Learning From Melbourne’s Level Crossing Removal Project

[@adammurphy6845]

Always enjoy a Martin & Martin collab!

[@RMTransit]

Its always a pleasure, Martin makes such great stuff.

[@adammurphy6845]

I agree, as do you

[@Taitset]

Always fun to appear on another Martin-operated channel!

[@Ozvideo1959]

@@RMTransit Great video, as usual. I do think another advantage of level crossing removal is a reduction in rail crossings for pedestrians. We've all seen videos on YT of people who try to dash across the tracks ahead of an incoming or outgoing train, especially younger people.

[@namariumtransit]

Fun fact: *Dumb Ways to Die* was made by Metro Trains Melbourne Edit: It was actually made by a PR company that MTM contacted.

[@andrewehyang]

One of the lines was “drive around the boom gates at a level crossing” guess they don’t need to worry about that anymore

[@estrheagen4160]

@@andrewehyang yeah the point of the song is "There are many dumb ways to die but dying because you were unsafe around trains is the dumbest"

[@Skasaha_]

Our local tram operator also commissioned the first rhino on a skateboard safety campaign that was reused elsewhere around the world.

[@RMTransit]

Its amazing that I don't think most people ever made the connection.

[@MisterFro9]

We still have a number of level crossings, but yeah, way fewer

[@ClymenusKing]

As a Melbourne resident, it’s always nice to see Melbourne discussed on the channel!

[@USER_UCsy8cDNwPFvm1etDe1y9sEg]

@@ClymenusKinghow are you able to sleep through the constant horns every night just out of curiosity

[@damfadd]

​@USER_UCsy8cDNwPFvm1etDe1y9sEgonly certain nights they run all night otherwise its quiet after 1am mostly

[@MrAljosav]

I regularly walk the Caulfield-Hughesdale section underneath the elevated “skyrail” rail on the Dandenong line. It’s the chef’s kiss when it comes to doing transit orientated design properly! All the NIMBYs kept harping on about how it will ruin their property prices, fearing that underneath the elevated tracks it would be dark and dingy, full of graffiti, drugs and homeless people, but none of that has eventuated. In fact, quite the opposite has happened, as it is a brightly lit, grassy landscape with vines growing up the elevated rail viaduct’s pylons. It’s used heavily by dog walkers, runners, cyclists, and has various playgrounds, outdoor gym equipment, basketball courts, table tennis courts, etc., along the entire skyrail. It’s a fantastic piece of work integrating the community and not splitting the community in half with the trench solution used on the nearby Frankston line.

[@RMTransit]

The amenities are absolutely an asset for the community and I would be surprised if they don't increase property values!

[@DandamanV]

The nimbys were wrong, I'm shocked, shocked I tell you!

[@Kni0002]

god I hate NIMBYS.. They bought a house next to a rail line.. Very glad that they get ignored mostly, id happily support any protected paths and parks replacing empty grass fields or whatever next to suburbia full of nimbys.

[@johnp2001]

The whole corridor is an absolute delight, and it’s staggering how much it’s used.

[@radicallyrethinkingrailwaysina]

@Kni0002 there were no genuine NIMBYs it was all astroturf cooked up by the drink driver Davis. Why are people so poor at spotting turfers? Look at SRL the leading anti admitted her conflutes were printed by the liberal candidate

[@hazmont]

I think your audience might have benefited from some numbers - 110 level crossings are planned for removal and this number has already been increased a number of times. 84 have already been completed, and that's ahead of schedule. The local community groups are always discussing and petitioning which ones should be done next. There were also a few conflicting tram squares removed, where road tram and train rails crossed with each other and had an interesting system to swap electrification voltages in the overhead wires, so trams are benefited slightly from this project too.

[@ianmontgomery7534]

i think there may be only one tram squares left - at Kooyong.

[@anthonypenrose4703]

@@ianmontgomery7534 2 the other is on Riversdale Rd that crosses the Alamein line

[@joshwright3901]

@@ianmontgomery7534 There’s also the one at Riversdale on the Alamein line

[@Myrtone]

Two tram squares were removed. However, in most cases, rail services have no so far increase following level crossing removals. Also, if you look at which level crossing removals have been prioritized, it is actually benefiting cars more than anything else.

[@ianmontgomery7534]

@@Myrtone The trains that go through Dandenong are now more frequent but not by a huge amount. This may change when the metro tunnel is operational and they use the new signalling system. If the only real benefit is faster times for emergency vehicles then i am happy.

[@goatfiddler8384]

Ex Melbournian, now Perthite here, so a current local may remember this better but I think it was the Springvale Rd crossing at Nudawading station that really got people on board. Train frequency on the Lilydale & Belgrave lines was being increased resulting in the boomgates on Springvale Rd, a very major north-south arterial road, being down for something like 30min per peak hour causing traffic chaos.

[@alexmccutcheon7381]

Exactly right. Without the suffering they'd have struggled to justify the project at first, but as the years have marched on its become very obvious just how valuable the LXRP really is.

[@RMTransit]

Level crossings are something where I think some places are over the top about removing them (a couple trains per hour with gates is fine), but then theres situations like this (and quite a few in Japan and Korea) where its crazy they were not removed sooner.

[@markborchers6613]

Absolutely. I remember, and was sooo impressed driving that way for the first time after it's completion. There was another level crossing removal too, that swayed opinion just as much - the Springvale Road in the suburb of Springvale removal. That was extremely well done, and extremely needed.

[@malicemich]

It was interesting to see the different priorities in different areas. Often the push was by council or local to have it below ground to hide it. I'd hazard a guess that the lifted rail, often in medium or lower income areas, especially on the Frankston and Mernda lines have been considerably better.

[@soulsphere9242]

I remember those removals clearly. In the western suburbs we had the Taylors Road level crossing removal on the Sydenham line prior to the formal Level Crossing Removal Project and also a couple more as part of Regional Rail link around Sunshine, so the removals were already slowly happening.

[@plangineer1375]

I was Deputy PM on a study in the 1990s that identified, prioritized and provided cost estimates to remove over 200 grade crossings on Chicago's Metra suburban rail system. Even in the mid-1990s we estimated the cost would be multiple Billions of dollars and involve years of construction and associated travel delays - to rail riders, freight shipments and auto drivers. Unfortunately, Metra had funding only to accomplish fewer than five such removals over the next decade. After the 2000's, I relocated and am not sure how many have been accomplished. Good on Melbourne for sticking to such an ambitious long-term program.

[@oliverlamb8892]

Making it part of the election campaign was superb marketing.

[@davidlang1125]

Australia shows how good things happen when government is done right. In the US the track record of government projects is a litany of failures. It’s a case of too much deference to politics and too little emphasis on governance. Is it a case of “too much” democracy?

[@plangineer1375]

@@davidlang1125 I'm not going to blame democracy. But, I will say that in my Chicago area example implementing even one grade crossing would involve a city/county/state government (sometimes all of them), the regional rail transit agency, the federal government (they regulate the railroads and run Amtrak) and the railroad company that owns the line. So, are there too many cooks in the kitchen... perhaps. But, Americans prefer a system that allows many voices to participate. Yes, it is slower and likely more costly.

[@biosparkles9442]

@@plangineer1375 Australia has these issues too, the reason the rail between states is so abysmal is due in part to issues with governance issues between the states and federal governments. The main thing though is that the actual rail infrastructure within states hasn't been privatised. By keeping the rail infrastructure government-owned these projects are much easier to push through. There still has been plenty of negotiation between state & local (aka city/county) government as well as the semi-private transit companies on this project.

[@plangineer1375]

@biosparkles9442 Government ownership would definitely make this process simpler.

