks, this project will cause avoiding congestion and improving train reliability, so the new station will profit both suburban train passengers and those travelling to Gippsland.
Causing 7,200 new homes, creating 1,300 new jobs and adding more than $1 billion to the Victorian economy over the next years, are the Melbourne’s newest suburb advantages in Pakenham East.
While the project paves the way for more trusty services resulting benefits the new suburb, it will also create a small number of property acquisitions – and as the Victorian Government said, the project team is working closely with owners and residents throughout this process.
According to a survey in December 2020, 100 residents offered their ideas for the rail project with the vast majority presenting their eagerness to see improved traffic flow and safety and better connections between shops, parks and public transport in and around Pakenham.
The next survey which includes asking local’s bids about the look and feel of the new station precincts, will begin later in 2021, when early works on the level crossing removals begin.
“We’re getting started with early work on this massive project this year – boosting safety, easing congestion, and delivering two new stations to better connect our community,” said Jordan Crugnale, a member of Bass.
The Cardinia Road crossing has been removed recently. Besides, the three level crossings are going to be removed in 2023/24. These are four of 17 crossings to be removed along the Pakenham line. The opening date of the new station will be in 2024.
