By Matthew Sims
North Williamstown commuters and community members now have a renewed train station and community facilities, with the Ferguson Street Level Crossing Removal project wrapping up recently.
The project involved the level crossing at Ferguson Street being removed by lowering the rail line under the road, making way for the new North Williamstown station and an upgraded precinct for the community to enjoy.
Complete with public artwork, seating, a table tennis table, bike storage facilities and landscaped open spaces, the project aimed to improve safety for the 25,000 vehicles which use the intersection daily, as well as pedestrians and cyclists.
Williamstown MP Melissa Horne said she was grateful to the community for their patience during the project works.
“We’re already seeing huge benefits from the removal of the dangerous Ferguson St level crossing and the brand-new North Williamstown Station, including improved safety,” she said.
crews have been undertaking landscaping and finishing works on blending the old building from the early 1900s with a new and modern style.
The new station precinct has incorporated the original red brick station on the city-bound platform, using about 2500 recycled bricks.
The landscapers salvaged bluestone pavers and red bricks from the station building on the eastern side for the new station forecourt.
Work to renovate and restore the original station building, such as replacing rotting timbers, repairing masonry and replacing crumbling brickwork, uncovered two fireplaces stacked neatly below existing ones.
The project team also repurposed steel arbour structures from the old station in the new station forecourt, with wires fitted so that climbing plant varieties can grow over them.
During construction, crews dug out about 50,000 tonnes of soil, clay and tough basalt rock from under Ferguson Street and in the rail corridor.
Crews also planted more than 40,000 native plants, trees and shrubs around the station and surrounding areas.