[@bluecent]

An absolute winner of a project that has added to the movement across Melbourne. Well done Dan !

[@cliffleigh7450]

Not for train travellers!

[@Sustainable_Engineer]

Can't lie, watching the trains at a level crossing is my favourite part of the wait

[@RMTransit]

Ey, it can be even cooler to see them zoom overhead!

[@David-TX59]

Watching trains arrive and depart far below at Mockingbird Station in Dallas is cool.

[@sjwright2]

@@RMTransit My favourite are the old small train overpasses which have an absolutely thunderous roar when a train passes over. Driving underneath at the same time as a train passes overhead is a delight.

[@millsieminor28]

@@sjwright2 The one on Swan St. by Richmond Station is huge. Even in a car it sounds like a bomb going off

[@wainber1]

What I think of trade enthusiasts on KZbin I also think of the respective Ohio- and Florida-based Jaw Tooth and Distant Signal men.

[@msg5507]

There were 4 level crossings removed in the Caulfield to Oakleigh section in 2018. Before they went, the boom gates were down between 7 and 9 AM on a weekday for 89 out of 120 minutes. I once spent 20 minutes waiting to cross Grange Road, Caulfield, and saw 7 trains pass and the boom gates go up and down 3 times before I got across. Some people had to do that daily.

[@dentani866]

Yeah, I used to live in Murrumbeena and it would often take me 20-30 minutes just to cross the railway line at Poath road, Hughesdale. As there are trains coming from both sides arriving at the station every few minutes the boom gates would just stay closed for 10-15 minutes at the time.

[@cliffleigh7450]

I would like to see a before/after comparison of road travel times. In most cases extra traffic lights have replaced the level crossings and the traffic delays have just changed locations! If traffic is not waiting at the level crossing it will bank up further along e.g. in Mentone an extra 2 sets of traffic lights were put in and the speed limit was lowered from 60kmh to 40kmh. The station was also re-located 200m further away from the bus stops which inconveniences those who actually use public transport.

[@Biggles732]

Did you really need to drive daily? Increased public transport services and increased frequency along with dirt cheap fares would have solved many problems.

[@dentani866]

Busses were also stuck at the crossings, and the sky rail also improved the Pakenham line. Meanwhile they're working on increasing the frequency by building the Metro Tunnel, so it's not like they're just improving the roads.

[@cliffleigh7450]

@@dentani866 But no extra extra express lines were added during construction so all trains are limited by stopping trains and no travel time savings have occurred..

[@ricequackers]

"While you're in there" is a common phrase that many home DIY and car maintenance enthusiasts are familiar with (and I'm both of those lol). Basically, taking the opportunity to fix and improve other minor things while you're embarking on a long, difficult and/or expensive project as the incremental cost of doing so is very small vs doing it in its own project. This level crossing removal project is a good example of that mentality and many cities should take advantage of it e.g. replacing or upgrading the rails/wires/signalling, or improving the road layout and resurfacing it.

[@RMTransit]

Of course, though you have to be careful with scope creep. Sometimes you end up doing 5 projects when you only planned one and not doing *any* of them very efficiently! Balance is always key!

[@kierannelson2581]

​@@RMTransit this is one of the factors that people complain the most about LXRP. The determination to not have scope creep. Ultimately, this is a good decision, as it could kill the program, however it's one of the biggest complaints.

[@ricequackers]

@ Yes, I know that downside only too well! The solution as you've said in the video is to do a longer-term master plan with defined phases.

[@nope.0.]

The Transpennine upgrade is kind of the opposite of this. The big items are electrification and doubling up tracks so express trains aren't stuck behind stopping trains. Network Rail decided to update all the signalling at the same time. A few level crossings are being closed, but basically ones with extremely low use or pedestrian only being replaced with a footbridge.

[@tomwijgers]

@@RMTransit It's important to consider though. During peak hour, one of the crossings removed near my place still has cars backed up under the crossing rather than across it now, because they didn't bother fixing the intersection 1km down the road that was the actual cause of all the issues. It is safer though, and now has a nice bike path.

[@AidanJonesComedy]

I live in Coburg between the new stations at Moreland and Coburg and the bike path/pedestrian walkway underneath the new raised tracks, coupled with the water garden and communal spaces has completely changed the character of the area. Can't wait for the rest of the line from Royal Park to Moreland through the chaos that is Brunswick, to be raised in the next 5 years!

[@LordSutter]

Hey neighbour! That upgraded Upfield bikepath is AMAZING, I can't wait for the rest of the southern end to get done.

[@emporioalnino4670]

A while back I grabbed a burger after a night out and ate it on a bench under Coburg station. It's a great improvement to the area but I do wish they had a table or something

[@DessieDoolan]

@@LordSutter Hey neighbour!. Thoughts about the Reynard st crossing?

[@mj.l]

@@emporioalnino4670 i think the station design leaves a bit to be desired. very limited shade/shelter from rain/sun, limited seating etc. overall i guess it's good, but it was a nightmare relying on the upfield line (during the pandemic!) while they were doing construction.

[@Tekkzn]

I live in Brunswick and really don’t want it to be raised. Unless they open Barkley street back up. It would be a time saver. But I doubt they will keep community in mind.

[@graemetilley5156]

As an ex train driver, I can honestly say that the LCRP has been one of the best things that has happened here in Melbourne. I only hope that the good work keeps up.... 🙂

[@PeFePT]

The Melbourne Level Crossing Removal project has truly been visionary and the benefits will be felt in the city for hundreds of years. Initially there was a lot of NIMBY opposition, claiming the Skyrail sections would "lower the house prices" In reality the opposite happened, house prices went up around the new stations. Not all the rebuilt stations were grey concrete modernism, my favourite is Coburg on the Upfield line to look like a 1930's art deco cinema.... beautiful! Now if Melbourne could only do something about those woeful train frequencies.....

[@rogerramjetox142pa]

This is the only thing that's missing from Melbourne. Train frequencies.

[@kashiichan]

@@PeFePT Train frequency can't be improved until the City Loop is duplicated, as it's essentially a bottleneck. The good news though is that they are literally in the middle of doing just that, and it's expected to be completed at some point in 2025.

[@babyboomertwerkteam5662]

@@kashiichan The City Loop is not being duplicated, that's the Metro Tunnel you're thinking of.

[@deanstyles2567]

​@@kashiichan I'd argue that it's off peak where frequency improvements are necessary. Some lines are still running every 30 minutes in the late evening. The 11pm train I took home on Friday night was busier than many peak hour services.

[@AnimeReference]

@@kashiichan You could always increase speed. Which level crossing removal does do.

[@andreapaul9869]

Best part of it, excellent safe off road bike lane under and alongside. Fabulous.

[@johnlang4198]

I use Mooroolbark station in Melbourne's east, where we got a triple benefit when the Manchester Road crossing was removed. First, traffic flow improved overnight, as there was no longer the railway adding to the numerous intersections in the station area. Secondly, we got a brand new, elevated station with fantastic views of the Dandenong Ranges, and at the inviting ground level entrance, sufficient toilets and an air-conditioned waiting room, which is a must in an area that regularly gets -5C in winter and 40C in summer. Thirdly, we got a multi storey car park that increased the capacity of the car park sixfold. This is a must in an area with almost NO regularly timetabled public buses. The only things left to address now are the bus situation, and the fact that we have large periods of the week with one train every half hour, which simply isn't good enough in what is now Australia's largest city.

