Work is officially underway on the Melbourne Airport Rail Link (MARL) project in Victoria.
The $4.1 billion joint investment between the Federal and State government will first untangle the complex rail junction in the suburb of Sunshine, creating space for the MARL which will run through the Metro Tunnel.
Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Catherine King, along with Victorian Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Gabrielle Williams, released early designs for the new Sunshine interchange and announced construction has begun.
Six kilometres of new track, two rail bridges and realigned passenger and freight lines will remove bottlenecks and allow more trains to pass through more often.
This will connect regional services, the Metro Tunnel and future airport trains in one central location.
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“A rail link to Melbourne Airport has been talked about for as long as I can remember,” said King.
“For people in Bendigo, Warrnambool, Geelong and my hometown of Ballarat, these upgrades to Sunshine will change the way we move around the state.”
The State Government is also investing $143 million to improve the precinct around the station – including upgraded walking and cycling links, a modern bus interchange and new open spaces for the community.
Additionally, the State Government has announced that a brand new, fully accessible Tottenham Station will be built on the realigned Sunbury Line, improving local connections.
The new station will include upgraded lighting and a pedestrian underpass, improving local connections and safety – with early designs to be released in the coming months and construction to begin next year.
The Sunbury Line will be realigned to make way for airport rail and a future electrified Melton line, supported by signalling upgrades to enable more services.
A new Albion Station, which will be fully funded by the State Government, will also deliver modern and accessible facilities for passengers.
