Melbourne Airport’s rail has been given the green light and will connect the airport to the city and the suburbs of Melbourne.
A new station in Keilor East will also be built as part of the project to link more than 150,000 residents in the City of Moonee Vallet area to Victoria’s rail network.
The train ride will have travellers from the Melbourne CBD to the airport in 30 minutes. It will also hit Sunshine Station and the Metro Tunnel, connecting airport goers to Melbourne’s west and south-east and Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong and Gippsland.
In a Facebook post, Victorian Premier Dan Andrews gleefully reported the news to his 1 million plus followers.
“Airport Rail has been talked about since before the airport even opened,” Andrews wrote in his post.
“And now it’s happening.
“Airport Rail will connect seamlessly to our existing network – so 30 stations will have a direct connection to the airport.
“And from any other metro station and most regional stations you’ll be able to get there with just one change.
“Trains will run every 10 minutes, and it’ll take just 30 minutes from the city.
“It’s a game changer.
“And we’re getting on with it.”
Melbourne Airport Rail is expected to cost between $8-13 billion and increase Victoria’s gross state product by up to $17.9 billion.
The project’s business case recommends a new elevated station at Melbourne Airport. An elevated station will be quicker and more cost effective to deliver and reduce disruption to airport users during construction, according to Victoria’s Build Big.
The project also includes an elevated rail bridge over the Western Ring Road (M80 Freeway), and major upgrades to Sunshine Station – including a new concourse, improvements to existing facilities, and car parking.
Melbourne Airport Rail is expected to create up to 8000 jobs during construction and opportunities for hundreds of apprentices, trainees and cadets through the Victorian Government’s Major Project Skills Guarantee.
The project is expected to be completed in 2029.
Featured Image: Facebook/@DanielAndrewsMP
