| Suburban Rail Loop | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Map of Suburban Rail Loop | |
| Overview | |
| Status | Under construction (SRL East) |
| Owner | VicTrack (Projected) |
| Locale | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Termini |
|
| Stations | 6 (SRL East) 7 (SRL North) 2 (SRL Airport) TBD (SRL West) |
| Website | suburbanrailloop.vic.gov.au |
| Service | |
| Type | Rapid transit |
| Depot(s) | Heatherton Train Stabling Site |
| Rolling stock | 4-car driverless trains (SRL East & SRL North) High Capacity Metro Trains (SRL Airport) |
| History | |
| Commenced | 2022 (SRL East, SRL Airport) |
| Planned opening | 2035 (SRL East) 2043–53 (SRL North) 2033 (SRL Airport) TBD (SRL West) |
| Estimated cost | $31–58 billion |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 15 km (9.3 mi) (SRL Airport) 26 km (16 mi) (SRL East) 34 km (21 mi) (SRL North) 90 km (56 mi) (total) |
| Number of tracks | 2 |
| Character | Underground (SRL East and SRL North) |
| Electrification | Overhead catenary |
| Operating speed | 100 km/h (62 mph) |
| ||
|---|---|---|
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Member of the Legislative Assembly for Mulgrave (2002–2023) Premier of Victoria
Ministries Elections Royal Commissions
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The Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) is an automated rapid transit system under construction in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The system is divided into four distinct sections. The two main sections, SRL East and SRL North, would eventually together form a single 60 km (37 mi) fully automated orbital metro line through the city's middle suburbs, with 13 stations between Cheltenham and Melbourne Airport connecting to eight existing Melbourne rail lines.[1]
The first section, SRL East, is a 26 km (16 mi) underground link from Cheltenham to Box Hill via Monash University. Construction commenced in 2022 and is expected to open in 2035.[2]
The second section, SRL North, will be a 34 km (21 mi) underground extension of SRL East from Box Hill to Melbourne Airport, via La Trobe University. Construction is not expected to commence until the 2030s, with completion by 2053. This section may be split into two projects due to its length and cost.[3]
The third section, SRL Airport, will be formed by the separate Melbourne Airport Rail project. This 15 km (9.3 mi) section will run from Melbourne Airport via Sunshine into the central business district via the Metro Tunnel. Despite significant delays, early construction commenced in 2023 and is expected to open in 2033.
The fourth and final section, SRL West, has not been defined in detail but would connect the city's outer western suburbs and may be formed by electrifying the existing Deer Park–West Werribee railway line from Sunshine and extending it to Werribee station. No timeframe for construction has been released.
Melbourne will be the second Australian city (after Sydney) to build a fully-fledged rapid transit system. Several orbital rail schemes have been proposed and some constructed throughout Melbourne's history, but the rail network has remained largely radial. The Victorian Labor state government led by then Premier Daniel Andrews announced the SRL as policy in the lead up to the 2018 state election. Initial planning for the SRL was carried out in secret prior to its announcement, and, when the plans were released, it received significant attention. The SRL plan has been praised for its long-term vision and ambition, as well as being an innovative solution to the difficulties faced by Melbourne's transport network,[4] but is criticised for its political motives, transparency of business case,[5] prioritisation ahead of other transport projects,[6] and large cost.[7][8]
Although the Victorian government signed the first $3.6 billion contract with the Suburban Connect consortium in December 2023 to build the tunnels,[9] the state Liberal/National opposition remains opposed to the system. Opposition Leader John Pesutto has pledged to pause and review the SRL East project if the Coalition wins government in 2026.[10] Previously, under the leadership of Matthew Guy in 2018 and 2022, the opposition had pledged to abandon the project.[11]
- ^ Build, Victoria’s Big (26 October 2021). "Business and Investment Case". Victoria’s Big Build. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
- ^ Build, Victoria’s Big (26 October 2021). "Business and Investment Case". Victoria’s Big Build. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
- ^ Build, Victoria’s Big (4 August 2023). "SRL North". Victoria’s Big Build. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
- ^ Stanley, Janet; Stanley, John (18 January 2023). "Melbourne's Suburban Rail Loop: A Big Build or a big bet?". ArchitectureAU. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
- ^ Whitson, Rhiana; Kent, Lucy (4 December 2023). "Calls to halt Suburban Rail Loop project ahead of multi-billion-dollar contract signing". ABC News Australia. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
- ^ Huitson, Joseph (6 July 2023). "'The time is now': Victorian Opposition calling for Melbourne Airport Rail to be prioritised over Suburban Rail Loop". Sky News Australia. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
- ^ Kolovos, Benita (13 March 2024). "Labor won't outline cost of Melbourne's Suburban Rail Loop as opposition cites independent estimates". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
- ^ McCubbing, Gus (13 March 2024). "Suburban Rail Loop to cost another $16b, Victorian budget office finds". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
- ^ "Full Steam Ahead For SRL With Major Contract Awarded | Premier of Victoria". www.premier.vic.gov.au. 12 December 2023.
- ^ Rooney, Kieran (28 January 2024). "Pesutto vows to pause and review Suburban Rail Loop". The Age. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
- ^ Sakkal, Paul (17 August 2022). "Matthew Guy says Coalition will shelve 'dreamt up' Suburban Rail Loop". The Age. Retrieved 8 June 2024.