Upfield line set to close for three months during ‘skyrail’ 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 works, 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 Melbourne’s 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 “skyrail”, stretching 2.1 kilometres through the inner-north suburbs.

The project 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 allow completion of much of the major construction.

“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 busy Sydney Road during this period, diverting thousands of extra passengers onto buses and trams or potentially into cars. Trams on this route are largely not wheelchair accessible, but low-floor buses are 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”.

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 that follow the rail line and are used by 2500 people a day will also be diverted, including during an extended closure from Moreland Road to Park Street.

The authority promises to improve the pathway, 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 north.

Though the state government has committed to a boost in services this year, commuters still endure longer waits at peak times 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 now 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,” the spokesperson said.

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

As part of its submission to the planning minister, the Infrastructure Delivery Authority was also tasked with identifying risks to the environment or heritage of the area that could come from the construction work.

About 1.76 hectares of native vegetation falls within the project 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. Assessments by the authority found the project would not significantly affect 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 Hastings project is 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 on the rail project will be construction noise. Melbourne Zoo’s Lion Gorge and RMIT University’s Design Labs are listed as potentially sensitive to noise and vibration.

A “respite and relocation plan” will be created to manage these effects, including for households. This may include cinema vouchers, white noise machines, noise-cancelling headphones or temporary accommodation to allow for sleep during extended works.

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 rail bridges.

Some homes could be overshadowed and lose natural light once the bridges are built. If light levels do not 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 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 refurbished for other uses. Other heritage-listed parts of the rail line will be dismantled, restored and reinstated later.

Thirteen residential properties and five commercial sites will be acquired. Eight businesses will 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 the 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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