[@stormblessed2673]

yes how good is Mooroolbark! I live slightly closer to Lilydale, which also got the LXRP treatment, but tend to go to Mooroolbark instead as it's just super nice. Great carpark with plenty of disabled spots, integrates nicely into the town and local cafes/shops, beautiful views, and nice stone aesthetics used in the architecture. I agree they should fix the bus situation and train frequencies, and also hope they've fixed the parkiteer bike storage by now? It was still locked and unusable last time I checked, though that was a few months ago now.

[@babyboomertwerkteam5662]

Melbourne is not Australia's largest city, those were misinformed headlines reporting the Significant Urban Area statistics of Melbourne and Sydney. Melbourne's is only larger on a technicality. The Greater Melbourne and Greater Sydney statistics are what have always been used - and Greater Sydney is still significantly larger than Greater Melbourne.

[@Ozvideo1959]

@@stormblessed2673 I live in Mooroolbark too, and I remember the old car park on the northern side of the station. It was way too small and drivers quite often used to attempt a right turn onto Manchester Rd, which was an illegal turn. I've been returning from the city on the train, and the train was stopped between stations due to a car accident. You have to ask why would a driver attempt an illegal turn in peak hour traffic. That's asking for trouble.

[@biosparkles9442]

@@babyboomertwerkteam5662 Greater Sydney is around 5.45 million, and Greater Melbourne is 5.2 million (according to the last census). Greater Melbourne is physically much smaller than Greater Sydney, covering only ~9990km2 whilst Greater Sydney is ~12,370km2. If we were to include Geelong in Greater Melbourne (which anyone reasonable should, considering Sydney gets to include the Central Coast and the Blue Mountains) it would take the population up to 5.49 million and area to approx. 11,250km2, which is almost exactly the same. Ultimately though, I have no clue why Sydney-siders even care about being bigger than Melbourne, like, why does it matter which city is bigger? Who cares?

[@TurkeySub-wq6zl]

-5C in winter? Melbourne gets cold but it's not sub zero mate

[@MarlonCain-wu7wf]

This project has been a boon for all of Melbourne. Nice to see so many people appreciate the removals. Bravo Melbourne.

[@ruthdorward6105]

My mother used to live in Murrumbeena in Melbourne, just down the road from Hughesdale station. There was a level crossing on Poath Road, and was that ever painful! The traffic would be backed up most of the day as there were frequent trains. On my last visit in 2018, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the train line had been taken overhead, allowing the traffic to flow smoothly underneath. What a relief!

[@robertbruce2182]

It’s so great that your covering this, as we are looking to do the same thing on one of the train lines in Perth.

[@RMTransit]

I think that would be wise, but addressing some of the issues with Melbourne would be even wiser!

[@radicallyrethinkingrailwaysina]

@RMTransit they are currently rebuilding the Armadale line this way - remains to be seen if freo and midland also get it. If they did the entire system would be separated as none of the post 1988 lines had level crossing

[@MachineInput]

@@radicallyrethinkingrailwaysina i think its an easy win - but not sure how it would go politically, considering that there are many parts of Perth that don’t have rail access yet. Personally I am on the freemantle line and it would be easy to get rid of the level crossings and improve the crappy stations past claremont - cott and north freo are particularly crap but again would the money be better spent on new access routes instead…. I think eventually it will be done just not sure when

[@MartinTilsed]

@@RMTransit Enjoyed your vid on Perth's rail so I'll provide an update .The Perth Crossing replacement is 2/3 complete. I'll point out the differences from Melbourne's projects. Perth decided to replace 6 level crossings on the Armadale line, mainly to relieve traffic congestion especially with the Cannington-Cockburn cross connection requiring extra capacity. All six are being done at once and all stations rebuilt. Rather than build through and above the existing rail they closed the tracks completely (12 months now of an 18 month project). The track is raised on one set of pylons with both tracks together unlike the single track two viaduct Melbourne model. The stations too are now similar to Melbourne with huge improvements rather than a concrete bunker that held 10 people. Apart from that it is very similar to the Melbourne project. It will be interesting if the shut down the whole line or piecemeal replacement is the better option. As a user of the line its been disruptive but they did give up free transport for the 18 months. It looks like being on time too, with the line re-electrified this week and I expect test trains early in the new year, if not sooner. Perth also opened a new line last weekend with the Ellenbrook extension opening. When this one is complete and the cross rail open it will be time to update your Perth vid!

[@scottb1228]

Unfortunately a lot of perception in people I speak to around town they share the comments Taitset has mentioned. It feels more like a project currently focused on improving road services rather than rail (not that I've personally noticed this for the mentioned fact pedestrians still need to cross said roads). It's a long term project that should hopefully see service improvements once all the level crossings are gone and projects like the Metro Tunnel (and hopefully Metro Tunnel 2) come online. CBTC signalling will hopefully also be rolled out more across the network in time as well.

[@barvdw]

Yes, and with building the station over the road, it should have been quite easy to build a second entrance on either side of the road so passengers don't have to cross the road to access the station...

[@dgthe3]

@@barvdw Feels like that'd be an absolute no-brainer to do. Even if the 2nd one is done as cheaply as possible (compared to the 'main' stairway), it'd still be better than having a wad of train (or bus) passengers trying to cross the street when they get off.

[@JordanNikolovski]

@@scottb1228 100%. Suburban Melbourne is practically a shrine to the automobile, so it makes sense that any major public works are directed at the exultation of this (second) most sacred of Australian gods.

[@meikahidenori]

​@@JordanNikolovskiwell you can blame Jeff Kennet for that. He let it go to ruin in favour of building toll roads which are while useful to certain areas of transport, are an absolute bloody eyesore.

[@AdamTSLA]

I live in Melbourne and it’s hard to deny that this project has had a very noticeable improvement on traffic flow across the city.

[@orionstransit]

Great video, I think the main takeaway should be we need transit masterplans. Having a masterplan allows our cities to “buy it in bulk”, meaning we get a lot more, lot cheaper, at once, instead of piece-by-piece building that’s more expensive and time consuming.

[@EdwardM-t8p]

That's good but here in the US cities cannot masterplan their transit systems due to state and federal interference by opposition (usually Republican) politicians who absolutely loathe and despise public transit.

[@RMTransit]

For sure, and for level crossing removals it lets you make sure nothing gets built where you might want to realign things down the road!

[@josemelo1699]

@@EdwardM-t8p so true hear in North Carolina around one was talking about commuter rail and light rail in Raleigh and upgrades to lower crossing.

[@neuroscope9052]

You may be right but the tyrannical reign of Dan Andrews left us with more state debt than all other states combined did he not? I like the effect it's had of driving around the suburbs, much faster and no more waiting at crossings is excellent but the increase in taxes required to service the debt is going to hurt for generations, that's assuming they stop spending so much, and the ALP appears to love running up a major debt no matter the consequences.

[@robertwalsh1724]

Thanks!

[@RMTransit]

Thanks for watching!

[@kitatit]

Thanks for your channel. Great idea. The Armadale line in Perth is currently shut down for 18months to have several kilometres of line elevated to remove many level crossings. Very much looking forward to this improvement.

[@andrewrussack8647]

Martin(Taitset) summed it up very well. A well intentioned project done quickly, with a good outcome for most localities, but without an overall coherent rail plan underpinning the project. Future generations will have to sort the bottlenecks and lost opportunities. I’d give it an overral 7/10.

[@gillyflowers]

Don’t think anyone could reasonably assess the Mentone, Parkdale and further down the Frankston line as a coherent plan…. More like a roller coaster 😮

[@jdillon8360]

@@gillyflowers everyone loves to use the phrase roller coaster, but the grade is so slight that if you close your eyes you cannot tell if the train is going up or down.

[@GLxGL]

No interchange at South Yarra for the Metro 2 line is the biggest cockup I can think of.

