Carrum Ups & Downs: Refreshing the South

Carrum, near Frankston in Greater Melbourne’s South, has received $50 million extra to upgrade the station and the surrounding area. This will sweeten the deal of already removing three problematic level crossings (Bondi Road, Station Street and Eel Race Road).

The new design not only refreshes Carrum station and elevates the rail away from the road, thus unclogging traffic, but also sees a redesign of the whole area. This includes new community areas and more carparks for the station itself and for the nearby beach.

900 metres is the length proposed for the new rail bridge. This will also include an aesthetically pleasing design on the side of the elevated rail, to blend in more with the surrounding environment.

Along with the rail bridge, station upgrade and greater area refresh, a new promenade will be built in Carrum, with the aim to draw more people to the family-friendly area. McLeod road will also be extended all the way to the beach to accommodate this new promenade. As per community requests, ease of access to the beach has been thoroughly considered. The promenade design itself will also be submitted to the community for approval.

New draws for day-trippers, such as picnic spots and updated parks, will also improve the overall look of the Carrum area. Only 5 properties will have to be acquired for this extensive project, and it is tipped to create many jobs in the local area.



Carrum shown in relation to Melbourne (Image courtesy of Google Maps)

Dedicated spots for walking and cycling will also be included in the upgrades. Consultation with engineers, urban designers, and the community has all been undertaken with regards to this project. The community is urged to continue to put their opinions and ideas forward for consideration.

The site for the stabling of the trains will also be moved, likely to a spot close to Kananook station. The level crossing removals and the upgrade for Carrum is very much needed, as many peak hour drivers cannot use the main roads due to the sheer amount of traffic, and are having to divert to side streets, which in turn are now also clogging up.

Boom gates being down for long periods of time in peak hours in the morning and evening slow traffic down and make the average driver’s journey much longer than it needs to be. Removal of these gates and relocation of the rail above and away from the road will create a much smoother flow for people driving to and from work.

This is just one of many projects the State Government is running to remove level crossings and refresh suburban areas. Others include: Nearby Frankston, Mernda, Rosanna, and the Caulfield-Dandenong line. This is also to go along with the endless rail upgrades across Melbourne CBD (eg: the Metro Rail Tunnel), and regional Victoria (eg: Geelong connection updates).

Upgrading these communities is a high priority as it encourages the urban spread across Greater Melbourne, rather than the current concentration within the CBD and inner suburbs. Updated facilities, more ease of access into and out of the city, creation of short-term and long-term jobs and a fresher feel for the entire area will become drawcards for people looking to make that seachange without being too far from the CBD.

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