The new sites flagged for removal include the Union Road crossing in Surrey Hills, where two women were killed in a crash in 2016; a crossing at Glen Huntly Road that also involves tram lines and a crossing at Bell Street, Preston.

Mr Andrews said some of the removals could involve sections of rail being elevated above the roads, while in other cases roads would be diverted above or below existing train lines.

Communities near level crossings flagged for removal had been consulted, he said.

Mr Andrews said the government had exceeded its promise to get rid of at least 20 dangerous level crossings by 2018. So far, 29 have been removed.

“That’s meant we have run more trains more often and those 29 locations are perhaps safer than they have ever been,” he said.

The Premier made the announcement on Sunday morning flanked by Transport Minister Jacinta Allan at the R F Miles Reserve in Seaford, in Melbourne’s south-east, where crews had recently completed works on removing a level crossing on Seaford Road.

He said the $6.6 billion pledge to remove 25 additional crossings had been made possible by Victoria’s budget surplus and strong economic performance.

“We think it is the right thing to do to re-invest that sound budget management into removing these terrible, congested and often deadly level crossings,” he said.