Arden Station design and location

Render of Arden Station main entrance exterior with a road in front and scattered trees — Main entrance exterior

Render of the Arden Station main entry interior, featuring many brick arches — Main entry interior brick arches

Render of the inside of Arden Station from the point of view of the platform with trains on the left and right, looking up to the escalators and the skylight in the middle — Platforms, escalators, stairs and skylight

Render of an underground platform at Arden Station with orange fittings and yellow feature drum lights — Underground platform

Render of Arden Station exterior building with city landscape in the distance and an underground visual of a train pulling up to the platform — Cutaway showing entrance, concourse and platform levels

This new Metro Tunnel station in North Melbourne is part of plans for urban renewal in the broader Arden-Macaulay precinct.

Over the next 30 years it is expected that the area will become home to 15,000 residents and more than 34,000 jobs, directly connected to the train network via the Metro Tunnel.

Arden Station will open with the Metro Tunnel in 2025 and will eventually have a direct link to Melbourne Airport via Melbourne Airport Rail.

Easy to access

Arden Station is located near the corner of Arden and Laurens streets. The station entrance will be located on Laurens Street, between Queensberry and Arden streets, providing direct access to existing residential, retail and commercial areas east of Laurens Street.

Provision will be made for a future additional entrance at the western end of the station that could service the Arden precinct as it develops in the future.

Arden Station is within walking distance of the North Melbourne Recreation Centre, Arden Street Oval and the existing route 57 tram, providing the opportunity to create a truly sustainable transport precinct.

Central to achieving this objective is ensuring passengers can easily arrive and depart the station whether on foot, bicycle, taxi or car. Station access features include:

dedicated pedestrian crossings on Arden and Laurens streets
new drop-off zones and taxi bays located directly outside the station on Laurens Street
more than 120 bike parking spaces
universal access parking bays conveniently located near the station entrance.

Map showing location of the Arden Station precinct

Station entrance

Arden Station’s arched entrance reflects the rich industrial history of North Melbourne and sets the tone for urban renewal in the precinct. The entrance design emulates the form and heritage of industrial architecture, using materials like brick, bluestone, timber, steel and glass.

In early 2022, 15 soaring brick arches were installed at the station entrance. The arches feature 104,000 locally manufactured bricks and will be highlighted by custom designed architectural lighting.

The station entrance is raised 1.5m above ground level to prevent flooding. The raised entrance will be surrounded by a large terrace which will feature a café, outdoor dining, public seating, extensive landscaping and open spaces.

The station entrance will also feature world-class artwork as part of the Metro Tunnel Legacy Artwork Program.

Laurens Street will be upgraded to become a more pedestrian- and public transport-oriented street, with new tree plantings. Barwise Street will be transformed into a greener, more pedestrian-friendly laneway while maintaining access for existing properties.

Greening the area

The station precinct will feature predominantly native landscaping. Sustainability features will include tree pits and garden beds in the terrace, and the planting of more trees to capture stormwater, provide shade and improve air quality.

The station entrance will be surrounded by a public terrace with tiered landscaping, retail and seating areas. It will provide a bright, safe and welcoming place for passengers and the community to enjoy.

Recognising that the broader Arden precinct is prone to flooding, designs for the new station precinct ensure that stormwater runoff is slowed and collected for re-use via rain gardens, street planters and other water-sensitive urban design features. For example, drainage at the station has been designed to capture the natural flow of rainwater and distribute it into nearby garden beds.

Installation of station arches

Concrete arches being lift onto the new Arden Station