[@jdillon8360]

@@GLxGL do you mean the metro 1 tunnel? metro 2 isn't built and won't go anywhere near South Yarra even if it ever gets built. Honestly, connecting the metro 1 tunnel to south yarra would have been great in theory but it wasn't realistic from a technical and budget point of view. South Yarra is already very well served by trains and trams.

[@GLxGL]

@ ah yep metro 1. I’m just spit balling that I think Caulfield will get even busier with people changing trains, whereas South Yarra in theory would be a better change point. I was told the engineering behind a changeover point at South Yarra while not impossible would have cost so much it made it unviable

[@monarchofvegetables960]

I am so appreciative for the level crossing removal project, I could actually see my house in this video! But man it was a pain when it was being fixed!

[@leithraymant8007]

I worked on a number of these crossings and it was enjoyable to be part of something I considered special. I felt the general vibe amongst the public at the time was not super positive, but I’d bet the farm now, years later, that people like that it’s been done.

[@Yarra_Shejtan]

I'll take that bet!

[@justlolit]

I moved to Melbourne from new Zealand. People here says public isnt that good, this shocked me. I havnt had to buy a car yet which is amazing

[@Splode_]

The space freed up under the train line has also been used for bike lanes. Melbourne has a pretty strong bicycle culture, so these see a lot of use as they provide a much faster and safer route.

[@stuartgraham9329]

Doing the same thing in Perth. Not finished yet but Already have the elevated train lines in place meaning a lot of the crossings are gone. Just great. Cannot support it enough. When finished the new public space under the elevated lines (where the rails use to be) are going to be parks, skate bowls, kids playgrounds. Great. Just great

[@TheRandomAustralian]

It was a pain point for a while, and certainly some people were unable to see far enough ahead to understand the benefits, but now that it's very well progressed on the way to completion, we can see that the project has been a resounding success.

[@kevmoo]

The quality of your script writing and delivery is spectacular. The content is great and you're clearly passionate. All that is clear. But just from an execution perspective, you're top notch. 👍👏👏👏👏

[@ElizabethVassilios]

I live in the western suburbs we had 5 level crossings removed made a huge difference for local traffic and emergency vehicles especially the ambulances. Thank goodness this was done we had multiple deaths on some of the old crossings we now have a mixture of underground stations and overpasses.

[@Matt-O117-SV]

I'm on a train in Melbourne while I watch this. One of the stations I'm about to travel to was featured in the video.

[@chriss7213]

It has been the most positive project for our wonderful city and Im pleased that it has been noted by you. The political and financial will to finally do it was brave and showed a great vision for the future of our transport system. It has made the roads safer and flow more free freely. It has created lots of employment and everyone benefits. Expensive and disruptive for a while...but the positive results will with be with us through the century.

[@foxypaw_tft]

Hi from Melbourne! I want to add that before the level crossing removal project, there were regular accidents at level crossings with quite a few resulting in fatalities. I remember an incident on the news at the Union Rd crossing in 2016 where two grandmothers in a small car were t-boned by a train arriving to the station while maneuvering past the lowered boomgates. On top of all the economic and cultural benefits this project prioritised and campaigned on safety above all; and it shows.

[@Skasaha_]

Taitset pretty much nailed the main issues with the project. Another one is that while the combined project's nature gives many benefits for cost from the serial removal of crossings, each individual project has sometimes been planned a little too separately so you see in some places a skyrail station, an untouched station, then another skyrail section, which causes issues when eventually getting to the middle station. The lack of a third track on the Pakenham line's sky rail also introduces a massive white elephant for both improving the V/Line service to Gippsland and also extending the automatic control to the entire line instead of just the area immediately around the Munnel. Also, where the original station buildings were particularly historic they were able to keep the buildings standing below the skyrail, becoming a community space. Sky rail is definitely my preferred choice of the two since it comes with the extra public spaces and massive improvements to the local bike trail network, however my local line of Werribee was fairly unique in that it was built with very few level crossings in the first place thanks to the large industrial and undeveloped areas in the middle of the line and the super dense areas in the inner west of Melbourne city around Footscray being built with many overpasses in the first place. We ended up with no trench and only one section of sky rail (which wasn't even on the suburban network, it's beyond it on the regional one and is used almost exclusively for freight), with only a couple of new road overpasses making the line almost entirely level crossing free. Werribee itself had a massive traffic problem caused by the level crossings so it's been very helpful to literally everyone.

[@Secretlyanothername]

I also think that the unique design of the stations is beautiful, but it adds costs and delays compared to having a bunch of very similar stations that can be customised with artwork or exterior design

[@gibletgravy]

Regarding the extra track and untouched vs touched up stations, I think you also need to factor in appetite to undertake such works. A full scale line improvement and track duplication / triplication would be many billions of dollars, with a huge amount of houses and land to be acquired. When you already have concurrent megaprojects such as metro tunnel which are more pressing, it wouldn't be so easy to win people over with a proposal of "improve the entire Dandenong corridor for XX billion". It would be cool if it truly was every line start to finish though

[@NoDice-u3d]

As someone who grew up in Ottawa when the Transitway was being built, and lived in Melbourne for 14 years now, I just want to say that you and @Taitset NAILED this video. I'm a long-time fan of both of you, and I'm so happy to see LXRP covered by two of the best to do it. IMHO, no one ever thought that the approach that Ottawa took in the 80's/90's would work. The same goes for LXRP. Now look where the two cities are. The rest are copying/learning from us. Location of crossing @03:55 please?

[@monkeydog1436]

And then you have Adelaide. Where you have ONE, yes, ONE tram line leaving the city to a coastal suburb and along the way cutting across ALL major arterial roads at level crossings, except one which had an overpass built in 2010. Looks like they are actually building more overpasses in the near to medium term future. There's actually a chance they might be finished by 2100...! Can't wait!

[@Tracksafe]

Hello there. LXRP worker here. Just a few additions if I may… The project was split up into alliances but never truly decentralised. In fact, some of these alliances - SEPA for example - are now obsolete. Dangers associated with LX’ing’s had very little to do with the project rational - although we spin this to the public- and neither does travel time savings for motorists. Some of our travel time savings are only 5 seconds during peak. Smart communications” are only being installed in a very limited area of the network. The majority of people on the delivery team were not government employees. Most are non-government employees…by a margin of thousands.

[@gillyflowers]

Refreshing to see an outsider’s perspective … it’s been a long hard slog for commuters especially on the Frankston line. When you live through it you tend to only see the negatives and naysayers. However I do truly believe these level crossing removals, especially the skyrails, are a great improvement for all. It’s nice to see them recognised as such on an international level.

[@eaofdeath187]

As someone from south east Melbourne the biggest mistake we made with the crossing removal is we let NIMBYs stop the track from being elevated the whole way which would completely remove traffic bottlenecks as every road could pass under it. What we got is way better than keeping the crossings but the original plan was even better.

[@comeng301m]

great video as usual! fun fact: more than half of the frankston line has lxrp stations that original/historical stations whereas on line over (sandringham), almost all of the stations are historical/heritage. 2nd fact: in the mid 1900’s, elsternwick station, on the sandringham line, which used to have a level crossing with a tram service, got its crossing on glenhuntly rd removed by placing temporary tracks in a side street while digging out a trench. this meant you could see (for a very short period) a suburban train operating in a street. this might be common elsewhere, but if i am not mistaken this is the only one located in melbourne.

[@MrAljosav]

Also the Elsternwick level crossing removal was the last level crossing to be removed on the Sandringham line all the way back in 1966…. Whilst every other line (except Alamein?) having level crossings removed in the last decade.

