Level Crossing Removal Project: Surrey Hills and Mont Albert crossings to go

After years of near misses and two deaths, two dangerous level crossings in Melbourne's east are finally set to go, with work to be fast-tracked.

The dangerous Surrey Hills and Mont Albert level crossings will be removed by 2023, with the rail line to go underground.

The State Government announced work to remove the Union Rd and Mont Albert Rd crossings would be fast-tracked, with the rail trench design to ease congestion, improve safety, and deliver more frequent services.

There were two fatalities at Union Rd in 2016 when a train and car collided and there have been eight near-misses at the crossings since 2005.

Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allan labelled the crossings “dangerous and congested death traps” in 2018.

About 22,000 vehicles travel through the crossings each day, with the boom gates down for up to 40 per cent of the two-hour morning peak when up to 61 trains travel through them.

Box Hill state Labor MP Paul Hamer said the project would also deliver a single premium station with entrances at both the Mont Albert and Surrey Hills ends.

“Extensive engineering investigations have shown that with roads, businesses and homes so close to a curved rail line, building two new stations is not feasible,” Mr Hamer said on Facebook.

“It would mean permanently closing local roads, compulsorily acquiring homes and businesses, prolonging disruption to the local community, and would result in station platforms a daunting 12m — equivalent of a four-storey building — below ground level at Mont Albert (almost twice as a deep as any other suburban station).”

But the operators of Facebook page Mont Albert Village said they were “devastated” to lose the suburb’s station.

“The station is part of our Village. Completely unacceptable to lose it. The plan was to get rid of the rail crossings, not take away stations,” the page said on Facebook.

The Mont Albert station building will be refurbished and relocated within the precinct for community use.

Early works to remove the crossings will start in mid-2021, with major construction starting 2022.