Construction on the eagerly awaited Melbourne Airport Rail is tracking to start in 2022, taking passengers from the CBD to the airport in 30 minutes and creating better connectivity to the city’s suburbs, including brand-new stations to be built at the airport and Melbourne’s west.
Premier Dan Andrews shared the news on social media on 21 September, calling the Melbourne Airport Rail project a “game changer”.
“Airport Rail will connect seamlessly to our existing network, so 30 stations will have a direct connection to the airport,” he stated in a Facebook post.
“Trains will run every 10 minutes and it’ll take just 30 minutes from the city.
“It’s a game changer. And we’re getting on with it.”
A new premium station will be built at Melbourne Airport as well as the newly announced Keilor East Station, which will link more than 150,000 residents in the Moonee Valley area to Victoria’s rail network for the first time.
Trains on the new airport rail line will provide a ‘turn-up-and-go’ service with trains every 10 minutes.
More than 30 stations across Melbourne will have a direct connection to Melbourne Airport via the Metro Tunnel. Passengers from most stations in Victoria will only need to change trains once to reach the airport.
Melbourne Airport Rail is expected to cost between $8–13 billion and is estimated for completion in 2029.
Currently in the planning stages with construction to commence in 2022, the project’s Business Case also recommends a new elevated station at Melbourne Airport to reduce disruption to airport users during construction.
The project will include an elevated rail bridge over the busy Western Ring Road (M80 Freeway) and major upgrades to Sunshine Station – including a new concourse, improvements to existing facilities and car parking.
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