Metro Tunnel Project milestones

Planning and procurement stage

April 2015 – Site investigations begin
February 2016 – Metro Tunnel Business Case released
June 2016 – Contract awarded for early works
December 2016 – Environment Effects Statement process finishes
July 2017 – Contracts awarded for tunnel and stations construction and rail system upgrades
July 2018 – Contract awarded for rail infrastructure connections and upgrades

April 2017 – City Square closed as work begins on Town Hall Station
July 2017 – Toorak Road trams connected to St Kilda Road for construction of Anzac Station
September 2017 – Demolition and archaeology digs in the CBD begin
October 2017 – Construction of the first acoustic shed begins (at Franklin Street)
February 2018 – Grattan Steet closed for construction of Parkville Station
August 2018 - Piling works at City Square begin
December 2018 - Federation Square Visitor Centre demolished

August 2019 – First tunnel boring machine (TBM) launches at the Arden Station site
February 2020 – First TBM breakthrough completes a section of tunnel from Arden to Kensington
July 2020 – New platform at West Footscray Station open
May 2021 – All TBM tunnelling complete
February 2022 – Track installation begins
March 2022 – Sunshine Signal Control Centre completed
December 2022 – New Anzac Station tram stop open
March 2023 – Track installation completed with the Metro Tunnel connected to the Sunbury, Cranbourne and Pakenham lines
January 2024 – Arden Station complete
May 2024 – Parkville Station complete
September 2024 – Anzac Station complete

June 2023 – First test trains enter the Metro Tunnel
October 2023 – High Capacity Signalling introduced on sections of the Cranbourne and Pakenham line
October 2023– High Capacity Metro Train begin running on the Sunbury Line
September 2024 - Testing begins with multiple trains in the tunnel
January 2025 - Trial operations begin including station staff training
April 2025 - Metro Trains Melbourne staff move into Arden, Anzac and Parkville stations