A $24 million upgrade to Wallan and Donnybrook railway stations began on Thursday, set to improve access and safety.
The upgrades, first announced in August last year, have a planned completion date of early 2020.
The upgrades at Donnybrook will include a new ramp at the station to improve passenger safety and accessibility; the replacement coach stop to be relocated from Donnybrook Road with two new sheltered bus bays within the station precinct.
The new bus bays will provide easier access and passengers will soon benefit from a connecting bus service.
Modifications will also be made to Springs Road to provide better access for both buses and cars, as well as improved security with CCTV on the platforms and in the car park.
At Wallan station, upgrades include extension of the city-bound platforms and improvements to passenger amenities, with an extension to the waiting room and new bathrooms.
The car park will be reconfigured to include two new bus bays with shelters, as well as more bicycle facilities.
Security at the station will be boosted, with CCTV and lighting installed on the platforms and in the car park.
Member for Yan Yean Danielle Green visited Donnybrook station as contractors began to mobilise the sites.
She met with Acciona Company development and services manager Aimee Najdovski, VicTrack major projects group manager Neil Rickard, Regional Rail Revival Program director Mark Havryluk to tour the site and meet future contractors working on the project.
Donnybrook Station will feature a new car park with 150 extra spaces to give passengers more options for parking, taking pressure off nearby Springs Road.
“We need to support the community of Kalkallo, Donnybrook and Wallan as they grow and this project is part of Victoria’s big build,” she said.
“The big ticket item for Donnybrook is the extension of the city bound platform – a longer length platform will mean we can spread the way people are getting onto inbound train journeys when they’re heading to Melbourne, this means less dwell time and it’ll improve on time services.”
Work on the Donnybrook and Wallan station upgrades will ramp up and coaches will replace trains between Southern Cross Station, Seymour and Shepparton on the weekends of June 15 and 16, and June 29 and 30.
The works have been scheduled at the same time as V/Line maintenance to minimise disruption to passengers.
Albury trains will continue to run as normal on the adjacent tracks.
While trains are not running, V/Line will complete rail bridge maintenance at Wallan and Kilmore East, level crossing works in Beveridge and track resurfacing between Seymour and Shepparton along with continuing their multi-million-dollar sleeper replacement program.
