Crossing plea to make the grade

Rail: Springvale council is continuing its fight for a grade separation in Springvale. Boom gates are down for 40 minutes during some days of the week, causing traffic chaos. Picture: Stewart Chambers

By Lia Bichel
THE Springvale Road rail crossing is in desperate need of a grade separation, the City of Greater Dandenong council says.
The council has spent several years urging the State Government to consider a grade separation at the busy Springvale crossing and City of Greater Dandenong Engineering Services Director Bruce Rendall said the fight isn’t over.
Mr Rendall said the council prepared a report in July 2007 for the State Government when there was a focus on a proposal for a third line from Caulfield to Dandenong. “We thought that would be a good time to do the grade separation. Subsequently they decided not to do that, but we still believe it is worthwhile to have a grade separation. We will continue to lobby,” he said.
“The reasons are multiple. It is a dangerous intersection; there have been two deaths in the last five years and many near misses.
“Secondly, it adds congestion – in the worst case up to 40 minutes in the hour (the boom gates are down).
“The third thing that concerns us is it cuts Springvale in half.”
Mr Rendall said there were 29,000 vehicles travelling on the busy stretch of road per day, meaning the congestion not only affected Springvale residents but “the whole south-east region of Melbourne”.
Councillor Roz Blades said the fact that the council cannot get grade separation in Springvale is “a major calamity”.
“If you live in Greater Dandenong and don’t have a car, you are unlikely to work.
“Buses are left at railway crossings because the boom gates are down 35 minutes every hour,” she said.
“It’s all about connectivity – if you can’t drive, you can’t get to an employment agency or Centrelink or a job interview – all of your connections are cut off.”
Mr Rendall urged the community to show its support for the project.
“I think it would be good if they were to write to their local MPs to write to the newspaper and let them know what they are feeling,” he said.
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