The new northern car park will double the number of car spaces available. A road connecting Camms Road to the car park will also be constructed as part of the upgrade.
By Glen Atwell
CRANBOURNE commuters are breathing a sigh of relief after the State Government announced 400 extra car parks will be built at Cranbourne Railway Station.
A new road connecting Camms Road to the car park will also be constructed, and will dramatically ease access to the station for peak hour commuters.
Cranbourne MP Jude Perera expects the new car parks to be available in early 2009, and said local train travellers were the big winners.
“This is great news for local commuters who combine a car and train journey to get to and from the city,” he said.
Car spaces at the station will be more than doubled, from 292 to 700, when the new parks are available.
Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky said the Cranbourne station upgrade of 400 additional spaces would add to the 90 already delivered as part of the $37 million station upgrade.
“The Brumby Government is taking action to improve Melbourne’s metropolitan rail network. I am really pleased we are able to increase the size of the car park as I know patronage on the line is growing rapidly,” Ms Kosky said.
The Cranbourne station and stabling upgrade is the first stage of the Dandenong Rail Corridor Project, and involves the upgrade of the existing station as well as a new storage facility for six trains.
Works are expected to be completed by early 2009.
“The Dandenong rail corridor services 15 per cent of Melbourne’s population and that’s why we made Cranbourne a priority transport investment and the stabling will improve efficiency on the line,” Mr Perera said. “Commuters using the station will have improved access and commuters will also benefit from security upgrades and increased accessibility, including the paving of informal paths to allow easier pedestrian access to the station.”
Ms Kosky said the Government strove to balance the need for parking while offering local residents the choice to catch bus services to the station.
“We have made a multi-million investment upgrading Cranbourne’s bus network with four routes offering extended operating hours linking the station to Frankston, Dandenong and Narre Warren,” Ms Kosky said.
