Metro Tunnel
The Metro Tunnel is an under-construction railway tunnel in Melbourne, Australia which is scheduled to open in 2025[1]. When it opens, the Metro Tunnel will create a single railway line from Sunbury in Melbourne's North-West to Cranbourne and East Pakenham in Melbourne's South-East. This means that trains on the Sunbury line, Cranbourne line, and Pakenham line will no longer use the City Loop.[1]
As part of the Melbourne Airport rail link it is planned to run trains to Melbourne Airport through the Metro Tunnel,[2] however this project has been delayed until at least 2033.[3]
Stations
The Metro Tunnel has five underground stations. All five stations have platform screen doors which open only when a train arrives, preventing passengers from falling onto the tracks.
Anzac Station
Anzac Station is located nearly 2km south of the Melbourne CBD. Its name is a reference to the nearby Shrine of Remembrance war memorial. As well as trains in the Metro Tunnel, 8 tram routes stop at the station.
Town Hall Station
Town Hall station is located almost directly under Flinders Street station and passengers can walk between the two stations without touching on and off their Myki. It is named after the nearby Melbourne Town Hall.
=State Library Station
State Library station is located almost directly under Melbourne Central station and passengers can walk between the two stations without touching on and off their Myki. It is named after the nearby State Library of Victoria.
Parkville Station
Parkville station is located in the suburb of Parkville. The station is in the middle of a major health and education precinct, nearby to destinations such as the University of Melbourne and Royal Melbourne Hospital.
Arden Station
Metro Tunnel Media
Proposed extensions to Melbourne's railway network
A plan for a cut-and-cover tunnel was replaced with a deeper mined tunnel in order to avoid disruptions to Swanston Street, Melbourne's main civic spine and busiest tram corridor.
Acoustic shed at Anzac station in the domain precinct. Acoustic sheds were installed at Metro Tunnel station precincts to reduce noise and dust.
Parkville Station construction progress at the University of Melbourne in February 2018, showing the excavation of Grattan St for the station box
Town Hall station under construction in 2020, showing the temporary acoustic shed.
As part of the project, the first of 65 High Capacity Metro Trains entered service in 2020.
Finished tunnel as of March 2022 near the future Arden station, prior to the installation of rail.
The new Anzac Station tram interchange was opened to tram passengers in December 2022. Pictured is the wooden canopy that will sit above the future Metro station entrance.
Geographic map showing the planned cross-city rapid transit corridor created by the Metro Tunnel at its full extent, including the proposed Airport Rail Link and short extension to Pakenham East.
Rebuilt, elevated Carnegie railway station on the Pakenham and Cranbourne lines, which will form part of the Metro Tunnel corridor.
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Arden station is located in the suburb of North Melbourne. The station is named after the nearby Arden street. Arden station is located in a previously industrial area, which is undergoing urban renewal as part of the Metro Tunnel project.