[@laurencefraser]

Pretty sure it's not common anywhere, and it's usually the result of some weird local circumstance when it does happen. For passenger trains at least. Ports, factory sidings, and similar frequently see 'street running' for freight, usually shunting or as a very short section right at the end of the trip to get into and out of the siding that they're going to park in to load/unload.

[@MrAljosav]

@@laurencefraser there’s definitely some freight trains running along some far North Queensland towns

[@goatfiddler8384]

I think it is now closed but there was a brilliant street running train that ran from the airport into the city in Phnom Penh in Cambodia. Get off the plane, onto the train and next thing you know you are going on a train backwards down a spur line through the local strip shopping centre - it was a bit of a freak out!!!!

[@radicallyrethinkingrailwaysina]

Parkdale had a similar diversion

[@coreyejensen]

Level-crossing removal has been amazing has been a great initiative here in Melbourne. But as a Chicagoan, our elevated trains were built with this design in mind from the beginning. 😊

[@mspally9542]

I live on a major road with a train station on the opposite side of the intersection. Even though I didn’t need to go through the intersection as I was turning onto the main road, at peak hour it took about 15min just to get around the corner & when taking PT could miss up to 2 trains waiting for the pedestrian gates to reopen. Removing the level crossing is the best thing they ever did in the area. Shout out to the giant licorice allsort at Preston station!

[@CaseysTrains]

What what? An RM Transit/Taitset collab? I love it

[@EJH_1138]

I lived in Melbourne for a few years and was blown away at the number of level crossings and the chaos they caused. Being from Sydney where there basically aren't any level crossings within urban Sydney it was crazy. Good work Victoria.

[@broman178]

Funny how Melbourne can do this great project (yes it is great, especially in the longer term, and I'm not saying it shouldn't be done) for its suburban railway network yet at the same time, struggle massively to get its main International Airport connected by rail.

[@christopherpekel6096]

No votes in it

[@jdillon8360]

it would be easier if the airport wasn't 100 percent opposed the a train connection.

[@Jon-mf2no]

I'm going to hazard a guess that the taxi companies might be fighting against that one. When tullamarine was built in 1970 it included provision for a train station in the foundations, they've been fighting against it ever since.

[@jdillon8360]

@@Jon-mf2no yep, forgot to mention taxi companies as well. They would also lose out were a rail connection to be built. The airport doesn't want it either, as they make tens of millions every year from car parking fees.

[@NVM_SMH]

@@jdillon8360 They aren't anymore. They have built an absolutely massive carpark that earns them a fortune but that can't go on forever because traffic just keeps getting worse. It's now more of a car park with an airport attached. They can charge whatever they want for parking. Now they want the train connection but the connection is going to cost much more than it originally would have because it has been delayed for so long.

[@aussiecrocs1]

Keon park station was just upgraded and its a HUGE improvement. 4:18 Keon park

[@jspihlman]

I liked what the Australian guy said, "It makes transit visible." I just remember being in Tokyo and seeing trains fly overhead and thinking "how cool is that, I want to experience that!"

[@lynwill65]

As someone who worked on the old VicRail, and travelled regularly from Narre Warren, and now on the Vline from Traralgon, they definitely should have made at least a 3rd line to Dandenong. Although that's something we used to discuss way back in the 80's, when they were doing the 3rd line on the Frankston line.

[@peterhicks3516]

Perth is also removing level crossing on it's Perth to Armadale train line. The project commenced in November 2023, with another 6 months or so, replacing 6 level crossings.

[@lovelywaz]

While this project most certainly will help public transport, however make no mistake, Melbourne's public transport system is anything but great! All the Train and Tram (rail car) lanes has ONE direction, towards the CBD. If you need to go from suburbs to suburbs north/south direction if you are in Easter or Western suburbs, then your journey can take three times or more longer than driving yourself or hiring a cab. Changing from one train lane to the other and/or using bus/tram to connect in between, all can add time and inconvenience.

[@alexisbono24]

I have not heard many observations on the design of the new elevated stations, but IMO they have done a great job of making a clean, functional station which does not provide encouragement for congregating in the access ways or rough sleeping. Opening up the ground level areas with thoughtful landscaping gives a pleasant, well used walk or cycle path and eliminates the barrier to accessing the opposite side. We bought a home close to the overhead section during construction, and the reduction of noise now is significant: Level crossing bells; train toots and actual train wheels-on-rails are non-existent or quieter. The proposed increased height limits for buildings near the stations will have fewer objections now, given the significant height of the elevated corridor.

[@lachlanwilliams5818]

Melbourne resident here. Hi!

[@isaacfung622]

Oi Oi Oi

[@agenthambo]

I'm trying to find a "Bloody Dan Andrews" comment. Can't find one yet. I'll keep scrolling.

[@christopherpekel6096]

They let you post?

[@Jakeio-w9j]

​@@christopherpekel6096 why wouldn't they let us post? We live in a free country?

[@christopherpekel6096]

@@Jakeio-w9j I'm just being a smartass. Victoria is known as a police state

[@AnrchyK1ng]

So I worked with LXRA between 2017-21 and you're spot on. The Frankston line was my baby so to speak and we did every station from Frankston to Glenhuntly in that time. It transformed the line network from being avoided at all costs to a seamless commute with little traffic from Mordialloc down due to the sheer amount of crossings there were prior to the project being commenced. Another one you could look at is a Belarussian engineer in Dubai who heads a company called Unitsky String Technologies which I fully endorse as the way forward for a global rail network

[@jillsjakes2519]

05:13 Just for context to that, the Dandenong corridor has a lot more than one or even two trains on it. It splits at Caulfield to go to the Frankston line which occasionally continues on to Stony Point, it splits at Dandenong to go to Cranbourne, after East Pakenham the country trains continue to Traralgon and Bairnsdale, all while the freight trains come in from the country on that line as well. The mix of just country and city trains causes significant delays, with e.g. 10mn trains blowing out to 25mn during peak hours just to let a country train through, the freight trains are the stated reason for not running overnight city trains during the week, and the raised track doesn't allow room for passing so there's no way to put an express train on it. Not great for a line with 27 stations plus 5 for the city loop, on a track stretching over 63km. It also means that if a train breaks down then it can lock up the entire line and cause absolute chaos. Still better than what it was but something like 8 lines would still have been fairly heavily used with something like two for country to run in and out, one for freight, two for city to run slow trains in and out, two for express trains to run in and out allowing rapid movement into and out of the city, and we're up to 7 with only a single permanent spare. The express trains alone would make it a _lot_ quicker to move the 60+ km into the city. We didn't get that of course, but if anyone is going to invest in trains then it would be worthwhile doing more than just the minimum which is what Melbourne has done.

[@EnjoyFirefighting]

Many rail lines in Germany don't have ANY level crossings either. On other lines old crossings may still exist, but new ones may not be built at all. The road has to either go above or underneath the rail line. The only remaining level crossing in my village isn't open for public traffic and only leads to the fields on the other side of the rail line. You can spend hours and will only see few pedestrians and bicycles crossing it. All relevant major roads will have a bridge or underpass in my area; Bit further down the line at the edge of our county town there's a level crossing with 0 traffic ... still it had to be upgraded for safety reasons and the potential chance of traffic meeting right on the crossing. Stupid investment ...

[@RMTransit]

Is this actually a rule across Germany? I honestly think level crossings are fine in some circumstances and the cost of separating shouldn't be getting in the way of more rail. Especially when we can make crossings pretty safe!

[@experiment0x3c3]

@@RMTransit Not just Germany, Italy and the UK too and likely several other countries. It makes sense for mainlines but can make reopening or building new branchlines a lot harder, increasing the urban/rural divide for transit. Some places are resorting to reopening lines as tramways to get around this restriction, but there are obvious problems with that approach

[@almarcaUrban]

Absolutely love Taitset's insight here! as a melbourne local i really hope transit becomes a priority here one day.

