Michaela Meade
North Williamstown station will be closed to rail passengers from Monday, August 2 as the removal of the Ferguson Street level crossing gets under way.
A shuttle bus will be in place to transport passengers to neighbouring stations.
Major works for the crossing removal kicked off last week. As part of the works, the rail line will be lowered under the road, making way for a new North Williamstown Station, as well as an upgraded precinct for the community.
The excavation of a 750-metre trench for the lowering will begin in August, with buses replacing trains between Newport and Williamstown from Friday, August 20 until Saturday, November 13.
According to Major Road Projects Victoria (MRPV), the Ferguson Street crossing is used by about 25,000 vehicles a day, with more than 110 trains passing through.
MRPV said the crossing had a poor safety record, with two fatalities, one collision with a cyclist and at least five near misses.
Level Crossing Removal Project (LXRP) program director Tony Hedley said the works will be very involved, with enough material to fill 20 Olympic swimming pools needing to be removed
“Both the piling and excavation works are expected to cause significant noise and vibration, so I’d like to extend my thanks in advance to locals for their patience and understanding,” he said.
“The end result will be a safer Williamstown, with North Williamstown station open to passengers and trains running on lowered tracks.”
