Jolimont Yard - Rationalisation

Rationalisation

The first area of the yard to be removed was the 'Collingwood Sidings' in the northern corner, near the intersection of Wellington Parade South and Jolimont Road. The area was cleared of tracks during 1987 and 1988 and was offered for sale as a development site. Purchased by a company that later collapsed, it was not until the mid-1990s that the present apartment buildings have been built. High-rise apartments featured in the final stage, that ran into opposition in the early 2000s, but was approved in 2005.

The State Government announced the Federation Square project in 1996, along with additional development of the sports and entertainment precinct and new parklands. Rationalisation of the yard was carried out in 1997-1998 to clear the way, with the stabling sidings and workshops removed and replaced by new facilities located elsewhere, including:

• Epping station received a new major workshop and stabling yard, opened in 1990.
• Macaulay received a light maintenance facility located on the site of existing stabling sidings in 1993.
• Melbourne Yard was the site of a replacement washing plant and stabling sidings made operational in May 1995.
• Westall and Bayswater stations both received new train maintenance facilities and stabling yards at a cost of $16.5m. The yards were constructed on little used goods sidings and house seven or three trains respectively.
• Camberwell station received new stabling sidings on the site of the former goods yard.
• Burnley station received new stabling sidings on nearby unused land.

The track rationalisation itself cost $40 million with 53 operating lines between Flinders Street and Richmond were reduced to just 12. The number of points was also reduced, from 164 to 48 and 1 in 9 and 1 in 15 points were used to permit higher speeds. New lower profile masts were installed to support the overhead wiring, and a new electrical substation erected to supply power to the trains. The main area of new track was between Flinders Street Station, Richmond Junction and the City Loop portals.

Piling works and crash walls for Federation Square were done by October 1998. The deck was completed by mid-1999, with building works atop of it commencing in August 1999. The removal of other buildings along Batman Avenue was carried out at this time, including the Metrol train control facility. Opened at the time of the City Loop opening in 1981, it was moved to a temporary location pending the replacement of the elderly technology with a new system.

The Exhibition Street Extension was also built, connecting the CBD to Batman Avenue and Swan Street, permitting the closure of Batman Avenue for Federation Square and Birrarung Marr. Tolled as part of the CityLink project, it was opened in 1998 and carries trams and four lanes of traffic. By June 1999 the route 70 tram had been rerouted from Swan Street to a new section of reserved track running between the Tennis Centre and the remaining railway lines, entering the CBD via the Exhibition Street Extension rather than Batman Avenue. A new footbridge from the Multi Purpose Stadium to the MCG Great Southern Stand concourse was built, and existing footbridge from the MCG Pontsford Stand to Scotch Oval was rebuilt and widened.

As part of the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games the 525-metre long William Barak footbridge was built east-west from Birrarung Marr to Yarra Park. Stated in 2005 and opened in 2006. The bridge is yet to be completed, with scaffolding and formwork still attached to the piers.