(AUS) Removing a level crossing.

Over the last 8 years the Victorian government have been removing level crossings as part of an election promise made back by the Andrews Labor government. Initially 50 level crossings were promised to be removed the number has increased to 110.


Narre Warren and level crossing at Webb Street was added to the list of level crossings to be removed in July 2021. The current station is where I spent some of teenage years starting out my rail photography.



As part of the removal the railway line was to be elevated with a new station to be built next to the current station. Narre Warren is no stanger to level crossing removals. In 2004 Narre Warren - Cranbourne Road to the east of the station was duplicated and as part of the duplication the level crossing was removed the duplicated road going under the rail line.




The final artists impression of the station looking north.

From the LXRA/Bigbuild website.

https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/library/lev ... al-designs

Indigenous elements were added to the design of the station reflecting the local area as a place of movement and meeting.

https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/library/lev ... fact-sheet


Narre Warren is an island 2 track station. The current station has been in it's location on the west side of Webb Street since 1995. The current station buildings date back to 2003 when it was upgraded to a premium station featuring station building with a customer service desk.

https://imgur.com/BL6HtBb

The main entrance of the station in 2006.

https://i.imgur.com/aUO87cW.jpg

Hitachi 23M stops at Narre Warren to pick up passengers. Next to the track is the former station masters house which was demolished 2006-2007.

https://i.imgur.com/bOKKJrJ.jpg

Siemens 739M trails a down Pakenham train in 2006.

The first signs of work appeared in November with parts of the eastern carpark closed off and holes dug into the platform to allow the placement of temporary overhead stanchions.
https://imgur.com/71QHq6X

Looking towards the city.

And delineation fencing was added next to both tracks.
https://imgur.com/9ECRM8n

In December the both carparks were closed and the temporary overhead stanchions were placed.

https://imgur.com/p7qlYGb

https://imgur.com/8Pa8Dr1


A week later the lights were removed from the carpark.

https://imgur.com/SuwxwPh


In Febuary of 2023 the carpark was leveled and the machines moved in.

https://imgur.com/4E6tM52



One week later in March first up was the pile drill. Each support for the new viaduct required multiple piles to be put into the ground. Work started around the eastern carpark before moving to the west side carpark. Each pile was drilled out and filled with concrete before reinforcing bars were put into the concrete. All up 110 holes were dug.

https://imgur.com/42U4ZDI


In April the steel mesh that makes up the headstocks of the station arrived on side. These were cast on site.

https://imgur.com/LAggE7j


Early May saw the digging out of the piles to start construction of the piers.

https://imgur.com/Fajv5I5


Mid to late May the first piers for the elevated track were ready to be cast. In this case they were cast on site.

https://i.imgur.com/Y4hFPmm.jpg

And we saw the arrival of a crawler crane to lift the headstocks onto the piers.

https://imgur.com/nlVO6B5

In June multiple headstocks were placed.

https://imgur.com/K7EQchk

And piling began on the far east side of the carpark next to Narre Warren - Cranbourne Road.

https://imgur.com/ejt9cwF

Late June saw the first Super T Beam placed. These beams form the platform of the new station. In this case this beam is for the new citybound platform 1.

https://imgur.com/B23UlT6

July saw multiple Super T beams placed for both plaforms, L beams forming U troughs and more piers.

https://imgur.com/4waoX84



August saw more placement of L beams and the final placement of the Super T Beams.

https://imgur.com/2zEBt2z

Looking towards the city.

https://imgur.com/Yitpr47

Looking towards Pakenham.

Early September saw the first L beams over the level crossing at Webb Street. At the same time the ramps that lead to the viaduct started construction.

https://imgur.com/LRs5SUY

Late September the lift shafts started to take form. The nature of this removal meant the citybound lift shafts were constructed in the temperory carpark to the south of the station. The Pakenham bound shafts were able to be constructed in place.

https://imgur.com/dmvAdI2

Also arriving on site was the first steel bridge peices that would span over Narre Warren - Cranbourne Road.

https://imgur.com/GIVt3xE


In October the steelwork for the station and surrounding infrastructe started to be placed.

https://imgur.com/T8uAs8a


Late October the steel bridges over Narre Warren - Cranbourne road were placed. The LXRA has fantastic photos of the process

https://imgur.com/lNJe0Ey

https://imgur.com/tqRzfLW

Photos from the LXRA Facebook/Twitter page.

https://twitter.com/levelcrossings/stat ... 9593983009

https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/news/level- ... rre-warren


And now we arrive at November. Signals are in place, the ramps are in place, the new station buildings are under construction. The end of the current station was near.

https://imgur.com/jRmBJQ9

https://imgur.com/wDVDJfZ

And it was announced mid November that the station that served the Narre Warren area since 1995, and level crossing that has been in there for over 100 years would be no more.

https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/library/lev ... d-december


On November 24 in all but a few hours the level crossing at Webb Street would become consigned to the history books.

https://imgur.com/o3qkPFZ


At 2145 hours on the 24th of November HCMT unit 25 on run 4096 departed Narre Warren and crossed Webb Street as the final train to do so.

It's a huge commitment, but the right thing to do for any new line, especially in an urban or congested setting.

Week 1 of the shutdown has concluded.

Much has changed.

By Monday the level crossing equipment for both cars and pedestrians have been removed.
https://i.imgur.com/ZIAKlpm.jpg

The track had been lifted and the overhead removed.
https://i.imgur.com/f2qzNPd.jpg

The now old station platforms and buildings were reduced to rubble.
https://i.imgur.com/Blc0Kzn.jpg


Friday saw most of the track laying and the and new home signals NWA779 at the up end of platform 1 and NWA780 at the down end of platform 2 were lit. The overhead crews began the process of stringing up the new overhead, starting with the dual traction feeders.
https://i.imgur.com/QyzTFoD.jpg

The old station area is now nothing but dirt. Being leveled to begin construction of the platform 1 staircases and lift shafts along with the extension of Rebound Court.
https://i.imgur.com/jGpsU4t.jpg

It has been a few months but progress has been made.

On the 11th of December trains began using the new viaduct and ran express through the station.

Work on the stairs and lifts on platform 1 are well underway.
https://imgur.com/QsBgCfN
Same on platform 2
https://imgur.com/UK09P1z

In the last few days station signage has appeared:
https://i.imgur.com/StIsip2.jpg
The station is set to re open on the 28th of March.

I got to set foot into the new station on Good Friday.

https://i.imgur.com/Ic9wolI.jpg
From the Webb Street entrance looking towards the paid area. On the left is the new customer service desk. On the right is the yet to be finished waiting room. In the middle of the paid area is new PIDs displaying the next two trains in each direction. Access to the each platform is via stairs or a lift. At this stage only 1 lift per platform is in use.
As it can be seen despite the station being open there is still plenty of work to do at ground level.

https://i.imgur.com/oB69Uan.jpg
On platform level we exit from the lift onto the citybound platform 1 looking towards the city. In contrast to the old station the new station is two side platforms.
The new station has more shelter and PIDs unlike the old one.
https://i.imgur.com/gQ1OuVp.jpg
Looking towards Pakenham