Tuesday, 16 May 2023

Glen Huntly level crossing removals

Ryan BATCHELOR (Southern Metropolitan) (17:02): (204) My adjournment is for the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure. I seek an update on the progress of the Level Crossing Removal Project in Glen Huntly in my electorate of Southern Metropolitan. Everyone wants a faster, safer commute to work and school, and that is exactly what we are about to deliver in Glen Huntly, removing two dangerous and congested level crossings as well as one of Melbourne’s last remaining tram squares. Last week I got to see the end of an era, with the boom gates finally removed at Glen Huntly Road. I cannot wait to drive through the newly designed intersection without having to wait for trams and trains to clear.

Members interjecting.

Ryan BATCHELOR: Members are really interested in this. As I said, Glen Huntly is home to one of Melbourne’s last tram squares, which is where trams and trains intersect with the road. This is notorious in the local area for causing traffic delays. The implications of this are that to cross this tram square, trains were forced to slow down to a maximum speed of only 20 kilometres per hour, trams had to stop moving through the intersection and vehicles were forced to wait for the intersection to clear. That meant that boom gates at the tram square level crossing were sometimes down for 60 minutes during the 2-hour weekday peak, meaning commutes through the area were unpredictable and dangerous with the intersection of trams, trains, pedestrians, cyclists and passengers.

Just wait until it comes around, because on 2 June we are officially beginning the big dig in Glen Huntly. A kilometre-long tunnel is being dug underneath the existing railway line, and about 65 Olympic swimming pools worth of soil is being excavated. It is amazing. There will be a brand new station at Glen Huntly, and I am pleased to say that we have fixed Victoria’s oldest spelling mistake. By adding the space back into the name ‘Glenhuntly station’, we are fixing a mistake that was introduced back in the 1930s.

These two level crossings and the tram square are going to be gone by August, meaning the 20,000 vehicles travelling through the intersections every day will have significantly reduced travel times. I cannot wait to see the new intersections in Glen Huntly. I invite all members opposite to join me at the opening, and you will see how good it is too.