The Level Crossing Removal Project (LXRP) was established by the Victorian Government to oversee one of the largest transport infrastructure projects in Victoria’s history. LXRP is part of the Major Transport Infrastructure Authority and projects fall under Victoria’s Big Build.

Tasked with removing 85 level crossings across Melbourne by 2025, the project’s core aim is to reduce traffic congestion and improve safety.

Numerous accidents, near misses and fatalities have occurred at level crossings through Melbourne’s history, while boom gates cause significant frustration and delays to motorists and pedestrians alike.

LXRP prides itself on taking every opportunity to revitalise suburbs, with new stations, open space and cycling paths an important focus.

From an industry perspective it leads the way on all facets of construction and delivery, including planning and design, stakeholder engagement and procurement through Victorian suppliers.

In the last decade, digitisation has disrupted entire industries, delivering exponential productivity gains. The global engineering and construction (E&C) industry remains one of the least digitised sectors. With low rates of technology adoption and major productivity challenges, the industry is prime for change.

LXRP is a highly successful delivery agency with a significant ongoing pipeline of work. As such, it is in a unique position to invest in digital innovation and to champion innovation within its own projects and the broader sector.

Traditional approaches focused on technology and point solutions, which didn’t achieve transformations required. LXRP has shifted focus to desired outcomes (not the technology) and systematic approaches to achieve the impact needed.

Solving how to bring the right people, around the right problem, at the right time has been a priority supporting team to solve the most complex problems facing the industry.

Established in 2018 LXRP launched the Hive to consolidate, organise and expedite innovative ideas. As LXRP’s innovation operating centre, the Hive hosts a wide range of events and workshops, and has worked with numerous teams to develop transformative ideas and convert them into working projects.

The Hive empowers people to explore, trial and incubate innovative ideas to the project, resulting in transformative outcomes and a culture of innovation and continuous improvement being built and sustained at LXRP.

Consistent with delivering impactful benefits to improve safety, stakeholder engagement and commuter experiences – Hive projects also deliver significant cost efficiencies.

Having refined, iterated and updated the innovation process, the Hive has spent the last 18 months focused on applying these learnings to a series of initiatives and projects.

Notable examples include:
• The Disruption Bus Planning Project has delivered significant efficiency gains in bussing logistics, while also achieving a targeted reduction in operational costs.
• The connected sites project at the Bell to Moreland site has established a legacy platform to be leveraged for future projects, while also creating a significant return on investment.
• The Disruption Chatbot improves the commuter experience by putting real-time information in the hand of commuters, optimising their journey and empowering their planning.
• The connected sites Internet of Things initiatives has improved wellbeing and safety outcomes by improving project controls and planning – as well reducing phone calls and co-ordination effort. Improved information flows and reduced impacts on the public also support improved stakeholder relations with network operators.