Suburban Rail Loop East (SRL East) will connect our growing health, education, retail and employment precincts in Melbourne’s east and south east between Cheltenham and Box Hill.

The 26km SRL East corridor will be built as a standalone line that is integrated with the existing public transport network.

A high-tech fleet of energy efficient trains will run on the line, stopping at the six new underground stations in Cheltenham, Clayton, Monash, Glen Waverley, Burwood and Box Hill.

Like other metro systems around the world, SRL East will require a range of supporting infrastructure including a power supply substation.

The substation at Burwood, which will be built on the north west corner of Highbury Road and Sinnott Street, will provide power to run the next generation trains and operate the tunnels and underground stations.

About the substation

Substations are an integral part of Melbourne’s existing rail network, delivering a constant source of power to operate the trains, signals and communications equipment.

A substation is a mostly self-contained, unstaffed building which contains electrical equipment that converts local power supply into the voltage required to power rail infrastructure.

The Suburban Rail Loop power supply substation at Burwood will connect to an existing utility substation in the area and convert that power to the voltage necessary to operate the new trains and underground stations.

The substation will use the same power that runs through existing utilities. As such, the electromagnetic emissions from the substation
will not be greater than the levels for a typical utility substation.

How was the substation location chosen?

Several sites were considered against a range of criteria including engineering design, tunnel operation requirements, proximity to the tunnel alignment and the proposed location of the new Suburban Rail Loop station at Burwood, the environment and minimising private property acquisition.

The site on the north west corner of Highbury Road and Sinnott Street, Burwood has been identified as most appropriate based on these criteria.

What will the substation look like?

The power supply substation at Burwood will be designed as an above-ground building, about the height of a two-storey house. The substation, including all electrical equipment, will be positioned within a secure compound and include a parking area for one or two maintenance vehicles.

The substation will be designed to minimise visual impact. There will be future community engagement to seek feedback on proposed treatments, materials and landscaping options.

Will the substation be noisy?

The substation will be designed to comply with Environment Protection Authority (EPA) noise control guidelines. Noise monitoring will be undertaken both pre and post substation completion to ensure noise level compliance.

What will construction involve?

Work to build the power supply substation at Burwood will involve:

• Removing existing buildings.
• Installing conduits and cables from the substation site to the station construction site.
• Building above-ground components.
• Installing electrical equipment.
• Landscaping and finishing works.

Power supply along the line

Power supply substations are required at critical points along the rail network to ensure the safe and reliable operation of train services.

In addition to the substation at Burwood, there will be a power supply substation at the train stabling facility in Heatherton.

The substation will be located inside the secure facility, adjacent to Dingley Bypass.

For more information on the train stabling facility see our Train stabling page.