The Andrews Labor Government has marked its first year in office by announcing the removal of four more level crossings, including Abbotts Road in Dandenong South and Thompsons Road in Lyndhurst.

Local Members Gabrielle Williams, Jude Perera and Judith Graley welcomed the announcement, which will improve traffic flow and safety for locals, and create capacity to run more trains in the future.

In 2012, Abbotts Road level crossing was the site of a horrific collision that derailed a train and resulted in a tragic death. More than 23,000 vehicles use the crossing every day, making it a major choke-point for local motorists whenever the boom gates go down.

The Thompsons Road level crossing in Lyndhurst is used by even more vehicles every day and has also been the site of a fatality and a number of near misses in the past decade.

Removing the crossing will make Thompsons Road safer and eliminate a major congestion hot spot in Melbourne’s growing south east.

It will be delivered as part of the duplication of Thompsons Road, another key election commitment that will reduce congestion even further.

Both the Thompsons Road and Abbott Road level crossings will be removed by 2019. There are now 23 level crossing removals getting underway across Melbourne, with at least 20 of them to be complete in the next three years, meeting the commitment the Labor Government made at last year’s election.

In addition, work to remove eight level crossings on the Frankston line will begin in 2018, meaning more than 30 of the 50 level crossings the Government committed to remove over the next eight years will be finished or underway by the next election.

For more information about the removal of the Abbotts Road and Thompsons Road crossings, and 48 other dangerous and congested level crossings across Melbourne, visit levelcrossings.vic.gov.au.