Transforming road and rail travel

We are investing in major road and rail projects in Melbourne’s east as part of Victoria’s Big Build.

These projects will reduce congestion, cut travel time and provide more trains more often on every train line near you.

Suburban Rail Loop, North East Link, Melbourne Airport Rail and the Metro Tunnel will transform travel, making getting to work, school and health services quicker and easier.

Suburban Rail Loop East to better connect our suburbs

Construction starts on Suburban Rail Loop from Cheltenham to Box Hill (SRL East) this year, bringing huge benefits to communities and commuters across the eastern suburbs.

We’re not wasting any time getting started, with Laing O’Rourke chosen as our contractor for initial and early works.

SRL East will connect major hospitals, universities and employment hubs in Melbourne’s east, and create up to 8000 local jobs during construction.

The turn-up-and-go train service will connect existing train lines and save about 40 mins on a one-way trip at the busiest times.

It’s good news for our roads too as transport modelling shows Suburban Rail Loop will ease congestion. Daily car trips will reduce by more than 600,000 once the loop reaches Melbourne Airport.

Suburban Rail Loop will be built in stages, with SRL East complete by 2035. Planning is underway for SRL North from Box Hill to Melbourne Airport and SRL West from the airport to Werribee.

• 32,500 drivers expected to switch to SRL East trains each day.
• 22 mins travel time from Box Hill to Cheltenham.
• 40 mins time saved on a one-way trip on public transport at peak times.
• 26km of rail tunnels between Box Hill and Cheltenham.
• Trains every 6 mins at peak times, increasing to every 2 mins over time.
• 70,000 passengers expected to use SRL East each day.
• Construction of SRL East will create up to 8000 jobs.

Find out more details about projects in your area.

North East Link combines 5 major projects in 1

North East Link is more than just Victoria’s biggest road project, it will change the way people move around Melbourne by bringing our road, bus and bike network together.

As part of the project, we’re adding or upgrading more than 45km of lanes on the Eastern Freeway where they are needed most.

Your trip will be smoother too, with 6 express lanes between Middleborough Road and Chandler Highway reducing the merging and weaving that causes congestion.

When North East Link is complete a peak-hour trip on the upgraded Eastern Freeway will be up to 11 mins faster.

Trips from the eastern suburbs to Melbourne Airport will be up to 29 mins faster during peak travel times.

More than 34km of new and upgraded walking and cycling paths will link the east to Yarra River trails and parklands.

Eastern Freeway improvements:

• Up to 11 mins saved on the Eastern Freeway.
• 18 traffic lights skipped from the Eastern Freeway to the Ring Road.
• Up to 29 mins saved on trips to Melbourne Airport.
• Up to 35 mins saved between Melbourne’s north and east.

Eastern Express Busway:

• 11km of dedicated bus lanes from Doncaster towards the city.
• 100km/h travel speeds
• New Bulleen Park & Ride and upgraded Doncaster Park & Ride.
• On average, there'll be a bus a minute during the peak.

Find out more about North East Link urban design and landscaping in your local area.

New lanes on the Monash Freeway

We’re adding 36km of new lanes as part of the Monash Freeway Upgrade, which is due to be complete this year.

The new bridge connecting the Monash Freeway outbound lanes and Jacksons Road to EastLink will open to drivers in the coming months.

It’ll mean merging 400m earlier, before the Jacksons Road exit ramp, to enter EastLink from the Monash Freeway.

If you are travelling from Mulgrave, the existing Jacksons Road outbound entry ramp will now connect only to EastLink. If you want to access the Monash Freeway, you’ll need to detour via Wellington Road.

We are working to reopen the Police Road outbound entry ramp to the Monash Freeway by the middle of the year.

These changes are designed to reduce cars and trucks weaving in traffic to make trips on the Monash Freeway quicker, easier and safer.

Watch a video of how the Jacksons Road ramp will improve your travel.

Lilydale Line free of level crossings by 2025

We’re putting the finishing touches on our level crossing removals at Manchester Road in Mooroolbark and Maroondah Highway in Lilydale, but passengers are already enjoying the benefits of 2 new elevated stations opened at the end of last year.

Before the upgrade, more than 53,000 cars and trucks travelled through these level crossings each day, where boom gates were down for up to a quarter of the morning peak.

Now the rail bridges are built over these roads, cars, trucks, pedestrians and cyclists are moving safely through the area.

We’ll be finished with both level crossings by the middle of the year. Major construction has started on removing the Mont Albert Road and Union Road level crossings. They’ve been fast-tracked for removal and will be gone for good in 2023.

Early planning works have started on our level crossing removals at Coolstore Road, Bedford Road and Dublin Road. By 2025, the Lilydale Line will be free of level crossings and the Belgrave Line will be free of level crossings up to Ferntree Gully Station.

