Sky rail proposal over Park St moves forward with limited impact on Royal Park

Plans to elevate the Upfield rail line over Park St at the northern edge of Royal Park are progressing, with early design work suggesting relatively limited impacts for nearby Parkville residents

The project forms part of the Victorian Government’s level crossing removal program, which aims to eliminate the congested crossings at Park St in Parkville and Brunswick Rd in Brunswick.

Together, the two crossings carry around 71,000 vehicles each day, with boom gates currently down for up to 30 minutes during the morning peak, causing significant traffic delays and disruption for commuters.

Under the emerging concept, trains will run on an elevated rail bridge over Park St before descending into the existing rail corridor through Royal Park.

For Parkville residents, one of the most notable design features is the proposal to slightly lower Park St itself, allowing the rail bridge to begin descending earlier as it approaches the parkland.

This adjustment is expected to reduce the visual impact of the structure and allow the railway to transition into the natural gorge within Royal Park sooner than originally anticipated.

Another potential change involves restricting heavy vehicles from using Park St, with a proposed bridge clearance of 4.8 metres. If implemented, this would limit the ability of larger trucks to travel along the route.

While that change could alter traffic patterns in surrounding streets, some residents see it as a positive outcome that may reduce heavy vehicle movements through the area.

A Victorian Government spokesperson confirmed that Park St would have a designated clearance of 4.8 metres, in line with state regulations, providing sufficient clearance to allow most heavy vehicles, including trucks, garbage trucks and other typical service vehicles, to safely use the road.

Vehicles that need higher clearance will be able to use the nearby Brunswick Rd, which will have a 5.4-metre clearance.

Local community group the Parkville Association has indicated it is broadly comfortable with the direction of the project, noting that the latest concept appears to have minimal impact on residents living along The Avenue.

Parkville Association president Rob Moore. 

However, environmental concerns have been raised by the Friends of Royal Park group, particularly around the potential loss of trees and vegetation within sections of the parkland where the railway will descend back to ground level.

Despite those concerns, early reactions from residents and Royal Park stakeholders suggest the design may represent a relatively balanced outcome between transport improvements and neighbourhood impacts.

The project reached an important planning milestone earlier this year.

In January, the level crossing removal authority referred the project to the Minister for Planning to determine whether a full environmental assessment would be required under the Victorian Environment Effects Act 1978.

In March, the minister determined that a full Environment Effects Statement would not be required for the project, allowing the planning and design process to continue without further environmental review at that level.

The authority says feedback gathered through community consultation in 2024, along with technical and engineering requirements, will help shape the project’s final concept designs.

Public information sessions were also held in February, giving residents an opportunity to review early planning ideas and ask questions about the project.

Detailed concept designs are expected to be released next year as the authority continues refining the proposal.

Once complete, the elevated rail section will remove two of the most heavily congested level crossings in Melbourne’s inner north, improving traffic flow and reducing delays for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.

For Parkville residents, the key question in the coming stages will be how the project integrates with the surrounding parkland and whether the final design minimises impacts on Royal Park’s landscape.

While the project remains in the design phase, the latest updates suggest the Park St crossing removal may ultimately have less direct impact on nearby residential streets than initially feared.

A Victorian Government spokesperson told Inner City News that the project would “unlock two MCGs worth of open space, plant new trees and is an important first step to delivering further enhancements to the Upfield Line.”

It added that the 2.1km rail bridge would rise near Tinning St in Brunswick and lower near Park St in Parkville, with investigations to determine the exact location it will return to grade north of Royal Park Station.

While it said it was undertaking careful planning to minimise impacts on surrounding vegetation, some trees and vegetation in the project area will need to be trimmed or removed to safely complete the works.

"As the project is in the early development stage, we’ll work to minimise these impacts and retain as many trees as possible," it said.

"We will plant two new trees for every one required to be removed, as well as planting shrubs and grasses across the project area."