Reservoir Rail Removal

We are ahead of Schedule!

My Post of October 6th, 2018 saw us settling in for 2 years of mayhem and inconvenience while the State Government removed the Level Crossing that has divided the Suburb of Reservoir since services began in 1889.

The most disappointing part was when we lost the trees. But they were Gums and Gum Trees tend to drop their branches at the most inconvenient times creating loss and damage.
I was told that they were to have their next life as beautiful Park furniture and wildlife habitats.

In April the Old Station was Demolished.

They fenced things up and brought in huge Augers (Drilling Machines) for deep foundations to support the overhead train tracks and Station.

(There are rumours that they have made provision for the planned "Rail Loop Project" which will go through Reservoir should it ever get built.)

July saw the Beams installed.

Huge Cranes lifted massive pylons and the concrete Sky Bridge into place, while it was "Business as Usual" as motorists negotiated the Detours.

By August, the 6 Boom Gates which held traffic up for hours over the course of a day were removed.
Not everybody was happy. Traders grumbled when the intersection had to be closed.


Work continued Day and Night through Winter and into Summer's Heat - while keeping the Station operational. 

October, One Year since my first Post
- The Rail Bridge is finished.
Eventually reaching "The Point of No Return". 

Buses replacing trains as The Rails are finally removed and the tracks installed up and over the Intersection.

November, the Station Canopy is built and we begin to see what the designers saw.

I drove past the work-site on Saturday morning.

  Boards, Bollards and Fences were blocking the way through - 

Monday morning the radio informed all who were awake that the Reservoir Level Crossing was Open and Ahead of time!

7:45 am DD sent me a text -

"The new Station is working,  Music and free Cupcakes at Reservoir!"

I haven't been up onto the platform but the photos I have seen are looking pretty good.

It still needs Lifts installed and of course landscaping and paving underneath.

And Today - the futuristic building that was an 'Artists Impression'

...    is now a reality.

And the future for Reservoir looks Good.

My Thanks goes to DD who sent me the Works in Progress Photos as she negotiated Bus Replacements, Delays, Workers wearing Hi-Vis and Rail employees who apparently didn't live in the area and therefore didn't know anymore about anything than the rest of us!

And next year they move 'down the line' and do it all again on the next intersection!

And so it begins ...

I have lived in Reservoir all my life and the one question constantly asked during my school years was... "Which side of the line are you on?"

The Train line has divided the Suburb for 130 years and, for some it was very much a "Them and Us" attitude.

Construction on the Level Crossing Removal has begun with "Site Establishments, Geotechnical Investigations and Relocation of Services."
In other words they have erected a fence around some equipment and started digging holes in the ground.

And this will be our lot for the next Two Years while they build a new station and Sky Rail Bridge over one of the most congested road/rail Intersections in Melbourne.

Not too many Locals will be heartbroken over the rail going over the road.  If they provide a Sparkly New Station and Plaza anything like the Artists Impression

- We will ALL be very Happy!


And what makes ME happy is ... Where we live there are FIVE other ways home by Public transport that DO NOT involve going through Reservoir Station!