Together we’re building big in Melbourne’s east

• North East Link - connecting the M80 Ring Road at Greensborough with an upgraded Eastern Freeway at Bulleen.
• Hurstbridge Line Duplication - doubling around 3.5km of track to allow more trains to run.
• Suburban Rail Loop East - construction is underway, with Cheltenham to Box Hill to take 70,000 cars off the road every day.
• SRL East Box Hill Station:
  • Will allow you to catch a train in 4 directions from Box Hill.
  • The Metro Tunnel will save you up to 10 mins on trips to the Parkville health precinct and St Kilda Road business precinct.
  • Passengers boarding at Box Hill Station will only change trains once in the City Loop to access Melbourne Airport Rail trains via the Metro Tunnel.
  • A trip from Box Hill to Cheltenham will take just 22 mins on Suburban Rail Loop.
• Level Crossing Removal Project - we're removing 14 level crossings in the east:
  • 8 complete and 6 in planning/construction.
  • Belgrave Line will be free of level crossings up to Ferntree Gully Station by 2025.
  • We'll build a new Union Station with more trains more often in Surrey Hills and Mont Albert.
  • Cranbourne Pakenham Line will be free of level crossings by 2025.
  • Lilydale Line will be free of level crossings by 2025.
• Monash Freeway Upgrade - we're adding 36km of new lanes on the Monash and Princes Freeways between Warrigal Road and Cardinia Road as part of Stage 2 of the upgrade.
• Melbourne Airport Rail - catch a train into the CBD and change at either Flinders Street or Melbourne Central to board a train direct to Melbourne Airport via the Metro Tunnel.

Sign up for email updates about projects in the east.

Making travel easier, delivering jobs

Suburban Rail Loop will link every major rail line from the Frankston Line to the Werribee Line, via Melbourne Airport. It will improve access to housing, jobs, schools, universities and hospitals for all Victorians.

But what will Suburban Rail Loop mean for how you live and work in your neighbourhood?

Travel:

• SRL East will be approximately 26km, built as a twin tunnel.
• Trains will run every 6 mins in the peak, increasing with demand to around every 2 mins.
• 22 mins from Box Hill to Cheltenham.
• Box Hill underground station connects to Belgrave/Lilydale Line.
• Glen Waverley underground station connects to Glen Waverley Line.
• Clayton underground station connects to Cranbourne/Pakenham Line.
• Cheltenham underground station connects to Frankston Line.
• Save 40 to 60 mins travelling from Cheltenham to Monash, Glen Waverley or Burwood by train, and up to 2 hours on a return trip.

Education:

• SRL Box Hill Station will be close to Box Hill Institute, SRL Burwood Station will be adjacent to Deakin University, and SRL Monash Station will be at Monash University.
• A trip from Lilydale to Monash University will be 20 to 40 mins quicker with a seamless interchange at Box Hill.
• Students travelling from Cheltenham to Deakin University will save up to an hour on a return journey.

Jobs:

• Construction of Suburban Rail Loop will support up to 23,900 jobs across the economy, and create up to 8000 direct jobs during construction of SRL East.

Health:

• SRL Box Hill Station will be close to Box Hill Hospital, SRL Clayton Station will be adjacent to Monash Medical Centre and the Monash Children’s Hospital and SRL Monash Station will be next to the new Victorian Heart Hospital.
• Travel times between Traralgon and Box Hill Hospital will be about 26 mins faster – taking about 2 and a half hours instead of 3 hours, and making train travel times comparable to a car trip.

Find the Suburban Rail Loop station closest to you.

Melbourne Airport Rail takes off

Did you know that once Melbourne Airport Rail is built, people travelling from the east will have an easy interchange for direct train travel to the airport?

Passengers on the Belgrave, Lilydale, Alamein and Glen Waverley lines will be able to change to airport trains at either Flinders Street Station or Melbourne Central Station, depending on which way you’re travelling through the City Loop.

You’ll save time and money compared with driving, and you won’t need to pay for parking.

Trains will leave the airport every 10 mins and take around 30 mins to reach the city.

Find out how you’ll be able to catch a Melbourne Airport Rail train from your closest station.

Airport journey time in minutes:

_{Subject to Commonwealth and State government statutory planning and environmental approvals, including airport approvals.}

Upcoming disruptions

We’re working hard to build a better transport network.

While we work, road and public transport disruptions could affect your travel.

Removing level crossings on the Lilydale and Belgrave lines:

• As we finalise works at Manchester and Maroondah stations, buses will replace trains on sections of the Lilydale Line at times in May.
• We’re also gearing up on Mont Albert and Union Road with buses replacing trains on sections of the Belgrave and Lilydale lines in mid 2022, with information to be provided to passengers closer to the time.

Getting ready for major works on North East Link:

• There will be lane closures at times on Bulleen Road between Greenaway Street and the Eastern Freeway during autumn as we continue to relocate utility services in preparation for tunnelling.

Monash Freeway Upgrade:

• Works continue on the Monash Freeway Upgrade with overnight closures of the Monash Freeway and daytime lane and ramp closures between Warrigal Road and EastLink.
• There’ll also be overnight closures of the Princes Freeway as required between Princes Highway and Cardinia Road.

M80 Ring Road between Sydney Road and Edgars Road:

• Overnight freeway and ramp closures will continue on the M80 Ring Road between Sydney Road and Edgars Road during April as part of the M80 Upgrade.

Major works continue on the Fitzsimons Lane Upgrade:

• Significant delays are expected at the Porter Street intersection from late April to mid June to upgrade the intersection to traffic lights.
• Lanes will also be closed at the Williamsons.

Find out more about disruptions in Melbourne’s east.