1000th U-trough milestone for Victoria’s rail bridges

The 1000th U-trough milestone has been reached on Victoria’s Level Crossing Removal Project, with the latest segment now in place as work continues across Melbourne’s rail corridors, as reported by Rail Express.

What U-troughs do for elevated rail bridges?

U-trough precast concrete structures form the superstructure of elevated rail bridges, letting trains run above roads and opening up space beneath the rail line for other uses. Each unit is made from two large L-shaped concrete beams, set on crosshead piers and then joined together to create the finished U-shaped section.

Don’t miss…Melbourne level crossing removals: EES call for Brunswick–Parkville

The Victorian Government said the U-troughs were designed specifically for the Level Crossing Removal Project — described as an Australian first — and they are now widely used across Victoria’s Big Build.

The 1000th U-trough installation in Melton

The Level Crossing Removal Project’s 1000th U-trough was recently put into place west of Coburns Road as part of the Melton level crossing removal project, as outlined by Victoria’s Big Build. To mark the milestone, the project team created a stencilled memento recognising the thousands of workers involved in delivering and installing the large concrete segments across projects in Melbourne.

From the Mernda Rail Extension to more sites

Since being introduced on the Mernda Rail Extension in 2018, U-troughs have become a defining feature of level crossing removals. They have been used on projects in Brunswick and Coburg, Preston, Pakenham, Parkdale and Carrum.

The Victorian Government said the approach has helped create more than 20 MCGs worth of open space for community facilities, playgrounds, cycling and walking paths, as well as thousands of new trees and hundreds of thousands of plants, shrubs and grasses.

Senior Project Engineer Ben Bartlett, who was on site in Melton for the 1000th installation, said it was remarkable to see the structures used so widely to support level crossing removals. “It’s a really impressive legacy that I have been able to contribute to,” he said. “It’s certainly something I will be taking kids back to in the future to show them what a wonderful thing I have worked on.”

Construction is underway in Melton, with all four boom gates set to be removed and the new Melton Station scheduled to open in 2026, as noted by Railway Supply.

News on railway transport, industry, and railway technologies from Railway Supply that you might have missed: