Another big year on the Big Build

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It’s been another huge year on the Big Build, with projects hitting major milestones and exciting new announcements made for future projects.

Road projects

Tunnel Boring Machines, Bella and Vida, passed the halfway mark on the West Gate Tunnel Project, with almost 70% of the outbound tunnel and nearly 80% of the inbound tunnel now complete.

North East Link Program has ordered its own giant Tunnel Boring Machines to help build Victoria’s longest road tunnels. Crews realigned a section of Greensborough Road to make space for tunnelling in 2024. Two preferred bidders were selected to build the first section of the Eastern Freeway overhaul and the completion of the M80 Ring Road.

Above ground, the majority of West Gate Freeway noise walls were installed and 50% of the new elevated road above Footscray Road is now done.

Another 10 upgraded or new major roads opened to traffic this year, including the historic Echuca Moama Bridge – a vital second Murray River crossing.

Major upgrades on the Monash Freeway, South Gippsland Highway and the next section of the M80 Ring Road were also completed.

Rail projects

The first tracks were delivered and installed in the Metro Tunnel and a new signalling control centre was switched on at Sunshine, paving the way for High-Capacity Metro Trains to run on the new line when it opens in 2025. Passengers are also now using the new Anzac Station Tram stop – the first piece of Metro Tunnel infrastructure to become operational.

Work started on the first stage of Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) East between Cheltenham and Box Hill and 3 world class companies have been shortlisted to deliver 26km of twin tunnels, with tunnelling to start in 2026.

Early works also began on Melbourne Airport Rail (SRL Airport) and proposed designs for the new Melbourne Airport Station were revealed. Commuters in Keilor East learned they’ll get a new station as part of the new airport rail link, and construction partners for the Maribyrnong River Bridge, Sunshine and Albion station elements of the project were locked in.

The Level Crossing Removal Project powered ahead with 25 more level crossings added to the hit list, making it 110 to go by 2030. By then, the Sunbury, Werribee, Cranbourne, Pakenham, Lilydale and Frankston lines will be level crossing free. Eleven more dangerous and congested level crossings were removed this year – with 67 now gone for good and 5 new or upgraded metropolitan stations opened.

The duplication of the Cranbourne Line train tracks finished almost a year ahead of schedule, allowing more train services to run during the morning peak.

Regional Victoria

The communities of Huntly and Raywood celebrated new stations and the return of train services for the first time in decades thanks to the Regional Rail Revival.

Signalling upgrades between Warrnambool and Waurn Ponds has resulted in new services running on the Warrnambool Line. Passengers travelling to and from Waurn Ponds now have access to more services and a bigger and better station, thanks to the completion of the Waurn Ponds Station upgrade.

The first VLocity trains started running on the Shepparton Line and the upgraded stations at Nagambie, Murchison East and Mooroopna opened to the local communities.

Watch our year in review

Thanks for your patience as we continued work to transform the way you travel around the state.

There’s so much more to come next year, we can’t wait to get started.

Victoria's Big Build