Historic Flinders Street Viaduct upgrades complete

Works have been completed on the upgrade and reinforcement of the historic rail bridge connecting Melbourne’s Flinders Street Station and Southern Cross Station.

Running along the Yarra River’s north bank, the Flinders Street Railway Viaduct was constructed between 1888 and 1891 and has undergone multiple expansions in the decades since.

The bridge has been a key part of the city’s transport network for more than 100 years, with hundreds of train services running over its six sets of tracks each day.

The Victorian Government said the $17 million upgrades would ensure the strength and safety of the bridge for another 75 years.

Works included repairing and replacing bridge supports from Elizabeth Street to the Melbourne Aquarium, strengthening steel beams as well as sandblasting and repainting the bridge.

Metro Trains crews worked within 50-hour windows over multiple weekends, setting up and dismantling special containment structures to carry out works while minimising noise and pollution – in particular from the removal of old lead-based paint.

Ben Carrol, Minister for Public Transport, said the completion of the three-year project would ensure the bridge continued to safely support Metro Train services.

“The Flinders Street Viaduct refurbishment has allowed us to maintain an historic piece of Melbourne infrastructure, while continuing to move passengers safely and reliably into the future,” he said.

The complex project involved over 300 specialists and tallied more than 35,000 working hours, with special care to avoid major disruptions to one of the busiest parts of the train network.

“Careful planning by multiple specialist teams was required to complete these essential works on one of the most iconic parts of Melbourne’s public transport infrastructure,” said Raymond O’Flaherty, Metro Trains Chief Executive Officer.

For more information, visit: metrotrains.com.au