Upfield line set to close for three months during ‘sky rail’ works

Melbourne’s Upfield line will close to trains for three months as eight level crossings are removed, throwing the busy Sydney Road corridor into chaos during the biggest phase of construction in 2030.

Authorities say the project, which was originally due to begin in 2027 before a three-year delay, will pave the way for long-awaited upgrades to the growing northern rail corridor, which has had to deal with less frequent services than other parts of the metropolitan network.

Victoria’s Infrastructure Delivery Authority has referred its plans to remove eight level crossings in Brunswick and Parkville to the planning minister, who will determine whether the project needs to go to a more detailed environmental effects assessment.

To support this, the authority has provided documents detailing the scale of the project which includes the construction of two elevated rail bridges, referred to as “sky rail”, stretching 2.1 kilometres through the inner-north suburbs.

But doing so will require up to three years of work and preparations, including a 90-day shutdown of the Upfield line currently expected in 2030 that will complete much of the major construction required.

“The most significant disruption to the local community, rail passengers and road users will be during the main rail occupation when the rail line and stations will be closed, and no trains will pass through the area,” the documents say.

Rail replacement services will run along the busy Sydney Road corridor during this period, diverting thousands of extra passengers onto buses, trams or potentially cars.

Trams on this corridor are largely not wheelchair accessible, with low-floor buses to be provided or taxis when they are not available.

The project will also “create some additional traffic volumes and effects during the construction phase, particularly in the vicinity of the eight level crossings” across its lifespan.

The authority expects these traffic jams to be temporary and not significant, with closures to be minimised on high-traffic roads such as Brunswick Road, Dawson Street and Park Street.

Bicycle paths which currently follow the railway and are used by 2500 people a day will also be diverted along new routes, including during an extended closure from Moreland Road to Park Street.

The authority promises to improve this path using the new open space by the elevated rail, including separation between cyclists and pedestrians.

Residents along the Upfield line have long called for upgrades to their train timetables, particularly as Melbourne’s population booms in the northern suburbs.

Though the Allan government has committed to a boost in services later this year, commuters still endure longer wait times during peak hour because the line runs on only one track past Gowrie station.

Although no announcement has been made by the state, the planning documents say the level crossing removals support potential future “upgrades in the northern growth corridor and increased services on the Upfield line in the future.”

A government spokesperson said the local community could already see the benefits of level crossing removals in their area, with five crossings replaced, and two new stations built in Moreland and Coburg as part of a previous project that will connect to the one currently being assessed.

“We’ll continue to work with the community to minimise disruption while delivering this transformational project that will unlock two MCGs worth of new open space, kilometres of new cycling paths and pave the way for important future upgrades to the Upfield line.”

Concept designs will be shared with the community for feedback in 2027, with major works starting in 2029 and scheduled to be completed by 2030.

As part of its submission to the planning minister, Victoria’s Infrastructure Delivery Authority was also tasked to identify risks to the environment or heritage of the area that could come from the construction of the rail corridor.

About 1.76 hectares of native vegetation fall within the protected area, including potential habitat for three listed species under federal biodiversity laws: the swift parrot, regent honeyeater and gang-gang cockatoo.

Only the gang-gang cockatoo was identified during two years of surveys, with assessments undertaken by the authority ruling it would not have a significant impact on the bird.

The authority hopes to avoid a potential clash with rules under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act after the Commonwealth refused Victoria’s initial plans for an offshore wind hub at the Port of Hastings under the same laws. The project is still yet to be approved.

“No species are expected to be subject to major or extensive impact. The loss of genetically important populations is not expected,” the Upfield line assessment says.

One of the biggest issues to be managed across the project will be construction noise, with Melbourne Zoo’s Lion Gorge and RMIT’s Design Labs listed as potentially sensitive to noise and vibration.

A “respite and relocation plan” will be created to manage these impacts, including for homes affected by the same issues.

This may include cinema vouchers, white noise machines, noise-cancelling headphones or temporary accommodation to allow for sleep during extended networks.

Level crossing bells and train horns used at road crossings will be removed when the project is finished, and vibration is forecast to reduce once trains are travelling on the elevated bridge.

Some homes could be overshadowed and lose natural light once the elevated rail bridge is built. If light levels fail to meet minimum standards, these home owners would be eligible to sell their properties to the government.

Bulleke-bek Park and Clifton Park will be temporarily used to hold construction equipment, restricting community access, while other facilities such as Brunswick Baths could be disrupted during some periods of construction.

As part of the new elevated rail line, three existing stations – Jewell, Brunswick and Anstey – will be decommissioned and replaced with two new stations, with placeholder names Brunswick North and Brunswick South.

Brunswick and Jewell stations are on the Victorian Heritage Register and will be retained and refurbished for other uses. Other heritage-listed parts of the railway will be dismantled, restored and reinstated at a later date.

In total, 13 residential properties and five commercial sites will be acquired, with eight businesses to be displaced by other acquisitions or the ending of their leases held by VicTrack.

Two alternative level crossing removal methods were considered – road under rail or rail under road – but Victoria’s Infrastructure Delivery Authority found these methods would be more disruptive in terms of compulsory acquisitions, road closures and more significant impact to heritage buildings.

Rail under road would have led to longer rail shutdowns and a need to rebuild parts of the elevated rail bridge between Bell Street and Moreland Road, the authority said.

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