[@Soupie62]

I remember er when Box Hill station was moved underground, and the level crossing at one side of the station was removed. They put a huge shopping centre on top, where the old station used to be.

[@twosheds2030]

Brilliant video, thank you. The level crossing removal project in this city has been outstanding. It has renewed the city in so many ways. Thank you Dan Andrews and Jacinta Allan

[@Timbotao]

Yeah, hello from Melbourne! the elevated lines have definitely opened up spaces that are also categorised, in colour! the pylons of the elevated railways are painted in different colours signifying different types of areas: pink - rest stop (chairs/ architectural furniture), yellow - sports area (basketball half courts, parkour area, mini skateparks/plaza, cement ping pong tables, water bubbler/fountain etc), black nothing... , Green - green space / parks etc... they have invested heaps of $$ into the community infrastructure under and around the elevated rail. Every new train line has a bike path under it connecting areas with double wide bike path, and a separate path for walkers. there are also closed fenced off areas for off-leash dog areas etc. So now there are also extra, almost undercover, bikeways for more off-city-streets bike transport connecting to other bikepaths, on-road bike lanes, and less main city street bike areas. I cycle around for commuting to work sometimes and in peak times I can actually beat getting to the CBD city on a bike, than taking a car or a tram. Also just for exercise, and see lots of people using the new spaces and also riding bikes, scooters, ebikes, mobility vehicles, skateboarders, rollerbladers, prams and people just getting out for a walk etc in new fresh spaces... It's been pretty amazing to watch these new corridors of community come alive! Also one other thing that also aided a lot of extra and expedited construction of some of the plan level crossing removals, was Covid and the Pandemic.... the Andrews govt took advantage of a LOT less traffic on the roads over those 2 years, and got lots of the sections of level crossing removals into high gear, so the disruptions were minimised for a lot of key ones.....

[@robertdora7026]

Excellent video! Level crossing removals here in Melbourne have been very beneficial in almost every place where they have occurred, namely to improve traffic congestion and in some instances open up a little space on the street level (but I've never seen or heard of any arts scene/space being benefited or created by such level crossing removals). They have been very beneficial in various areas, and while residents of various of those areas (and more) had long been calling out for such removals (along with the state concervative coalition parties), interestingly the Victorian Labor governments who actually delivered them (from the ground up) over the past 2 decades have ironically seen no political advantage arise from them. Edits: small typing corrections

[@TheFinalMB]

Love the video! As someone who loves driving and public transport, and who has been using both the roads and rails around Melbourne for decades I can’t say enough good things about this project. Driving through Clayton, Ormond, or Frankston just to name a few has become so much easier since they lifted the lines. Getting a train into the city seems smoother, and the views out the windows are nicer too. Everyone I’ve spoken to has been pretty happy with the end result. That being said it’s not always been so popular, there were a decent number of people complaining that the construction would be too disruptive, and that the stations and skyrail would be an eye sore. Complaints about replacement buses are still a thing I hear even when there’s no replacement buses in sight. While the complaints were mostly short sighted gripes, it’s important to note that they were there. Hopefully people in the position to do a project like this can see the good before getting swayed by the complaints of a vocal minority.

[@BasementRuthie]

As someone on the Pakenham line I definitely agree with the criticism about V-Line trains needing their own track but also agree than for now, huge improvement to both traffic flow and the use of space. Plenty of locals out using yhe new free gym equipment, basketball court and playground where the line used to be! Theres also new public toilets and drinking fountains as well.

[@zaidvk]

You might want to check the Buenos Aires regional rail network, where central stretches of most lines are being upgraded in a very similar way

[@MrLachie]

As a Melbourne resident this has been one of the best infrastructure projects I've ever seen. The improvements to both the driving and train usage has been exponential. Very frustrating having the disruptions but the end result has been worth it.

[@snowyalice]

The trains I take are on the line that goes through Pakenham and Dandenong. The replacement buses have been annoying but it's really nice being up in the sky and looking over the city as I travel.

[@slypig24]

Hi, I'm from an outer suburb of Melbourne and I take a 40 minute train ride from Greensborough station to Melbourne occasionally. I love out upgraded train network with evaluated station as often a bus stop in directly under the train station. But what's even better is the new & more often train schedules, that would of stopped cars at the old level crossing, with the boom gates down for much longer, that would of caused more road congestion. Now both cars and trains run without interruption. I vote for governments that build infrastructure and also upgrade our old infrastructure too.

[@bali-vs7yq]

Here in Buenos Aires we face similar challenges, but progress has been made. In buenos Aires city it has mostly consisted of viaducts, but in the metro area its been a fairly disorganized mess of underpasses and briges, and the catastrophic and abandoned tunneling of an entire commuter line. Hopefully one day viaducts will extend deep into the suburbs.

[@Gypsycat19]

Adelaide's a much smaller Australian city has been getting rid of some of their suburban train level crossing at some intersection as well currently tram line getting done

[@DrPizza92]

Man I'd love there to be an expanded project of level crossing removal in Adelaide.

[@DrewsRailwayWorld]

Great video, here in Perth on the other side of the continent we have a similar project albeit on a smaller scale. The original Armadale line is closed to rebuild a section from Victoria Park to Beckenham, it is being built as an elevated line which will remove six busy crossings. New modern elevated stations will be built at Carlisle, Oats Street, Queens Park, Cannington, and Beckenham. It is part of Metronet (Phase 1) an overarching plan which has and will grow Perth's public transport significantly. ...Drew

[@matthewparker9276]

I expect they'll do something similar along the Fremantle line, especially if the response to the upgraded Armadale line is positive.

[@DrewsRailwayWorld]

@@matthewparker9276 One would hope so, although the line west of Claremont at this stage will still have the same number of services as always, so it maybe not be so high priority. Personally, depending on the outcome of WA elections, I think Phase 2 will look at an extension of the Airport/ High Wycombe Line connecting with the Thornlie Line thus serving Forrestfield etc., and a line (off the Joondalup Line) to serve East Wanneroo and Gnangara Road communities joining up to the Ellenbrook Line. I think Perth as hub for any new services is reaching capacity. In future I hope maybe we will see the connection re--instated between Cockburn and Fremantle via or adjacent to the existing freight line. One never knows... ..Drew

[@ZackScriven]

This is why the Rio Grande Plan is such a good idea for Salt Lake City & Utah!

[@abbeycat6425]

I had to cross the Blackburn road level crossing on the way to work, and cross the Middleborough level crossing on the way home (in Melbourne). It was quite frequently a nightmare, especially the Blackburn Road crossing. If the trains were running late, the boom gates were permanently down. Also, the boom gates would sometimes get stuck in the down position. My work was about 200 metres from this crossing, which made it even more frustrating. And once you were stuck in a line of traffic, you couldn’t move, eg, park your car and walk to work. So the level crossing removal was a game changer.

[@jordiwashere]

Fantastic video as always Reece, you should do a video about Melbourne's tram network next!

[@RMTransit]

Reece!

[@jordiwashere]

@RMTransit Fixed it now, sorry!

