On the horizon: Melbourne Airport Rail

Concept image – elevated rail over Albion (subject to planning approvals and stakeholder engagement, courtesy of Rail Project Victoria

With planning ramping up for the long-anticipated Melbourne Airport Rail project, Roads & infrastructure looks into the planning progress and what is expected in the near future.

Sydney and Brisbane already have one, Perth is in the process of constructing one and Melbournians have now been given a sneak peek at the designs for their own. Of course, this is referring to the coveted public transportation route, an Airport Rail line.

Airport rail lines are seen across the globe as an essential not only for connectivity but as key links to boost tourism and business.

While the Melbourne Airport Rail Link has been proposed many times over the last few decades, in early 2021 Victorians got to look at the first concept designs for the project.

Connecting with the Metro Tunnel, currently being built in Melbourne CBD the Melbourne Airport Rail line will provide passengers with a 10 minute turn-up-and- go service, with a less than 30 minute commute time into Melbourne City.

PROJECT DELIVERY
Melbourne Airport Rail will be delivered by Rail Projects Victoria (RPV), which currently has $30 billion invested in regional and metropolitan rail projects across Victoria.

Planning and development for this major project is now underway with construction set to start in 2022, subject to all relevant approvals.

Trains will run from Melbourne Airport through to Sunshine Station, into the Metro Tunnel in the CBD and then out onto the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines in Melbourne’s south east. It is hoped the line will connect people to their homes, workplaces and to key tourism destinations in Victoria.

The images throughout this piece showcase the concept designs for part of the rail line which will run over the Maribyrnong River and over Albion.

These new dedicated tracks will be constructed along the existing Albion-Jacana freight corridor between Sunshine and Airport West. The route will veer off the freight corridor crossing the M80 freeway and head towards the airport following Airport Drive, before arriving at the new premium train station at Melbourne Airport with services every 10 minutes.

Once built, the bridge over the Maribyrnong River will be the second highest in Melbourne at 50 metres tall and 550 metres long. It will be built alongside the existing heritage-listed rail bridge.

The bridge will enable trains to run between Sunshine and the Albion Junction. The track rises gradually to meet the new elevated twin tracks over a distance of less than two kilometres.

The track will then descend and continue to run at ground level alongside the existing freight rail line that runs through Sunshine and Airport West towards Melbourne Airport.

Once constructed Melbourne Airport will be directly accessible from 30 existing onto the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines in Melbourne’s south east. It is hoped the line will connect people to their homes, workplaces and to key tourism destinations in Victoria.

The images throughout this piece showcase the concept designs for part of the rail line which will run over the Maribyrnong River and over Albion.

Once built, the bridge over the Maribyrnong River will be the second highest in Melbourne at 50 metres tall and 550 metres long. It will be built alongside the existing heritage-listed rail bridge.

The bridge will enable trains to run between Sunshine and the Albion Junction. The track rises gradually to meet the new elevated twin tracks over a distance of less than two kilometres. The track will then descend and continue to run at ground level alongside the existing freight rail line that runs through Sunshine and Airport West towards Melbourne Airport.

Once constructed Melbourne Airport will be directly accessible from 30 existing Victorian train stations without the need to change trains on the CBD and south- eastern lines. Those on the Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo and Gippsland lines will be able to access the airport with a single train change.

RPV is responsible for planning and development of this project including project reference design, site investigations, stakeholder engagement, planning approvals and procurement, through to the construction delivery and project commissioning phases.

The RPV team features highly skilled, public and private professionals working to achieve this project.

During the reference design period consultation is underway with key stakeholders including councils, communities, government agencies, Heritage Victoria and contractors.

COMMUNITY FEEDBACK
A priority for Melbourne Airport Rail is community engagement. Recently more than 1800 people had logged into the Melbourne Airport Rail virtual engagement room to provide feedback.

More than 1000 surveys were completed in total, with 200 comments submitted. These responses re-emphasised the significant community interest in this major project.

Surveys found the community were most concerned with minimising disruptions during construction to already busy local roads along the rail alignment. Community members were also concerned with protecting local heritage and the environment and making improvements to local areas to include more community space.

The Melbourne Airport Rail projectis expected to open up a pathway of opportunities for economic growth connections to health, research, education, development and employment precincts in many of Melbourne’s suburbs.

Dandenong, Monash, Parkville, Sunshine and Werribee are all expected to reap economic benefits from the creation of the airport rail line.

SUSTAINABILITY
In the design of this project RPV has committed to achieving a Sustainability Vision, to ensure a lasting legacy for past present and future generations.

The Sustainability Vision includes four important pillars; optimising design for sustainable operation, managing resources efficiently in design, construction and operation, protecting and conserving the natural environment and preparing for challenges presented by climate change.

In order to achieve these initiatives, the RPV team will demonstrate leadership in the commitment to a sustainable future and sustainable procurement.

The team will look to protect and maintain vegetation, facilitate economic prosperity and support social, cultural and community well-being.

Through the project they will also look to encourage innovation in sustainable design, process or advocacy and embed these environmental and sustainability outcomes by establishing targets and objectives. These will then be reported on for accountability.

LOOKING AHEAD
Melbourne Airport Rail will seamlessly connect Victorians from all over the state to the airport, whether they are travelling to work, home or Victoria’s key tourism destinations.

With an expected completion date of 2029 and with major construction due to begin next year it will be exciting for Victorians to watch the Melbourne Airport Rail project take shape.

This story originally appeared in the May edition of our magazine. To read the magazine, click here.