Residents have complained about loud noises and bright lights coming into their apartments after a new train station opened meters from their building.
Keon Park station, which is a 750m rail bridge over a road, was opened on Friday by Transport Infrastructure Minister Danny Pearson in Thomastown, east of Melbourne.
The railway bridge is just meters from the apartment balconies and residents say they are woken up by loud station announcements.
Bright fluorescent lights also disrupt sleep when they illuminate bedrooms.
Residents of two affected apartment blocks said that while they are in favor of the project, they want the government to soundproof their windows.
The railway bridge (right) was built a few meters from two apartment buildings (left). Residents urge the government to install double glazing and curtains on balconies to ensure privacy.
They also want curtains installed on their balconies so that people at the train station cannot see inside their homes.
Apartment owners and tenants have said these requests have been rejected, 7news reported.
“The only thing we have asked of them is that they install double or triple glazed windows to combat noise and that they cover our balconies with a shade to protect our privacy,” said one.
‘When they started building, we complained about the noise. They gave us earplugs. It’s ridiculous.’
Resident Angela Villella said the station’s bright lights shine through her bedroom window at night and she wondered why the station had to be so big.
“We think it’s great that the rail crossing has been removed, but we’ve gone from a train station that looks like a one-car garage to something that looks like the Taj Mahal. It’s huge,” he said.
One resident compared the new Keon station to the Taj-Mahal after a level crossing next to an apartment building was removed and a railway bridge put in its place.
Villella said the bright light comes into his bedroom, comparing it to a “torture tactic” used at Guantanamo Bay.
At Friday’s opening Mr Pearson was asked about the station’s proximity to apartment balconies and said residents who bought their apartment before 2022 are eligible for the Voluntary Purchase Programme.
For homeowners who purchased after 2022, he said they will work with those affected to “understand what we can do to help them.”
According to the latest news from realestate.com.au dataThe median home price in Thomastown is $704,000 and per unit is $482,000.
It is unknown what impact the season will have on apartment prices.
Level Crossing Removals acting chief executive Matt Thorpe said while it was known there would be some concerns with residents, they could not change the location of the station.
Thorpe said during railroad construction, Level Crossing Removals offers many options for people, such as headsets and sometimes relocation.