Thompsons Rd LYNDHURST

Thompsons Road LX is tied into the whole Westernport Highway roundabout removal / Thompsons Road duplication project.
Not as quick and easy as it seems.

Yep, just like was done with Kororoit Creek Rd, and Somerton Rd. Very simple and fairly cost effective.

Add to that gold-plating of these stations to a much higher standard than that of the stations which have been replaced. Usually added into the project are about 3 or 4 sets of lifts, as well as a DDA compliant ramp as well as the stairs. This all adds significant cost, all of which is nothing to do with the level crossing.

Well seemingly, the rail maintenance yard at Bayswater hasn't been considered in this, or perhaps glossed over.

It's all well and good to say lets just drop Bayswater station and road crossings at Mountain Highway/Scoresby Rd, but unless you relocate the maintenance facility to elsewhere (and where to I ask) then you haven't entirely eliminated the need for a crossing to get into there at Mountain Hwy, have you???.

Regards

Hi Davesvline. I attended the meetings for theplanning of these crossings. The intention was to leave the level crossing access to the maintenance yard as the number of moves across the level crossing was only a few per day.

Well seemingly, the rail maintenance yard at Bayswater hasn't been considered in this, or perhaps glossed over.

But I had heard that although a maintenance etc. facility at Coldstream was under consideration, it would not happen, if at all, until after the Mooroolbark duplication was completed. Removal of the Maroondah Highway crossing, in whatever form it takes, could/should be done without waiting for the duplication.

Having a maintenance facility at Coldstream also raises questions about extending the passenger service as well, but that's not for here.

1. New station between John St and Maroondah Hwy, retain level crossing - cheap but doesn't solve the whole problem


2. Rail over road, new station above existing one, large reconfiguration of stabling facilities (roads lead to headshunt next Beresford Rd then proceed to station). Requires demolition or 'moving' of Lilydale Station, including the heritage-listed refreshment rooms


3. Rail over road, track slews to the north over the current stabling yards, new station north of the existing one. Significant reduction in stabling capacity, which could be compensated for by new facilities at Coldstream.

Unsurprisingly Toorak Rd is not on the list. It's one of the busiest roads in Melbourne for gods sake. It should have been done 50 years ago.

The Maroondah Highway grade separation has 3 realistic options with downsides for each:

1. New station between John St and Maroondah Hwy, retain level crossing - cheap but doesn't solve the whole problem


2. Rail over road, new station above existing one, large reconfiguration of stabling facilities (roads lead to headshunt next Beresford Rd then proceed to station). Requires demolition or 'moving' of Lilydale Station, including the heritage-listed refreshment rooms


3. Rail over road, track slews to the north over the current stabling yards, new station north of the existing one. Significant reduction in stabling capacity, which could be compensated for by new facilities at Coldstream.

That line-up of choices should put it in the 'too-hard' basket for quite some time. There are lower-hanging fruit elsewhere.

Hi Davesvline. I attended the meetings for theplanning of these crossings. The intention was to leave the level crossing access to the maintenance yard as the number of moves across the level crossing was only a few per day.

4. Sink the existing Highway under the railway, William Street East and West Streets also gets grade separated from the Highway.

5. Build the Lilydale Highway bypass than close the level crossing.

4. Seems plausible, except that you've got a hill to climb at the end of Main St, around where Maroondah Hwy crosses the creek that drains into Lilydale Lake. Might make the grade a bit difficult for a highway, judging on my travels through that stretch of road. Access doesn't seem to be a problem though, which is advantageous.

5. Where is this Bypass to go? John/Hardy St? And what would you do with the rather wide strip of unnecessary road left over around the level crossing?

Toorak Road at Kooyong is on the list. On the first link Retromelb posted it's listed as number 49.

Looking at Melways map 38, the route near Taylor Street/Melbray Avenue, joining back to the existing highway at or east of Anderson Street, is actually labelled "Proposed Lilydale Bypass". This would eliminate the non-divided stretch through the town, leaving that part for local traffic only, and would enable a continuous divided highway right through, if built to that standard. But it would still involve a grade separation at or near Taylor Street. Closing the existing crossing would then follow, and local road traffic would need to use John Street to cross the track(s).

However, building a Lilydale Bypass of that length is probably outside the scope of a level crossing removal.

Id bloody love to know how they intend to deliver 50 over 8 years when they struggle to do 2 or 3 over a single year?! My math can't be that bad!
Something doesn't add up!