Residents have complained about loud noises and bright lights streaming into their apartments after a new train station was opened metres from their building.
Keon Park Station, which is a 750m rail bridge over a road, was opened by Transport Infrastructure minister Danny Pearson in Thomastown, Melbourne‘s east on Friday.
The rail bridge is only metres from apartment balconies and residents say they are being woken up by loud station announcements.
Bright fluorescent lights are also interrupting sleep as they shine into bedrooms.
Residents in two affected apartment blocks said that while they are in favour of the project they want the government to soundproof their windows.
The rail bridge (right) has been built just metres from two apartment buildings (left). Residents are urging the government to install double glazing and shades on balconies to ensure privacy
They also want shades installed across their balconies so people at the rail station can’t see into their homes.
The apartment owners and renters have said these requests have been rejected, 7News reported.
‘All we’ve asked them is to install double-glazed or triple-glazed windows for us to combat the noise and to cover our balconies with a shade to protect our privacy,’ one said.
‘When they started building, we complained about the noise. They gave us earplugs. It’s laughable.’
Resident Angela Villella said the bright lights from the station blast through her bedroom window at night and questioned why the station needed to be so big.
‘We think it’s great the rail crossing has been removed but we have gone from a single car garage-looking train station to something that looks like the Taj Mahal. It’s massive,’ she said.
One resident likened the new Keon station to the Taj-Mahal after a level crossing next to an apartment building was removed and a rail bridge put in its place
Ms Villella said that the bright light comes into her bedroom, comparing it to a ‘torture tactic’ used in Guantanamo Bay.
Mr Pearson was asked at Friday’s unveiling about the close proximity the station was to the apartment balconies and said residents who bought their apartment before 2022 are eligible for the Voluntary Purchase Scheme.
For owners who purchased after 2022, he said they will be working with those impacted to ‘understand what we can do to assist them’.
According to realestate.com.au’s latest data, the median house price in Thomastown is $704,000 and for a unit it is $482,000.
It is unknown what impact the station will have to the apartment prices.
Level Crossing Removals acting CEO Matt Thorpe said although it was known there would be some concerns with residents, they could not change the location of the station.
Mr Thorpe said that during the construction of railways, Level Crossing Removals offers many options for people – such as headphones and sometimes relocation.