30 October 2026
We are delivering stage 1 of Melbourne Airport Rail, with the Australian and Victorian governments investing more than $4 billion to deliver 6km of major rail upgrades from West Footscray to Albion. The works will include transforming Sunshine into a transport superhub and building new modern and accessible stations at Tottenham and Albion.
Throughout November and December, we’ll start preparing to construct the new pedestrian underpass at Tottenham Station, and future rail and freight infrastructure upgrades between Tottenham and West Footscray stations. We’ll also complete kerb works in the West Footscray Station car park to support rail replacement bus access.
We'll no longer use the VicTrack open space on Rupert Street to store construction materials. However, at times we'll need to complete underground rail service works in this area and will notify residents in advance.
What we’re doing
- Continue installing sheet piles near Ashley Street to support construction of the new pedestrian underpass from Rupert Street to Sunshine Road.
- Temporarily close sections of the Tottenham Station car park to undertake drainage works and install underground services.
- Site investigations near Tottenham Station and along the rail corridor to locate underground services and survey ground conditions.
- Deliver and remove materials, machinery and equipment via trucks and oversized vehicles.
- Progress works at Tottenham Freight Yard, during the day and at night in preparation for future freight and rail infrastructure works.
- Widen the car park entrance, kerbs and bollards at the West Footscray Station Sunshine Road carpark to support future rail replacement bus operations.
Rail corridor works
- Remove redundant tracks and rail infrastructure and install new tracks to keep rail services running.
- Install new rail safety fencing and continue preparing the ground for construction
- Remove some trees and vegetation to make way for the new tracks
- Continue to locate underground services and survey conditions
- Widen the car park entrance, kerbs and bollards at the West Footscray Station Sunshine Road carpark to support future rail replacement bus operations.
Tree and vegetation removal
We work to minimise tree and vegetation removal through careful project design and planning, however some removal is unavoidable. In November and December, some trees and vegetation will be removed to enable underground utility works in these locations:
- Tottenham Station car park.
- VicTrack land near the Tottenham Station underpass.
- VicTrack land on the corner of Ashley Street and Sunshine Road.
What to expect
- Medium to high levels of construction noise and vibration for short periods during sheet piling works until early December.
- Intermittent dust during excavation and earthworks. Air quality, noise and vibration monitoring are in place for the duration of the works.
- Temporary lighting in the rail corridor during night works, angled away from homes.
- Reduced parking availability at Tottenham and West Footscray stations. There is availability in the temporary offset parking area at Tottenham Station.
- Increased truck and construction vehicle movements on local roads.
- Changed traffic conditions with traffic management including reduced speeds and intermittent lane closures.
When we’ll work
Night works
We’ll work continuously from 10pm, Friday 11 December to 7am, Monday 14 December in the rail corridor between West Footscray Station and Sunshine Station.
We’ll continue sheet piling works near Ashley Street, West Footscray between 7am to 7pm, Monday to Saturday until Friday 4 December. If we need to work at night, we'll notify residents in advance.
Standard work hours
Our standard working hours are Monday to Friday, 7am to 6pm, and Saturdays 7am to 5pm. You may see work crews and construction vehicles starting to set up from 6am on weekdays and 7am on Saturdays.
We’ll make every effort to complete these works on time; however dates are subject to change.
Changes to the way you travel
Road
Ashley Street, West Footscray/Braybrook (Sunshine Road to Rupert Street)
- Speed reductions in place, intermittent lane closures, vehicle access maintained off-peak 9.30am to 3.30pm when required Monday to Friday until late December.
Rupert Street, West Footscray (Neil Street to First Street)
- Intermittent lane closures off-peak 9.30am to 3.30pm when required Monday to Friday until late December.
Sunshine Road, West Footscray (Market Road to Geelong Street)
- Intermittent lane closures off-peak 9.30am to 3.30pm when required Monday to Friday until late December.
Pedestrian and cyclist
Ashley Street, West Footscray/Braybrook (Sunshine Road to Rupert Street)
- Intermittent cyclist and pedestrian access changes off-peak 9.30am to 3.30pm when required Monday to Friday until late December.
Rupert Street, West Footscray (Neil Street to First Street)
- Cyclist and pedestrian access changes off-peak 9.30am to 3.30pm when required Monday to Friday until late December.
Sunshine Road, West Footscray (Market Road to Geelong Street)
- Cyclist and pedestrian access changes off-peak 9.30am to 3.30pm when required Monday to Friday until late December.
Rail
Sunbury Line
- Buses replace trains between West Footscray and Watergardens on the Sunbury Line from 11.30pm, Friday 11 December to last service Sunday 13 December.
Parking
Tottenham Station car park (Rupert Street)
- Approximately 51 car spaces closed from Thursday 5 November until Monday 23 November.
- Approximately 36 November spaces closed Tuesday 24 November to Wednesday 13 January 2027.
- 51 spaces will be temporarily unavailable on Thursday 3 December and Friday 4 December, which includes 15 car spaces in the offset car park.
West Footscray Station car park (Sunshine Road)
- Approximately 40 spaces temporarily unavailable from Monday 16 November to Sunday 22 November.
- Approximately 236 spaces temporarily unavailable from Monday 23 November to Sunday 6 December.
- Parking spaces will be progressively reinstated as works are completed.
- Accessible parking, taxi bays, motorcycle parking, and pick-up/drop-off areas will be temporarily relocated to the Cross Street car park.
More information
- Sign up for e-mail updates
- Call us on 1800 105 105 or email airportrail@bigbuild.vic.gov.au
- For languages other than English, please call 9209 0147
- Visit our Melbourne Airport Rail Facebook page
