Mentone Station will open two weeks ahead of schedule on Monday 20 July, with Cheltenham Station still on track to open on Sunday 16 August.

Frankston line trains will make their first journey through the new rail trenches one week ahead of schedule, stopping at the new Mentone Station from the early hours of Monday 20 July.

Driver training and other finishing works continue as workers prepare to open Mentone Station, in time for the first service on Monday.

The new Mentone station features brand new facilities such as a climate-controlled waiting area on the concourse, sheltered seating on the platforms, ticketing office and accessible toilets. Electronic passenger information displays will assist passengers transitioning between bus and train services and will be available on the platforms, the station concourse and in the bus interchange on Como Parade West.

The new station also offers improved accessibility, with ramps, lifts and stairs for easy access between the station concourse and platforms. There will be additional bicycle parking in Parkiteer cages and bicycle hoops.

During the two-month construction blitz to remove three level crossings, more than 200,000 cubic metres of soil was excavated from the 2.1 kilometres of rail trenches, which lower the Frankston line under Park and Charman roads in Cheltenham and Balcombe Road in Mentone.

A team of 1700 workers have worked on the project, with crews working around the clock to pour more than 15,000 cubic metres of concrete, install almost 7000 tonnes of steel reinforcing, and lay 25,000 tonnes of ballast.

Finishing touches on both stations, landscaping and work on the 3.5 walking and cycling track between Cheltenham and Mentone will continue until late 2020.

The Mentone heritage deck and station gardens will be open to the community in early 2021.