Over just a one-week period, the rail corridor through Edithvale, Chelsea and Bonbeach was transformed last month in an around-the-clock operation to remove 4 sets of boom gates and demolish 3 old train stations.
Trains stopped at the stations on Sunday 25 July for the final time until November — when 3 modern, accessible and safer stations will open.
Crews immediately got to work on demolishing the station buildings, platforms and decommissioning other infrastructure such as myki machines, card readers and security cameras.
Between Monday 26 July and Thursday 29 July, 4 sets of boom gates were removed along with flashing lights and bells at four level crossings: Edithvale Road, Edithvale; Chelsea Road, Chelsea; Argyle Avenue, Chelsea and Bondi Road, Bonbeach. The project’s 5th set of boom gates will go in September.
Piling work began on Tuesday 27 July to secure the foundations for upcoming works which include from September digging three approximately 1km long trenches to lower parts of the Frankston line below the existing level crossings.
Road bridges will be built over the sunken line to create safer and less congested east-west connections.
Trains are currently running express through Edithvale, Chelsea and Bonbeach until Monday 13 September when buses will replace trains on the Frankston and Stony Point lines between Mordialloc, Frankston and Stony Point.
Several road and pedestrian links across the rail line have closed, with new connections to open in early October 2021.
