Building Melbourne Airport Rail

Building Melbourne Airport Rail will be a massive job working in a complex rail environment. Major construction will take place between Sunshine and Melbourne Airport and along the existing Albion-Jacana rail corridor.

A new rail bridge will be built for airport trains between Sunshine and Albion stations.

The new rail bridge starts before Anderson Road, near the H.V. McKay Memorial Gardens, and will elevate the airport rail line over the Sunbury corridor, Ballarat Road and St Albans Road where it will then connect with new tracks along the Albion-Jacana rail corridor.

The Sunbury and Bendigo rail lines will be moved to the west, within the rail corridor next to the H.V. McKay Memorial Gardens, to create space for the new airport tracks.

Rail Projects Victoria will work closely with the appointed construction partners to minimise any potential impacts to the gardens and to remediate sites near the gardens that are used for construction.

Works near the H.V. McKay Memorial Gardens

We are building an embankment between the current rail fence and pedestrian path within H.V. McKay Memorial Gardens to support the reconfigured rail lines and new airport rail bridge.

This design will create space for more plants and trees, reduce potential for graffiti and provide better visibility between the path and the gardens.

The pedestrian bridge over Anderson Road will be rebuilt during construction of the new rail bridge. The heritage gates into the H.V. McKay Memorial Gardens will remain in the current location and will be protected during construction. We will maintain access to the gardens throughout construction.

Working within VicTrack land

The embankment will span a section of VicTrack land adjoining H.V. McKay Memorial Gardens and the area of heritage significance.

We have undertaken careful assessments of trees in the gardens to avoid impacts wherever possible. However some trees in VicTrack land will need to be removed for construction of the new rail bridge and embankment. Across the project, we will replace every tree removed with 2 new trees.

Benefits of an embankment

• Opportunity to explore landscaping designs that reflect the original garden area
• Creates space for more plants and trees, and reduces potential for graffiti
• Improved safety by creating greater visibility between the path and the gardens

Relocating the jet fuel pipeline

Through the design process, and in coordination with other works in the rail network, we have determined that the existing jet fuel pipeline located on VicTrack land adjoining the H.V. McKay Memorial Gardens can be decommissioned. A new jet fuel pipeline will be built on the other side of the rail corridor.

This means we can build an embankment as a maintenance access track to the jet fuel pipeline is no longer required.

The embankment will create a better community outcome through greater planting and landscaping.

Application to Heritage Victoria

Rail Projects Victoria will work with Heritage Victoria to obtain the necessary approvals for these works and to explore opportunities to preserve important trees and plants.

Work in this area will begin when we have all approvals in place.

Changes to H.V. McKay Memorial Gardens

We acknowledge the significant contribution that H.V. McKay made to the community regarding industry and development in Sunshine. This has been taken into consideration throughout every aspect of the design development, to minimise impacts to the H.V. McKay Memorial Gardens.

Concept image only, subject to change