The plan seems to include a connection from the bee station to the shopping centre on the opposite side of the road making a great change and easy access to the station from the shops. Must be a Southland style connection with the land but over the road and integrated.

Designs for new station and rail trench for Ringwood level crossing removal released

Member for Ringwood, Dustin Halse, said, “Every local knows the frustration of being stuck at these locations when the boom gates are down. That’s why we are getting rid of them – and building a state of the art new train station at Ringwood East.” The Bedford Road level crossing will also be replaced with a rail trench, following the unveiling of the concept designs for the removal earlier this year.

So it really is to benefit cars and not trains?

Member for Ringwood, Dustin Halse, said, “Every local knows the frustration of being stuck at these locations when the boom gates are down. That’s why we are getting rid of them – and building a state of the art new train station at Ringwood East.” The Bedford Road level crossing will also be replaced with a rail trench, following the unveiling of the concept designs for the removal earlier this year.

So it really is to benefit cars and not trains?

It's not like trains have been stuck waiting for cars at the crossings they've been replacing.

Maybe another way is what has been the benefit to rail with the two crossings being removed ?

My point is you cannot keep saying this is a train related project when there is no benefit to the trains.

My point is you cannot keep saying this is a train related project when there is no benefit to the trains.

True, but politicians are always going to spin projects they're behind as benefiting the widest possible amount of people. Just see them every time they're handing out cash to a sporting arena talking about the "benefit to the community" when it's usually just giving money to an elite sporting club that has claimed the ground as its own.

If it's new work that involves trains, then they're going to claim it "benefits" trains, even if the whole point of the project is obviously just to benefit cars and the local community.

My point is you cannot keep saying this is a train related project when there is no benefit to the trains.

If rebuilding of railway tracks and stations isn't a rail project, I wonder what is. If you care to ask any driver, he/she will tell you that eliminating the risk of level crossing crashes is very definitely beneficial to the train and the driver.

My point is you cannot keep saying this is a train related project when there is no benefit to the trains.

Surely that's a bit short-sighted?

Rebuilding and modernising rail stations directly benefits rail commuters. Level crossings also cause delays to rail passengers - gates fail, vehicles get stuck etc. causing line suspension.

And the long game is the benefit that can be realised once all crossings are removed on a section of track (Sunbury to Pakenham anybody?): you can run trains at higher frequencies. It will have taken 11 years from the start of LXRA, but when MM1 opens in 2025 we'll actually see this become reality.

I am probably tired of hearing how this is a "rail" project for benefit when it benefits more cars and roads.  Has a single level crossing removal translated to more frequent services?

I am probably tired of hearing how this is a "rail" project for benefit when it benefits more cars and roads.  Has a single level crossing removal translated to more frequent services?

Not that I know of, but it has eliminated a significant cause of delayed or bustituted services.

Member for Ringwood, Dustin Halse, said, “Every local knows the frustration of being stuck at these locations when the boom gates are down. That’s why we are getting rid of them – and building a state of the art new train station at Ringwood East.” The Bedford Road level crossing will also be replaced with a rail trench, following the unveiling of the concept designs for the removal earlier this year.

So it really is to benefit cars and not trains?

It's not like trains have been stuck waiting for cars at the crossings they've been replacing.

Trains get stuck big time when some motorist does something stupid on the level crossing and a collision occurs.

I am probably tired of hearing how this is a "rail" project for benefit when it benefits more cars and roads.  Has a single level crossing removal translated to more frequent services?

Pakenham/Cranbourne lines, with more services to come once the metro tunnel opens. Metro Tunnel + no level crossings removed would not see 20-30tph.

Yeah when the Dandenong to Caulfield section was grade separated, they increased the services on that line if I can recall. Once they remove more crossings along a corridor you're likely to see a frequency boost to the line.

LXRP is both a rail and road project as it involves both intersecting each other causing both safety issues and delays.

Also improves public transport that run on the roads like bus routes that people forget sometimes.

Removing the tram square at Glenhuntly will significantly improve the Frankston line operation and the tram operation. That's a massive public transport boost when you remove tram and train crossings.

Calling it a road project vastly ignores the benefits it brings to railway and the interconnecting modes of transport. While the LXRP was formed initially as a way to reduce road congestion, it's starting to become in itself a rail upgrade program with duplications and other upgrades included into the works.

The plan seems to include a connection from the bee station to the shopping centre on the opposite side of the road making a great change and easy access to the station from the shops. Must be a Southland style connection with the land but over the road and integrated.

Designs for new station and rail trench for Ringwood level crossing removal released

You're getting the crossings mixed up. Ringwood East is the station being trenched (Dublin Rd); all Ringwood East has opposite the station is a tiny strip of generic 9-5 shops and an IGA that isn't open much later. The grade separation in Ringwood proper is Bedford Rd, which is on the Belgrave line and located about a kilometre from Ringwood station towards Heathmont, nowhere near the shopping centre (Eastland).

Apparently the government wanted to build a bridge from Ringwood station across the extremely busy Maroondah Highway and integrate it with Eastland (or Realm, as that section is called), but Eastland's owners (QIC) opposed it as they want thousands of cars parking there instead so they can make free money.

The thread title causes confusion. This should be in the 50 level crossings to be removed thread.