More transport, more homes, more jobs.

We need more transport and more homes in the right places – and Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) will deliver both.

As both a transport and urban planning project, SRL will slash travel times, ease congestion, and connect our suburbs, ensuring our city grows in the right places. It will support the delivery of more homes and housing choice where people want to live – on the doorstep of world class public transport, services, jobs, schools, parks and cafes.

Major construction of SRL East is now underway, with more than 3,000 people working on the project and tunnelling to start in 2026.

Like other metro systems around the world, SRL East requires a range of supporting infrastructure, including an emergency support facility at Mount Waverley.

We’re establishing a worksite to prepare for construction of the emergency support facility. Site establishment works will begin in mid 2025 ahead of major construction including piling, installing an acoustic shed to minimise impacts to the surrounding local community, and then excavating a 20m intervention and ventilation shaft.

About the emergency support facility

The emergency support facility will house important infrastructure, essential to the safe operation of SRL East, including an intervention and ventilation facility and backup control centre.

The intervention and ventilation facility will provide air ventilation and emergency service access, including an emergency exit point for passengers from the rail tunnels to the surface.

The backup control centre will be ready to become operational should there be an incident that prevents the main operational control centre from functioning.

These facilities are critical to keep the rail network moving and need to be located at this point due to the length of the twin tunnels in this section.

Stages

Mid 2025

Stage 1: Site establishment

• Demolishing existing buildings and removing vegetation
• Installing fencing and hoarding around the site to minimise construction impacts including noise
• Building temporary site offices, worker facilities and car parks
• Upgrading the existing gate on High Street Road to accommodate increased construction vehicles.

Late 2025

Stage 2: Piling pad construction and piling works

• Earthworks to strengthen the ground for heavy machinery
• Piling to construct the intervention and ventilation shaft walls. This involves a large drill rig digging 20m deep holes, which are then filled with concrete to create underground columns, that will form the intervention and ventilation shaft walls.

Early 2026

Stage 3: Shed installation and excavation works

• Installing an acoustic shed to reduce construction noise and dust
• Excavating to build the intervention and ventilation shaft
• Removing excavated materials
• Installing ground anchors to provide additional support to the intervention and ventilation shaft walls.

2026

Stage 4: Tunnelling activities at the emergency support facility

• Installing drainage and steel reinforcements for the base slab
• Pouring concrete to form the base slab prior to tunnelling activities
• Tunnel boring machines (TBMs) will pass through the intervention and ventilation shaft. The TBMs will break through the western wall on their way from Burwood, before digging through the eastern wall toward Glen Waverley.

Managing impacts

As with all major infrastructure projects, surrounding communities may experience some impacts during construction. Support is available if you are impacted by our works. For these works, impacts may include:

• Increased construction vehicles using High Street Road
• Intermittent periods of medium to high levels of noise, vibration and dust from construction activities, machinery and vehicles
• Removal of vegetation and trees, where required.

Before works start, we will notify and talk to residents and businesses about activities planned in their area, what to expect and how any disruptions will be managed.

Access to residential properties and businesses will be maintained during these works.

SRL East timeline at Mount Waverley

Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we progress the delivery of SRL East and the new emergency support facility at Mount Waverley.