Suburban Rail Loop will shape our city and state for future generations, ensuring Melbourne remains one of the world’s most liveable cities.

To be delivered in stages, the 90km Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) will link every major rail line from the Frankston line to the Werribee line, via Melbourne Airport, improving access to housing, jobs, schools, universities and hospitals for all Victorians.

SRL East between Cheltenham and Box Hill will deliver huge benefits to those in Melbourne's east, south east and regional Victoria, with faster and more reliable public transport and greater access to jobs, health and education.

Built as a standalone 26km underground rail line that is integrated with our existing public transport network, SRL East includes new underground stations at Cheltenham, Clayton, Monash, Glen Waverley, Burwood and Box Hill.

SRL East will slash travel times, create new jobs, housing, and public spaces, enable more direct journeys for regional Victorians and enhance walking, cycling and green spaces.

Construction on SRL East began in June 2022. By 2035, SRL East trains are scheduled to be running in the underground tunnel and transporting around 70,000 passengers per day, between Cheltenham and Box Hill.

Planning approvals for SRL East

Following extensive planning and design work, SRL East received planning approvals in September 2022.

The assessment of the SRL East Environment Effects Statement recognised that the project will bring enormous benefits across Melbourne and resulted in changes that will strengthen important management and mitigation strategies that will protect people, places and environment throughout construction and operation of SRL East.

For businesses, these changes include a boost to business support measures, including those outlined in SRL East’s Business Support Guidelines. Changes include:

• Strengthening of measures to further reduce construction impacts on local businesses
• Dedicated business liaison managers
• Regular surveys to test effectiveness of support
• Offers for businesses to prepare a financial baseline before construction commences.

A tailored approach

Suburban Rail Loop Authority (SRLA) has a business support team, dedicated to helping businesses throughout planning, construction and operation of SRL East.

Every business is different, and SRLA, in partnership with its contractors, is committed to working closely with businesses to understand their individual circumstances and develop tailored approaches to maintain access and minimise impacts on customers, staff and deliveries.

Business support measures include:

• Promoting businesses and precincts and encouraging shopping local through tailored advertising, marketing and wayfinding campaigns, such as Discover Local
• Targeted support such as business signage, photography or marketing assistance to encourage return customers
• Partnering with councils and other organisations on existing campaigns
• Activating local areas with tailored pop-ups, competitions or events
• Upskilling opportunities for businesses, including business mentoring, education or support programs
• Creating and featuring profiles of local businesses on SRL social media channels
• Developing business plans to help businesses build their resilience during construction and beyond.

Discover Clayton

When construction on SRL East started in Clayton in June 2022, our business support team developed the Discover Clayton trader support program in consultation with local businesses.

Discover Clayton is all about ensuring customers know that Clayton is ‘open for business’ and promoting the area’s vibrant dining, retail and service offerings throughout construction.

Discover Clayton includes:

• Attractive Discover Clayton branding including signs, hoardings, water barrier and tree wraps, and floor, bin and window stickers
• A trader voucher scheme – providing vouchers for businesses to pass on to community members, encouraging more people to visit again soon
• Bespoke signage and pamphlets, including tailored maps showing how people can continue to access their favourite traders during local road and footpath closures