[@SupremeLeaderKimJong-un]

Elevated trains are great for cities! I know you’ve already done a vid on why elevated trains make cities better, but it cannot be said enough, as shown here with Melbourne’s progress! I actually really like the "ugly" elevated rail look of NYC and Philadelphia. To the people who claim elevated trains are "ugly and loud"...they're not ugly and loud when compared to cars and highways. Cars are the problem, not elevated trains. I'm not going to fight someone putting in a sleek, ultra-modern styled thing because the result is more important to me than the appearance. The views of the L over the Chicago River are stunning. Parts of the Chicago L look practically steampunk! They even modified one of the stations, Quincy, to look like it did in the past, with period advertisements even. This was a renovation project from 1985 to 1988. Some materials such as signage were changed, although several of the station's features are original to its 1897 opening. Plus, you've got spaces like the Low Line & entry into Merchandise Mart which can only exist because of the elevation. I prefer the look of the old steel and iron structures, but I understand that they're harder to maintain, chunkier and louder. Another alternative that they have A LOT of in London is brick arched viaducts. These age really well, and the arches underneath can have all sorts of creative uses. Shops, offices, markets. The Bir Hakeim Bridge in Paris, which carries Metro Line 6, is even classified as a national heritage site! The space under the metro viaduct is featured in romantic scenes from so many movies, and tourists specifically go there to take pictures. You also get one of the best views of the Eiffel Tower and the Seine River from the metro on this bridge. Elevated trains are not only icons of the cultures of cities like in NYC and Chicago, make riders feel comfortable, can provide wonderful views from the DPM's views of the Detroit River to the Chicago L going over the Chicago River, and great for grade-separation and thus great frequencies without having to build an underground system as mentioned, but elevated trains like monorails can also be an effective solution for tackling geography! Look at Chongqing, China! In Chongqing, Lines 2 and 3 of the Chongqing Rail Transit are monorail lines! Chongqing Rail Transit's system is unique because of the geography of Chongqing being a densely populated but mountainous city, with multiple river valleys. Thus, in such a mountainous place, it makes sense to use a monorail, leveraging the ability to negotiate steep grades and tight curves with rapid transit capacity. Putting a greenway below elevated rail is what they did in Miami! Miami's Metrorail being elevated makes sense because of both the water table and not having to deal with FDOT (it was also built along the US Route 1 ROW which was formerly Florida East Coast Railway ROW). When the Metrorail first opened in 1984, it opened with the MetroPath or M-Path underneath the tracks, originally a 10.5-mile trail for cyclists that crosses different intersections. This was built along the former the Florida East Coast Railway's main line ROW between Miami and Kendall, which was abandoned in 1972 and purchased by the county in 1979 for Metrorail. As a result of the success of the High Line in NYC, plans were made to revamp the MetroPath in 2014 as a linear park, dubbed the Underline. The first phase was completed in Brickell in 2021, the second phase from Brickell to just south of Vizcaya station was completed in April 2024, and with the third phase completion in 2026, to Dadeland South! Besides being a path for jogging and cyclists, it features things like bike repair stations, exercise equipment, art installations, and will provide access to public transportation to a university, over 20 schools, hospitals, urgent care facilities, major malls and over 10,000 businesses! Just south of Dadeland South, the paved path continues south as the South Dade Trail, all the way to Florida City. The entire route forms a 31-mile corridor! Not to mention, from Dadeland South, there's also the South Dade TransitWay that connects the station with Homestead. The South Dade TransitWay is Miami-Dade County's first BRT, featuring real-time displays, air conditioning in the vestibule, a through lane for buses not stopping at stations, Traffic Signal Preemption, center platform loading, level boarding through all doors, pre-paid fares for speedy access, protection from elements via a vault-like canopy at stations, and WiFi inside stations.

[@yamahamoto]

I currently live between 2 stations that have been dug below ground to clear the existing crossings. It is an understatement to say it’s much better now.

[@ronnyrueda5926]

LA could use a similar program for grade sepating the A/E lines that still have level crossings on their private right of way portion.

[@kelvinhill9874]

Perth is currently doing the same thing on the Armadale line. Construction on that project began a bit over a year ago and is expected to be completed by the middle of 2025. The brand new Ellenbrook line just opened and I’m pretty sure that the newly constructed line has no level crossings on it.

[@siobhanmoody9879]

Victoria has been a construction site for so long, can’t wait for it to be completed!

[@richlawrence4160]

A lot of short thinking too. Two examples, at Nunawadding (Springvale Road) they put the tracks under the road, but left only Space for 2 lines. At Bayswater, (mountain highway), they narrowed the road from 3 lanes each way to 2. Many other short cuts taken too, I suspect.

[@AlienLika]

Loved seeing taitset! Good video!

[@stephanguitar9778]

I lived in Melbourne at the beginning of this project. I also lived within 100 yards of one of the sections of line that was going to be affected. The vast majority of people living close to the line were up in arms about it even though we were badly affected by the level crossings that were increasingly noisy from 5am till midnight and impeding traffic 30 minutes per hour at peak times . We had frequent flyers through the letter box with pictures of 19th-century New York high-line structures that were going to be an eye sore for evermore as well as being even more noisy that what was already in place. The majority of car centric people in Melbourne were also against this as being a waste of tax payers money. Now its built people wonder why it wasn't done decades ago.

[@jeanwatson189]

There are a lot of people who are naturally suspicious of any change, even when you can show them obvious problems with the way things are. Some people just don't like change.

[@chillibomb]

@@jeanwatson189 i don't know if it's them being "naturally suspicious of change" or just them not being able to deal with change. You will alaeya find people that are adverse to change NO MATTER WHAT. Things worked the way they were, and now they are getting changed, WTF!! WHY!! THIS IS BULLSHIT!! is often what you'll hear

[@stevengalloway8052]

Thanks for leveling with us on this, RM... 😏😆

[@Merri-bekRailfan]

I see what you did there 😆

[@stevengalloway8052]

@Merri-bekRailfan - And that was my intention! 😆

[@smurftums]

One point not mentions was that due to the scale of the project, a lot of standardised designs and components were used, in sufficient quantity to help keep costs lower.

[@LIRRFAN426]

NYC actually had a similar project done on the LIRR. The Babylon line used to be at grade, but in the 70s/80s they elevated the entire line which led to much higher speeds and frequencies.

[@mikldude9376]

As an old Melbourne boy that for more decades than I’d like to admit( yes I’m old) , living in Melbourne northern burbs , train crossings where the bane of our existence, they created huge bottle necks, if you picture the layout of Melbourne roads , it’s kinda like a vast spiders web with roads and tracks going in all directions , it’s actually pretty good for getting around town in a fairly direct manner , except for busy times when 5 million people decide it’s beer o’clock 😊, but …. If you lived in between two lines, in peak times you were screwed whatever direction you took because the dam crossings held up traffic big time , Keon park rail crossing for example, I can remember times sitting there for 8 minutes in a cue of cars waiting for the trains to pass, the traffic would move up and …. Then ding ding ding ding , down would go the gates again😂😂😂omg pain , council has been threatening for 30+ years to do something with that crossing 😊 woohoo , and other crossings in area that just added to the pain , reservoir , and Sydney road and camp road , I might add Sydney rd and camp rd crossing was 100 metres from the freeway off ramp that loaded Sydney road up with a mass of city travellers , prior to the gates removal it was a traffic disaster ! Another spin off good point for all the crossing replacement was the old stations got the ass , the new stations also got nice parking areas and in some cases nice walkways leading to the station that just neatened the whole areas up. I’m not really a train traveler, but the crossing removals has benefitted train travellers heaps as well as road users , which I might add also has a pollution benefit , because car engines run a tiny bit richer at idle and having masses of cars sitting at rail crossings for extended periods is good for nobody , the pollution factor I already mentioned, extra wear on car engines , idling is not good for them , plus the wasted fuel, and the benefits for pedestrians too , I think it has also opened up some area for bike/pedestrian paths . Although this was/is a costly project , as a local , I think it was worth it .

