KINGSTON Council is leading renewed calls to rework a planned level crossing removal on the Frankston line.
The state government is planning to remove the Groves Street, Aspendale level crossing by building a rail trench. At their most recent meeting, Kingston councillors voted to call on the state government to reconsider the rail-under-road plan.
Kingston mayor Georgina Oxley said that building rail-over-road to replace the level crossing instead would “deliver better outcomes for the Aspendale community, local businesses and the environment.”
“Our role is to speak up for our community and advocate for the best possible outcome for Aspendale,” Cr Oxley said. “Since this project was first announced, we’ve had the benefit of seeing how other level crossing removals have transformed neighbouring communities and we’ve heard overwhelmingly from local residents about what matters most to them. That’s why we’re calling on the Victorian Government to collaborate with council and reconsider the current approach, and seriously examine a rail-over-road solution that would better connect our community, create valuable public space and deliver lasting benefits for Aspendale.”
Level crossing works have been a frequent fixture along the Frankston line, with the state government planning to make the railway line level crossing-free by 2032. Most recently trains began running to a newly opened Mordialloc Station via the rail bridges over McDonald Street in Mordialloc, and Station Street in Aspendale.
Cr Oxley said “having experienced more level crossing removals than any other council we know they are about much more than transport infrastructure. They are once-in-a-generation opportunities to improve how people move through a neighbourhood, strengthen local shopping areas and create better public spaces for the community to enjoy.”
“Based on what we’ve heard from residents and what we’ve learned from other projects, we believe a rail-over-road solution offers the greatest opportunity to achieve those outcomes. It would better connect people to local shops and the beach, create new public open space, improve walking and cycling links and avoid some of the challenges associated with building a trench in a low-lying coastal environment,” Cr Oxley said. “The Victorian Government has an opportunity to work with us and deliver a project that not only removes a level crossing but leaves a positive legacy for Aspendale for decades to come.”
Kingston Council undertook community consultation on the Groves Street level crossing plans earlier this year. A statement from Kingston Council read that “consultation attracted more than 540 submissions, with 76 per cent of respondents favouring a rail-over-road solution.
“The feedback highlighted the community’s desire to maintain strong connections between the shopping village, beach and lifesaving club, while creating more open space, improving pedestrian and cycling access and protecting Aspendale’s coastal character.”
First published in the Frankston Times – 30 June 2026