New Chelsea Station

The Level Crossing Removal Project is removing 18 level crossings and building 12 new stations as part of a $3 billion upgrade of the Frankston Line that will improve safety, reduce congestion and allow more trains to run more often.

Works to remove 5 dangerous and congested level crossings in Edithvale, Chelsea and Bonbeach by lowering the rail into a trench, and build 3 brand new stations, will start in 2020.

The new Chelsea Station is designed to enhance connections around the area. Improved parking, designated bus bays, bike facilities and walking and cycling connections will create more ways to get to the new Chelsea Station.

The station design is inspired by the landscape, and the use of natural materials and warm colours to create a coastal look and feel. The station canopy complements the Nepean Highway shopping precinct and the prominent signage marks the heart of the activity centre.

The connection with traditional owners of the land is recognised in the station design, with woven canopies representing the area's indigenous textiles and craft.

Improving the Frankston Line

• Removing 18 level crossings – more crossings than any other line in Melbourne
• Upgrading signalling to modern technology
• Extra train stabling to allow for more trains
• Building 12 new modern stations
• PLUS the Metro Tunnel project will cut 30 minutes a day from your commute.

Why these level crossings need to go

• 40,000 commuters use Frankston line daily
• 200 passenger trains daily on the Frankston line
• Boom gates down over 35% of morning peak
• Over 50 freight trains weekly

Chelsea Station's new features

• Improved station facilities and more lighting creating a safer station precinct
• 6 access points to the station reducing commuter congestion
• Improved safety for pedestrians and cyclists with dedicated shared use paths
• Better all-abilities access and parking
• Parkiteer bike cages and more bicycle hoops
• Easy access to local activity hubs, community facilities and the beach
• Dedicated bus bays reducing traffic congestion on Station Street

We heard you want a station design with a coastal look and feel

The new Chelsea Station is modern and light to fit the coastal look and feel.

Materials and public art will be chosen to further enhance the local surroundings.

Bluestone, pavers, timber and decorative perforated screens featured prominently in community feedback. These durable materials will be used in different ways around the station forecourt.

There was also a clear preference for a combination of native trees, shrubs, flowering plants and grasses that align with the character of the local area.

Chelsea Station will have a customised colour palate of natural tones so it can be easily identified by passing train passengers.

By moving the station's position approximately 50m south, it will be in a shallower section of the trench which will minimise any potential environmental impacts to surrounding groundwater.

Station accessibility

The new Chelsea Station design meets Australian design standards for accessibility and mobility. The lifts to the platform at each station entrance will be big enough to accommodate mobility scooters, wheelchairs and prams.

People with a disability will have access to clearly marked parking close to the station entrances on Nepean Highway and Station Street.

Walking and cycling

The new station, located closer to Catherine Avenue, will connect commuters, pedestrians and cyclists to The Strand and the heart of the Chelsea activity centre, community facilities and the beach.

With more bicycle facilities and improved walking and cycling paths, there will be more ways for locals and visitors to get to Chelsea Station and around the activity centre.

There will be a new Parkiteer cage to provide safe and secure bike storage, plus more bike hoops outside the station.

A new shared use path will run along Station Street from Swanpool Avenue to Golden Avenue.

Car parking

We’ve worked hard to deliver a new modern station with the same number of commuter car parking spaces and safer access to and from the station. The rail corridor through Chelsea however is very narrow and it’s not possible to add more commuter car parking.

Commuter car parking at the new Chelsea Station will be at the southern end of the new station, connected by a pedestrian path to make it safer to get from your car to the station.

Clearly marked disability permit parking will be located close to station entrances.

Landscaping and surrounds

Landscaping around the station will create a look and feel that locals can enjoy throughout the year, such as vegetation along walking paths, the shared use path and station entrances.

Three entrances on each side of the station, including stairs, a ramp and a lift, means better access and less congestion for commuters entering or leaving the station.

Connections to local transport

There will be a new designated bus bay closer to the entrance at Station Street, creating easier and safer local bus connections.

This new bus bay will be separated from Station Street, ensuring bus stops are moved away from local traffic, improving safety and reducing congestion along Station Street.

There will also be separate designated kiss-and-ride and taxi zones along Nepean Highway and Station Street for easy pick-up and drop-off.

Lighting and safety

As the platforms at Chelsea Station will only be a couple of metres into the trench, there will be plenty of natural light on the platforms. There will also be CCTV cameras on platforms and station entrances, clear sightlines, and open and well-lit areas.

Upgrading the Frankston Line

We’re upgrading important rail infrastructure to improve train services along the Frankston Line.

More than 30km of new overhead wiring and structures and three new substations will provide a more reliable and stronger power source to improve train performance and reliability of services.

Nearly 60% of old train signalling will be replaced with a modern computer-based system that will enable more trains to run more often.

A new train storage facility in Seaford will provide the essential daily services needed to keep Frankston Line trains running on time. The facility also provides space for more trains in the future as demand for services grows.

A new signal maintenance facility is being built in Seaford to enable routine and emergency maintenance works, minimising disruptions to train services.

Project timeline

Late 2019

• Site investigations underway

Early 2020

• Start of relocation of services
• Start of works on Nepean Highway

2021

• Major construction underway
• Chelsea Station closed
• Major rail closure to dig rail trench and lower rail
• Chelsea Station opens

2022

• Edithvale, Chelsea and Bonbeach level crossings gone and works complete

* Timeline subject to change