Station to get $36m revamp

"Ellen Whinnett, state politics reporter
15may06

NORTH Melbourne's outdated train station will get a $36 million makeover as part of ambitious plans to speed up Melbourne's jammed train network.

The State Government will spend the money over the next four years as part of a major transport overhaul to be announced this week. The station, a major hub used by more than two million passengers a year, will be redesigned to allow the faster movement of passengers between platforms.

The Herald Sun believes the Government is preparing to announce the extreme makeover as early as today. It is believed plans for the station include major changes to its facade, including the relocation of the main entrance from the Kensington end of Railway Place to the city end.
A new concourse is expected to be built over the city end of the station and will connect the new entrance to all six platforms by a network of lifts, escalators and stairs.

Transport officials believe this will allow much faster movement of passengers between platforms, and will allow faster turnover of trains pulling into the station.

Studies have shown that the number of people using the station is set to double to four million a year in the next four years, and the station is a major interchange for people on V/Line trains connecting to city loop trains.

All the northern lines arrive at North Melbourne, including the Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, Seymour, Werribee, Williamstown, Broadmeadows, Upfield and Sydenham services. The movement of passengers between platforms has slowed services arriving and leaving the station, which in turn delays other trains on the city loop.

Built in 1886 and added to in 1974, the station will take on a futuristic new look with a modern facade and radical roofing.

Final design work is still under way but is likely to include more canopies over the platforms to protect passengers from the weather, along with new passenger information display screens and extra closed-circuit television cameras to improve safety.

The six platforms will be resurfaced to make them more accessible for people with disabilities. The upgrade of North Melbourne station comes on top of the $250 million program to improve tram stops and railway platforms announced by Premier Steve Bracks last week.

In other parts of the transport package already confirmed by the Government:

$73 MILLION will be spent on the rail network at Mildura to improve freight movement.
$70 MILLION will be spent improving bike tracks around Melbourne and other parts of Victoria.
$5 MILLION will be spent on a study of transport options, including tunnels under Melbourne's inner north to link the eastern and western suburbs.
$15.4 MILLION will be spent recruiting and training new drivers for the city's rail network. "

Money well spent?