According to Victoria’s transport infrastructure minister, this is a train station with “million dollar views, baby”.
At a press conference on a cloudy Friday morning, Danny Pearson was ebullient in his praise for the views commanded by the new elevated platform at Croydon – to the point that his enthusiasm itself was questioned by reporters.
“It’s million dollar views, baby,” Pearson told reporters at the station, which is set to open later this month.
“You’re looking over the Dandenongs, it is just stunning, right? Like seriously, people will be coming here on Friday night having a barbecue up here, looking over the views, right?
“Like it’s just an absolute knockout being delivered by this government.”
He said the removal of the level crossing at Coolstore Road in Croydon, and another at Dublin Road in Ringwood East, made the Lilydale line the first in Melbourne to be entirely free of boom gates – and a year ahead of schedule.
“It is epic. It is just so fantastic. It will be a complete gamechanger for the community,” Pearson said.
His praise was only briefly interrupted as a train sped past, the sound of which he described as “nearly as sweet as a Cold Chisel song.”
Pearson said the Lilydale line was only a “taste” of things to come – with the Cranbourne, Pakenham and Sunbury lines to also become level crossing free in 2025, followed by the Frankston line in 2029 and the Werribee line in 2030.
Then, there was the prospect of the Metro Tunnel also opening soon.
“You reckon I am excited now? Come Metro – it is going to be peak excitement, it’s just going to be amazing,” Pearson said, before telling himself to “rein it in” and explaining to journalists he’d had “lots of caffeine” that morning.
But it didn’t stop him comparing the Metro Tunnel – two 9km train tunnels and five new stations under the CBD that will connect the Sunbury and Cranbourne and Pakenham lines – to the infrastructure during the period of Ancient Rome.
“It’s almost something out of Ancient Rome – having an aqueduct and having fine roads like the Appian Way,” he said.
The government has said removing the crossings means boom gates were no longer down for more than five hours in the morning peak, which would also reduce delays for more than 123,000 vehicles every morning.
It has removed 82 level crossings and has plans to remove 28 more, despite opposition from the Coalition and some local residents, mostly over height and noise concerns, as well as a lack of engagement with communities.