[@davidapswoude3259]

Williamstown’s sky rail lesson is that it is such a low frequency line that road delays experienced during construction surpassed the past and next decade’s time saving’s.

[@ariadnepyanfar1048]

That’s got to hurt bad as a local. But railways are for a lifetime and more lifetimes after that. I've been using Melbourne’s public transport on my own since I was ten, and was able to put off buying a car until 30 because I was living such a full life without one. Once those two decades of lost time are up are up for Williamstown, it’s all gravy for Williamstown’s residents, car drivers and PT users alike. Shoutout to my friend in that little island suburb, who trekked over to the Eastern suburbs on PT to attend a specialist public secondary college in her teens.

[@Whitewingdevil]

I live literally a few hundred metres away from one of the new stations they built for this project, it's been a great success here, traffic on the main road can flow a lot better without stopping for trains constantly, the station is a hell of a lot nicer to use now that it isn't just a bare platform with some chainlink fencing, and the raised track has a really nice foot/bike path under it that I use just about every week to go grocery shopping.

[@davidthomas9]

Some of these level crossing removals involved doing 2 crossings at once, such as my local station, Bayswater. Was around 2 years of disruptions all up. There is also Union station on the same line, that replaced 2 stations, Surrey Hills & Mont Albert, both blue-ribbon upper-class suburbs. The new station was renamed to Union after one of the local roads that had it's crossing removed to appease the locals who lost 'their station', even though it was one of the least used stations on the Belgrave-Lilydale line. There are also some stations that need modernisation/redevelopment as the current stations can't cope with modern-day capacity. Camberwell Station, again on the Belgrave/Lilydale line is a well-known example, which services a busy shopping & commerical area, as well as being an interchange station. The current station dates from 1919, and there were plans around 20 years ago to redevelop the station, but well-heeled locals campaigned to stop it, helped by Geoffery Rush (a Camberwell local) & Barry Humphreys/Dame Edna, who grew up in Camberwell. NIMBYism means that any plans to redevelop this station has basically been put on a permanent hold - Harajuku Station in Tokyo, which would be (a much busier) equivalent, had it's iconic heritage station building replaced during COVID with barely a whimper of protest in comparison! As others have said, off-peak frequencies are an issue, my line runs 20 minutes between trains off-peak. Bus services are even worse, an improvement to frequencies for bus routes that serve train stations would be a good start.

[@Bobcat1438]

Another advantage of elevated tracks as opposed underpass tracks is that the elevated ones are less prone to flooding; especially if there's a river nearby like with the closest former level crossing from my home.

[@WTFITG]

Good. Clip and true, not perfect but still a game changer for both drivers and commuters and a growing city long term.

[@dasy2k1]

The Brightline route in Florida could really do with such a programme! With Florida driving standards it would make the trains so much more reliable and mean they save a fortune on replacing the front ends weekly

[@FullLengthInterstates]

level crossings is the right decision to get the lines built first. I am the biggest fan of grade separation but the fact is trains with level crossings are still safer than grade separated freeways. As a nation we are no longer interested in throwing money building interstate highways through rural maine, but we have the risk tolerance to run trains at 110mph through level crossings, and we must exploit this reality to expand the network as fast as possible. Once the lines are built, demand to add tracks and upgrade will come.

[@harrisonthorburn7415]

My wife and I recently moved to her hometown of Milton, Canada. It's criss-crossed by CP and CN lines and before a major grade separation initiative it was an absolute nightmare to drive around while avoiding GO and freight trains. Hopefully they remove the last few crossings in the coming years as the town builds out and we get our all day GO service built.

[@Kevin-go2dw]

0:44 is Caulfield, junction of Frankston and Dandenong group of lines. There is no longer any connection between the two lines. 1:18 is also Caulfield, the East Malvern - Melbourne University tram service can be seen. 1:40 is Glen Huntly. This level crossing (since removed) also had the Carnegie - Melbourne University tram cross the rail line. Not only were train / trams noisy when crossing the tracks, every few years the crossing needed to be rebuilt. At times it could be 5 plus minutes to get across the crossing. I noticed it about 6pm during the week when an up goods train went through. You could also have two or three passenger trains as well, and bad luck if you were behind a tram as there was no chance of passing the tram as the station has shops on both sides of it along Glen Huntly Road. It was a big hassle for about two months when the level crossing was being removed as two crossings were closed as the same time, so instead of taking about 5 minutes to get to the other side of the line , it could take 20 with extra traffic and distance to travel. Now that the works are done, there are fewer hold ups apart from traffic lights, and being stuck behind a tram (which is no longer held up at the level crossing. 7:20 is Cheltenham.

[@DessieDoolan]

3:59. Hallam.

[@jeeroylenkins6625]

0:55 monash jumpscare

[@dariogonzalez553]

Check out the elevated guideway projects in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The one for the Mitre line is particularly remarkable.

[@ArtieFufkin546]

Living near the Toorak Road overhead crossing in Kooyong (the wealthiest neighbourhood in the removal project) I can safely say that the rather loud opposition from the local residents has dimmed markedly, and I for one am very satisfied. Now, if we could only get the Glenferrie Road crossing completed before I die…

[@chuningsong4905]

Are you referring to the crossing where tram also crosses train rail? I was once renting on the upper floor of a shop near that crossing, and although I grew to like the clang trains make when they move across the tram rail, I do think the boomgates are down too many times during peak hours and there's usually a huge pileup there.

[@LiliaArmoury]

in victoria australia we are gradually getting rid of level crossings, most are gone at this point when it comes to the suburban network. the regional network still has a lot of level crossings but some of the busier lines are seeing the removal of level crossings on parts where there is higher risk

[@radicallyrethinkingrailwaysina]

@@LiliaArmoury and practically nobody uses them. Next!

[@LiliaArmoury]

RUDE MUCH

[@radicallyrethinkingrailwaysina]

@LiliaArmoury not even close.

[@LiliaArmoury]

@@radicallyrethinkingrailwaysina it depends on the locations of the crossings as to how much they are used. ones in regional and outer suburban ceners are quite busy but those in the middle of no where are relatively quiet

[@cliffleigh7450]

The comments on the video by Taitset were spot on. There have been missed opportunities to expand the track capacity with extra lines and also there has been little or no attempt to improve bus/train connections ( in a lot of cases this has actually been made worse). Perth is the city to copy in this regard as they have good bus/rail interchanges. Also the train commuters have borne the brunt of the disruptions over many years as each station on a line is worked on one after another, which is ironic considering the motorists have the most to gain.

[@qualityguacamole9142]

Copy in a good way or bad?

[@shraka]

Honestly I think we've kinda botched the level crossing removal project. It's really gonna hamstring growth in the already over capacity network, and also commits us to this hybrid metro / suburban rail strategy which I think is sorta awful for getting people around the city quickly.

[@TheLostProbe]

@@qualityguacamole9142 in a good way. Perth's buses are great

[@Simmo87]

@@TheLostProbeI don't enjoy taking buses all that much.. but I agree. The public transport network there functions very very well and it serves me a lot better than Melbourne's. I have a feeling that Perth isn't a great place to copy though for many other cities because it's quite different. Perth is extremely big geographically, so it requires a large amount of routes that connect well but ultimately can take you to many places that aren't big hubs. It's also got well made roads that are quite wide. These things lend themselves to buses. Melbourne... is too dense and too hodgepodge to implement good public transport that interacts with the road system in any major way. It's like a jury-rigged lego model where half the blocks are off-brand so they don't quite fit. It's suited to something like an underground metro.

[@biosparkles9442]

@@Simmo87 Perth also has a much smaller population, which also lends itself better to buses as the extra capacity isn't needed