The Australian and Victorian governments are delivering the second stage of Melbourne Airport Rail, with a new 7.4km rail line allowing services to run to a new station at Keilor East by 2031.

A rail line to the airport is one step closer, with major construction starting in 2028 on the second stage of Melbourne Airport Rail between Albion and Keilor East.

The works will mean the communities of Keilor East, Keilor Park and Airport West will be connected to the rail network for the first time, with a brand-new modern and accessible station enabling passengers to connect directly with Metro Tunnel services from 2031.

Works on stage one of Melbourne Airport Rail started earlier this year with 6km of major rail upgrades between West Footscray and Albion.

Getting on with stage 2 in tandem with works already underway will help achieve workforce and construction efficiencies and bring us one step closer to delivering a rail line to the airport.

Early designs have been released for a new, modern and accessible station at Keilor East that will service around 5,200 passengers daily.

The new station will feature a pedestrian overpass with lifts and stairs to the station platforms, a commuter carpark and bus interchange to improve transport connections and enable fast and easy access to Melbourne Airport in the future.

Project benefits

• A new 7.4km rail line between Albion and Keilor East.
• A new modern and accessible station at Keilor East.
• Connecting Keilor East to the Metro Tunnel, Dandenong, Cranbourne and Pakenham.
• Stage 2 is one step closer to delivering a rail line to the airport.

New Albion rail flyover

A new 17 metre high and 1.1 kilometre long rail flyover at Albion will be built to take airport trains over Ballarat Road and onto new tracks running along the freight line that currently connects Albion to Jacana.

The flyover will be separated from the new Albion Station, which is being delivered as part of stage one of Melbourne Airport Rail.

This will mean Albion locals will be one stop from connecting to airport rail services at Sunshine Station.

Designs for the new flyover continue to be developed, including opportunities to build new pedestrian and cycling paths that connect with existing local active transport links.

A brand-new station at Keilor East

A new, modern and accessible station at Keilor East will connect around 5,200 passengers to the rail network every day from 2031.

Early designs have been released for the new Keilor East station, which will be located near the intersection of the Western Ring Road and Calder Freeway, with access from Terror Street, Keilor Park to the west and Roberts Road, Airport West to the east.

The new station will feature a pedestrian overpass, connecting passengers from both sides of the rail line via lifts and stairs to the platforms.

A new commuter carpark will be built on the western side of the rail line, accessed via Fullarton Road. This side of the rail line will also feature a new bus interchange.

When the station opens, trains will run every 20 minutes from the new station and take about 27 minutes to reach the CBD via the Metro Tunnel.

Stops will include Sunshine Station, where passengers can connect to regional services to the state's west and to Sunbury.

Passengers will also be able to connect to the Werribee, Laverton, Williamstown and Sandringham Line at Footscray Station.

The frequency of services will increase when the rail line to the airport is complete.

Community consultation

Community consultation was undertaken on Melbourne Airport Rail from late 2020 to 2022, with planning and environmental approvals provided to build this section.

In 2027, we’ll hold more design and planning consultations with the community on the new station at Keilor East when locals will have the chance to have their say on what’s important to them about the new station.

There will also be more information and opportunity for the community to provide feedback on the designs for the new Albion flyover and how it will integrate into the local area.

A new rail line between Albion and Keilor East

The route will include building 2 rail bridges:

• A new 1.1km long rail bridge will take airport trains over Albion Station, Ballarat and St Albans Roads
• A second 500m long rail bridge will be built over the Maribyrnong River.

In the coming weeks, crews will be on the ground in the rail corridor to:

• locate underground services
• complete soil testing
• assess geotechnical conditions.

Trains will run from the new station at Keilor East to the Metro Tunnel, stopping at Sunshine, while maintaining existing services on the Sunbury Line.

Project timeline

2020-2022

• Community consultations held on Melbourne Airport Rail

2026

• Stage 2 announced and early designs for new station at Keilor East released
• Stage 2 site investigations begin
• Works begin on Stage 1

2027

• Community consultation on new station at Keilor East and Albion flyover
• Final designs for the new station and Albion flyover

2028

• Major construction begins

2030

• Stage 1 works complete

2031

• Stage 2 complete with trains running from new station at Keilor East to the CBD via Metro Tunnel

*Timeline subject to change.