1 April 2021
Stage One of Suburban Rail Loop will connect our growing health, education, retail and employment precincts in Melbourne’s south east and east between Cheltenham and Box Hill.
The 26km Stage One corridor will be built as a twin-tunnel, standalone line to fully integrate into the existing public transport network.
The locations for 6 new underground stations have been identified at Cheltenham, Clayton, Monash, Glen Waverley, Burwood and Box Hill.
A new stabling facility, located near the start of the line in Heatherton, will stable trains and house facilities associated with running a state-of-the-art, high capacity new railway.
An intervention and ventilation facility is to be built in Mount Waverley. The facility will provide fresh air ventilation into the tunnels and emergency exits out of them.
We are also building a power supply substation in Burwood to provide essential power during construction and then to operate the tunnels and stations.
All of this will allow a new high-tech fleet of next generation energy efficient trains to run along the line.
2018
- Project announced
2019
- Planning and development work commenced
- Site investigations commenced
- Community consultation commenced
2020–2021
- Market engagement commenced
- Business and Investment Case developed
- Planning approvals process confirmed
- Procurement process commenced
2022
- Works start on Stage One*
* Subject to relevant State and Federal planning, environmental and other statutory approvals
Project benefits
Transport
- Easing demand on the transport network and shifting more people out of cars and off local roads.
- Integrating with walking, cycling, rail, bus and road networks to enhance Melbourne’s overall public transport efficiency and convenience.
Community
- Triggering investment in our middle suburbs and unlocking possibilities for future housing, businesses and neighbourhoods.
- Generating thousands of jobs and helping train the next generation of skilled workers.
Regions
- Improving connections to regional Victoria.
- Providing faster and easier travel to university campuses at Monash and Deakin, and major hospitals including Monash, Monash Children's, and Box Hill.
Underground stations
Stage One will include 6 new underground train stations at Cheltenham, Clayton, Monash, Glen Waverley, Burwood and Box Hill.
- Cheltenham – a new interchange station connecting to the Frankston Line
- Clayton – a new transport superhub connecting to the Cranbourne/Pakenham Line and regional Victoria.
- Monash – a new standalone Suburban Rail Loop station near Monash University.
- Glen Waverley – a new interchange station connecting to the Glen Waverley Line.
- Burwood – a new standalone Suburban Rail Loop station near Deakin University.
- Box Hill – a new interchange station connecting to the Lilydale/Belgrave Line.
Twin tunnels
New stations will be linked by 26 kilometres of twin underground rail tunnels serviced by a fleet of quick, high-tech trains.
Stabling facility
A purpose-built stabling facility, used for train storage and maintenance, and an operational control centre to be located in Heatherton.
Power supply substation
A power supply substation is to be built in Burwood. This is an integral part of Stage One to deliver a constant source of power during construction and then to operate the trains, signals and communication equipment across the new network.
Intervention and ventilation
An intervention and ventilation facility is to be located in Mount Waverley. This facility will provide ventilation, emergency service access, and a passenger emergency exit point to the surface from the tunnels.
Initial Works
A range of Initial Works will be undertaken along the alignment to ensure major construction works for Stage One can get underway quickly and with fewer disruptions to local communities and businesses.
- Power connections.
- Minor road modifications.
- Utility relocation, installation and protection works.
- Site levelling and ground improvement works.
Building Stage One
Underground stations
Building Stage One of Suburban Rail Loop under Melbourne’s densely populated south-eastern suburbs presents a range of engineering and construction challenges. As with any major infrastructure project, surrounding communities may experience impacts during construction, however efforts are being made to keep disruption to a minimum.
Major works will involve using custom-built tunnel boring machines to excavate the twin tunnels for the new rail line. Each of the new stations will be built using a ‘bottom-up’ construction approach.
To read more about the proposed techniques to build the stations and tunnels, refer to the Building Stage One fact sheet.
Planning and environmental assessment
Rail Infrastructure for Stage One of Suburban Rail Loop will be assessed through an Environment Effects Statement (EES) – our State’s most comprehensive and transparent environmental assessment process.
The EES will assess potential impact on people and places associated with Stage One (Cheltenham to Box Hill), supported by a range of technical studies and assessments which will carefully consider potential social, environmental and business impacts.
To read more about these studies and assessments, refer to the Planning and environmental studies: Stage One fact sheet.
Have your say
We want to hear your feedback.
The community and stakeholders will play a key role in shaping Suburban Rail Loop. Suburban Rail Loop Authority is committed to ensuring all members of the community have access to project information and are engaged in the planning and development of the project.