Heatherdale Rd level crossing at Mitcham to be removed if Labor wins office
LABOR’S pre-election pledge to remove level crossings across Melbourne now extends to Heatherdale Rd, Mitcham.‘
East
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A THIRD Mitcham level crossing will be removed if Labor wins the state election in November.
Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews today pledged to remove the Heatherdale Rd level crossing if his party was successful in the poll.
It would be the third Mitcham level crossing to be removed, after the Mitcham and Rooks roads crossings were separated by the State Government earlier this year.
Mr Andrews said the first step to fixing roads and public transport in the seat of Ringwood was to remove the Heatherdale Rd crossing.
“This level crossing is dangerous and congested and it needs to go,” Mr Andrews said.
“Level crossings cause chaos on the roads, slow down trains and put lives in danger.
“(Ringwood Labor candidate) Tony Clark has worked hard since he became the candidate to ensure we understood how dangerous it is and necessary the removal of this crossing is.”
Mr Andrews said Labor had committed to removing the state’s 50 worst level crossings.
“We will start work on removing those on day one,” he said.
Mr Andrews said it was necessary to remove level crossings in order to increase the number of train services.
Mr Clark said the crossing currently divided the community.
“Labor’s plan will mean less congestion on our streets and more trains on the Lilydale/Belgrave lines,” Mr Clark said.
Mr Andrews said Labor had already committed to remove four other level crossings on the Belgrave and Lilydale lines, including Mountain Highway and Scoresby Rd in Bayswater, and Maroondah Highway in Lilydale.
Labor has also promised to continue the Blackburn Rd level crossing removal project currently being undertaken by the State Government.
Roads and Public Transport Minister Terry Mulder has been contacted for comment.
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