Every Single Boom Gate Gone from the Sunbury Line

The Sunbury Line is now boom gate free, with the last three sets of boom gates dismantled from the line, ahead of the opening of the Metro Tunnel later this year.

It follows a weekend works blitz that saw the removal of boom gates at Old Calder Highway, Diggers Rest, and in Calder Park, at Holden Road and at Calder Park Drive, where a new road bridge over the rail line opened to traffic last Tuesday, marking the 87th level crossing removal.

Getting rid of these level crossings improves safety by separating trains from vehicles and cuts congestion on local roads, delivering faster and safer journeys for thousands of people in Melbourne’s busy north west.

Level crossings on the Sunbury Line were among Melbourne’s most dangerous, with multiple fatalities and near misses recorded at several locations along the line.

The first two level crossings to be removed on the line had multiple fatalities and incidents, with two deaths and more than 60 near misses recorded at the Main Road level crossing in St Albans in the decade prior to its removal in 2016, and three fatalities at the nearby Furlong Road level crossing.

New stations were also built at Ginifer and St Albans in 2016, with a memorial garden at the St Albans Station featuring a plaque honoring all Victorians killed at level crossings.

Making the Sunbury Line boom gate free has eased congestion for the 108,000 motorists that used the eight level crossings each weekday, eliminating more than four hours of boom gate down time in the morning peak. It also avoids even longer boom gate down times when the Metro Tunnel opens later this year, paving the way for more services to run on the line.

The Metro Tunnel will connect the Sunbury Line in the city’s north west to the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines in the south east. When the Pakenham Line becomes boom gate free later this year, trains will be able to travel 100km to Sunbury without a single level crossing, providing access to five new underground stations.

Sunbury Line passengers will also benefit from access to new High Capacity Metro Trains on all services when the Metro Tunnel opens. With seven carriages, these trains can accommodate up to 20 per cent more passengers, boosting capacity and accessibility.

Other crossings to go from the line included Melton Highway, Sydenham; Gap Road, Sunbury, and Watsons Road, Diggers Rest, which will see a new road bridge over the rail line open later this year.

The Cranbourne and Pakenham lines will be Melbourne’s next rail lines to be boom gate free later this year, followed by the Frankston Line in 2029 and the Werribee Line in 2030. The Lilydale Line was the first metropolitan rail line to be level crossing free, in 2024.

The Level Crossing Removal Project is removing 110 dangerous and congested level crossings across Melbourne by 2030, with 87 now completed.

Quote attributable to Member for St Albans Natalie Suleyman

“Level crossings on the Sunbury Line were some of Melbourne’s most dangerous, including in St Albans, with locals now experiencing safer journeys following the removal of the deadly level crossings at Main and Furlong roads, and the new St Albans and Ginifer Stations.”