Another $2.5 billion will be spent by the Victorian government removing 10 more level crossings on Melbourne rail lines.
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Premier Daniel Andrews announced the extra crossings on Thursday at a news conference marking the removal of the 50th set of boom gates originally promised at the 2014 state election.
While the program met some controversy over the decision to elevate large swaths of rail line, it ultimately proved so popular the government promised another 25 crossings to be gone by 2025 at the 2018 election.
"Because we're so far ahead, because our economy and communities need jobs more than ever, we're very pleased today to be able to announce that our Labor government will remove another 10 level crossings by 2025 taking it to a total of 85 of these dangerous and congested little crossings have gone by 2025," Mr Andrews said on Thursday.
The removals will mean two of the city's busiest train lines - Pakenham and Lilydale - will become level crossing free.
Three of the new removals will be on the Pakenham line, two on the Lilydale, one on the Belgrave line, one on the Sunbury line, two on the Frankston line and one on the Mernda line.
The government says more than 4000 new jobs will be created as part of these extra crossing removals, about 2100 directly and 1900 indirectly.
Australian Associated Press
