Last Thursday’s closure of the Williamstown North railway station underpass has outraged local residents.
The underpass was closed to allow for a road-level crossing to protect pedestrians crossing the train tracks.
The state government said there was “no way to do this without removing the old underpass”.
More than 300 people last year signed a petition calling for “automated safety barriers” – but not at the expense of closing the underpass.
Two children were killed more than 20 years ago at the crossing and a cyclist suffered irreversible brain injury after being dragged by a train in 2011.
Williamstown MP Wade Noonan, who organised the petition, said he was “utterly outraged” at VicTrack’s actions.
“No closure of a railway underpass ever resulted in a safer crossing; on the contrary, what it leads to is pedestrians taking unnecessary risks.
“This crossing is used by hundreds of schoolchildren every day who will now be placed in even greater danger without an underpass. I am completely gobsmacked by this decision.”
Mr Noonan is calling for community consultation, and for crossing work to stop.
Bristol publican Tony “Bear” Verlaan, whose hotel is across the road, said the underpass should have been left open.
“The whole pub is outraged; I’m disgusted,” he said. Mr Verlaan said the cyclist who suffered brain damage was one of his patrons.
He vividly remembers the deaths of two children. “They were on push bikes and their father was on [the eastern] side of the tracks.
“The train went down to the Williamstown station and they were waving at their father. And when the train passed, they took off on their push bikes and another train came the other way [and] collected them.”
Jodie Whitehurst, whose children Austin, 8, and Toby, 5, attend nearby Williamstown North Primary School, said she was outraged.
“I just think it’s shocking, and I was so surprised at the news, especially with it being done so secretly in the middle of the night with no consultation with anyone.”
At the weekend, the words “Disgraceful” and “Shameful” were scrawled across the pavement and 24-hour security was employed to guard the work site.
Hobsons Bay chief executive Chris Eddy said the council had received no notification of the underpass closure.
“More than six months ago, council officers were involved in the early stages of risk and design options to improve pedestrian safety at this high-traffic location. The council did not have the opportunity to participate in the finalisation of the project plans and was not advised of the commencement of works until [last] week.”
But Jess Maguire, a spokeswoman for Public Transport Minister Terry Mulder, said: “VicTrack investigated a variety of civil design options for the site and the only option in order to create a safe at-grade crossing was closing the existing underpass.
‘‘Hobsons Bay council was involved in the design-risk workshop in October 2013 at which this design solution was agreed upon.”
She said contractors would help pedestrians across Ferguson Street.
