Melbourne Airport rail link

Melbourne Airport Rail
Map of Melbourne Airport Rail Link showing public transport in Melbourne's north-west.
Map of Melbourne Airport Rail.
Overview
StatusPaused
OwnerVicTrack (projected)
LocaleMelbourne, Victoria
Termini
Stations2
Service
TypeCommuter rail
SystemMelbourne railway system
Operator(s)Metro Trains Melbourne (projected)
Rolling stockHCMT
History
Planned opening2033[1]
Technical
Line length27 km (17 mi)
Track gauge1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) broad gauge
Route map

Legend
Up arrow
Sunshine-Dandenong corridor
to CBD, East Pakenham or Cranbourne
13.5
 Sunshine
●●●●●●●●●Sunshine railway station, Melbourne#Transport links
13.6
Hampshire Road
Right arrow
Multiple lines
via Deer Park
13.3
Anderson Road
14.9
 Albion
Albion railway station, Melbourne#Transport links
15.0
Ballarat Road
Right arrow
Sunbury, Bendigo, Echuca & Swan Hill lines
to Sunbury
15.4
Stony Creek
16.7
McIntyre Road
17.3
 McIntyre Sidings
18.8
Maribyrnong River Viaduct
over Maribyrnong River
18.8
Keilor Park Drive
21.5
Calder Freeway
 Keilor East
Left arrow
Albion–Jacana line
to Jacana
Western Ring Road
Melbourne Airport
This diagram:

Melbourne Airport Rail, also known as SRL Airport, is a proposed heavy rail project, connecting the Melbourne CBD to Melbourne Airport at Tullamarine. The rail link will run through the under-construction Metro Tunnel, running 27 km (16.8 mi) from the airport to Town Hall station in the city centre with 12 km (7.5 mi) of new track between the airport and Sunshine station.[2] The link will be a new branch of the Melbourne Metro rail network and run High-Capacity Metro Trains at a 10-minute frequency.[2] The project is being delivered by the Victorian state government agency Rail Projects Victoria.

A rail link to Melbourne Airport has been proposed in multiple forms before and since the airport opened in 1970. Most such proposals had been for a heavy rail line between the airport Melbourne CBD, often as an integrated component of the Melbourne rail network. Some plans, however, have utilised alternative forms of mass transit or suggested a segregated and dedicated public transport link to the airport. Relieving traffic congestion and creating better access to the airport are frequently cited as reasons for the development of the link. Businesses that would be negatively impacted by an airport rail link include Transurban, whose CityLink toll revenue would be affected, and Melbourne Airport, whose revenue from car parking would be reduced.[3]

In 2018, the Victorian state government under then Premier Daniel Andrews announced its intention to proceed with a link running via Sunshine station, in partnership with the Australian federal government led by then Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. A preliminary business case was completed later that year, and in early 2019, the federal government partially agreed to fund the project. In 2020 it was announced that the link would run through the city via the Metro Tunnel. In October 2022, the project was rebranded as part of the proposed Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) orbital line.

Early construction began in 2022, while major construction was expected to start in 2023 with an estimated completion of 2029. However in April 2023, then Deputy Premier of Victoria Jacinta Allan said that due to a lack of agreement in negotiations with the airport operator, Australia Pacific Airports Corporation (APAC), over the design of the Airport station, the opening of the rail link would be delayed.[4] In May 2023, due to a federal government review on major infrastructure projects, the Victorian government put the project on indefinite pause. The awarding of new contracts had been paused until the review was completed and confirmation that the project would proceed with federal funding.[5]

In November 2023, following the review the federal government reaffirmed its matching $5 billion commitment towards the project. However, Premier Jacinta Allan confirmed there would likely be further delays to the project due to the stalled negotiations with the airport.[6] An independent mediator was appointed in April 2024 by the federal government to resolve the ongoing dispute between the state government and the airport.[7] In May 2024, Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas confirmed in the state budget that the project would be delayed by at least four years, with completion not expected until 2033 at the earliest.[8]

In July 2024, Melbourne Airport agreed to an overground railway station instead of an underground one.[9]

  1. ^ Nelson, Jake (7 May 2024). "Victorian Government Confirms Four-Year Delay for Airport Rail". Australian Aviation. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference theageJan2013 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference :10 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Ilanbey, Sumeyya (17 May 2023). "Melbourne Airport Rail workers redeployed as project officially paused". The Age. Archived from the original on 3 June 2023. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference :13 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Godde, Callum (10 April 2024). "Mediator picked to resolve Melbourne Airport rail spat". Australian Associated Press. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  8. ^ Nelson, Jake (7 May 2024). "Victorian Government Confirms Four-Year Delay for Airport Rail". Australian Aviation. Archived from the original on 7 May 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  9. ^ Eddie, Rachel; Rooney, Kieran (8 July 2024). "Melbourne Airport agrees to have overground train station, clearing path for rail link". The Age. Archived from the original on 9 July 2024. Retrieved 9 July 2024.