Power upgrades

We’ve built 5 new electrical substations and upgraded 10 existing substations along the Sunbury Line to provide essential power for bigger, more modern trains that will run on the line from 2025. These power upgrades will improve the capacity, reliability and frequency of services for passengers.

Five new substations have been constructed in Footscray, Albion, St Albans and Delahey. Each design was refined based on community feedback throughout 2021, with the designs refined to complement each local area.

Learn more about the new substation designs

Photo of the Footscray substation

The design of the new Footscray substation reflects the scale and character of the Footscray area. The double storey brick façade features variations in its brickwork which emulate the form and heritage of industrial architecture. The substation is carefully positioned to maximise landscaping opportunities, enabling 330 new plantings and the preservation of McNab Avenue’s iconic palm tree-lined streetscape.

Status: Completed early 2022

Photo of the Talmage Street, St Albans substation

Located next to a large 20th century heritage substation, the new Talmage Street substation is designed to not compete with its heritage neighbour, with the material, form and colours designed to form a transition between the old and new. To further integrate the substation into the site, a mix of 640 bushes and trees were planted around its boundary.

Status: Completed mid-2022

Artist render of the St Albans Road substation

The design of the new St Albans Road substation celebrates the local grasslands that surround the area. The substation’s decorative screen is designed to emulate native grasses blowing in the wind, with its varied form creating visual interest from different viewpoints. The site features a mixture of 10,830 native grasses, trees and flowering plants, with trees planted in positions that provide shade to the nearby shared user path.

Status: Completed late 2022

Artist render of the Willaton Street, St Albans substation

The design of the new Willaton Street substation maximises the site’s integration into the surrounding landscape. The site’s pixelated screening features colourful panelling inspired by the local built environment, such as the terracotta roofs of nearby homes. The substation is set back from the street to maximise landscaping opportunities. This enabled 1238 plants to be planted including native grasses, trees and flowering shrubs. The site also integrates habitat features, using recycled tree limbs and native planting so native bees are attracted to the area.

Status: Completed late 2022

Artist render of Sydenham Road substation

The design of the new Sydenham Road substation reflects the surrounding grassy plains character of the site. The colours and materials were chosen to be visually recessive, enabling the substation to blend into its surrounding landscape. An abundance of native grasses and plants have been planted around the site, totalling 4891 plantings. The establishment of an on-site grassland further integrates the substation into its surrounding landscape.

Status: Completed late 2022

Learn more about the new substation designs

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