Sky rail tracks to soar up to four storeys above the street in one section

THE $1.6 billion sky rail planned for the southeastern suburbs will soar as high as 12.5m above the street in one section, with residents claiming the premier has “deceived” them.

Trains in the Air. Rail bridges are coming to the suburbs as part of the State Governments plan to remove level crossings. Trains make their way along the raised tracks between Flinders Street and Southern Cross Station. Picture: Eugene Hyland.

THE $1.6 billion sky rail planned for the southeastern suburbs will soar as high as four storeys in one section.

Designs for elevated tracks in Carnegie, seen by the Herald Sun, show that at one point — above Girdwood Ave, between Carnegie and Caulfield stations — tracks would be 12.5m high, nearly 40 per cent higher than the rest of the 8km of sky rail.

Tracks are being raised along the Cranbourne-Pakenham line, Melbourne’s busiest, to remove nine level crossings.

Level Crossing Removal Authority boss Kevin Devlin said: “The vast majority of the elevated track is proposed to be around 9m above ground. The track needs to remain fairly level … so the height from tracks to the ground will vary slightly, for example where the ground dips or rises.”

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He said the track height would “allow good natural light” below bridges, and comply with clearance requirements over roads.

Public feedback would be used to refine the design, he said.

Dianne Hunt, of the Lower Our Tracks protest group, was “astounded” to learn of a higher sky rail, saying residents were considering legal options.

The Opposition’s planning spokesman, David Davis, said: “(Premier) Daniel Andrews has deceived … those along his sky rail. He should have told the truth … This is like a massive four-storey building.”

Public transport minister Jacinta Allan said there had been “extensive consultation” on the design since last May.

“The height … was determined by technical experts, to best separate trains from traffic, buildings and the … new parks, bike paths and community facilities,” she said.

Mr Andrews also said yesterday that expressions of interest had gone out for the Mernda Rail Extension.

Construction will begin early next year on two, or even three, new stations along 8km of new track laid along the South Morang line to Mernda, at a cost of $600 million.

The project will be finished by 2019.

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