The Metro Tunnel is the biggest transformation of Melbourne’s rail network since the City Loop opened in 1981. It includes twin 9km tunnels under Melbourne’s CBD with 5 new underground stations.
The new tunnels will create an end-to-end train line from Sunbury in the west to Cranbourne and Pakenham in the southeast and connect the rail network to Parkville and St Kilda Road for the first time.
The Metro Tunnel will be connected to the wider metro rail network with interchanges, including between Flinders Street Station and the new Town Hall Station and between Melbourne Central Station and the new State Library Station.
The Metro Tunnel includes a new High Capacity Signalling system that has been installed through the tunnel and on sections of the Cranbourne, Pakenham and Sunbury lines.
The system allows trains to travel closer together and is the first step towards a metro-style rail network with 'turn up and go' train services.
Upgrades across the network to maximise the benefits of the new tunnel include a new signal control centre in Sunshine, power and track upgrades, platform extensions and more train stabling.
The project has also built new tram stops at Parkville, new bike lanes on St Kilda Road near Anzac Station and a new park at the tunnel’s eastern entrance. Other work will include adding more bike parking spaces and landscaping and revamping the City Square in Melbourne’s CBD.
The Metro Tunnel is on track to open in 2025, a year ahead of schedule.
Construction is complete on 3 of the 5 Metro Tunnel stations, with the remaining 2 nearing completion.
Trial operations began in late 2024 and will continue until the Metro Tunnel opens. It will include trialling the many processes and procedures needed to run the new rail line and testing timetabled services with drivers and station staff in a dress rehearsal to ensure everything is ready to open to passengers.
An opening date will be announced once station construction is finished, along with all the necessary testing, training and preparation required to safely run this new part of the rail network.
The Metro Tunnel Project includes 5 new underground train stations:
- Arden – at the centre of North Melbourne’s major urban development precinct.
- Parkville – on Grattan Street, near major hospitals and the University of Melbourne.
- Anzac – on St Kilda Road near the Shrine of Remembrance.
- State Library – at the northern end of Swanston Street, connected to Melbourne Central Station.
- Town Hall – at the southern end of Swanston Street, connected to Flinders Street Station.
The stations will give Victorians better access to universities, hospitals and jobs across Melbourne and allow for easy interchange to City Loop services.
The Metro Tunnel will give all Victorians more ways to move around Melbourne with new connections and more choice.
It will create room for half a million extra passengers every week, future proofing the network as we become Australia’s largest city
It will give passengers on the Cranbourne, Pakenham and Sunbury lines a turn-up-and-go service.
By creating a second rail line under the city, the Metro Tunnel will ease congestion in the City Loop for more reliable services on other lines.
The Metro Tunnel is vital step towards future improvements across Melbourne’s rail network.
The Metro Tunnel Project Office is responsible for building the Metro Tunnel, on behalf of the Victorian Government. Our 2 key contractors are:
- Cross Yarra Partnership (CYP), the consortium building the twin tunnels and 5 new stations – including John Holland, Lendlease and Bouygues.
- Rail Network Alliance (RNA), the consortium building the station entrances, connecting the Sunbury and Cranbourne/Pakenham lines, and installing new High-Capacity Signalling – comprising John Holland, CPB Contractors, Alstom, AECOM, Metro Tunnel and Metro Trains.
Find out more about project delivery.
The Metro Tunnel Project’s cost is $13.48b.
This figure does not include extra funding from the project’s major contractor.
The cost of the project has increased by around 23% from its original budget in 2016 due to a number of unexpected factors. including the COVID-19 pandemic. By comparison the cost of construction in Victoria has increased by around 22% since 2021.
