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

Early works stage

  • 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

Major construction stage

  • 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

Testing stage

  • 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

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