[category]
[title]
It’s finally happening. Melbourne’s long-awaited airport rail link is officially moving into its next phase, with work on the second stage of the project set to begin in the coming weeks. This is not a drill!
RELATED READ: Melbourne Airport’s Master Plan has been revealed
Yesterday (Wednesday, September 30) the Victorian and federal governments announced that site investigations, procurement and early development works will kick off soon on Melbourne Airport Rail Stage 2, which will eventually deliver a new 7.4-kilometre rail line between Albion and the airport precinct.
As anyone familiar with the SkyBus knows, the project has been in the works for years – with Melbourne currently one of Australia’s major capital cities without a direct train connection to its airport. For travellers, getting between the CBD and Melbourne Airport generally means waiting for an Uber, a space on the SkyBus or a very good friend, with traffic making journey times pretty unpredictable. A direct rail link would mean easy access into the city, plus better connections to the CBD for Melbourne’s rapidly growing west.
The full airport rail project is being delivered in stages, with the state and federal governments jointly committing $12 billion to the project. Stage 1, known as the Sunshine Superhub, is already underway. The $4.1 billion project will transform Sunshine Station into a six-platform interchange and untangle six kilometres of track between West Footscray and Albion. Once Stage 1 is complete (slated for 2030), it will create capacity for up to 1,000 trains a day, allowing more frequent services on the Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo lines and paving the way for the Melton Line to be electrified.
Stage 2 will build on that work, with the new line running alongside the Jacana freight corridor and including a brand-new station at Keilor East. A 500-metre rail bridge will also carry trains over the Maribyrnong Riverm, with the line connecting directly into Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel. Construction is expected to begin in 2028, with Stage 2 scheduled to be completed in 2031. Once open, the new Keilor East station is expected to connect around 5,200 passengers a day with the city, while a further 6,600 passengers and airport workers are expected to use the new line each hour.
There is still one pretty crucial piece of the puzzle to come. The Melbourne Airport Rail Steering Committee is continuing to work through options for Stage 3, which will include an above-ground station at Melbourne Airport itself. The timeline on this one is yet to be announced, so we're not holding our breath – but within the next decade or so, our airport journeys should start to get a whole lot smoother.
Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Melbourne newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox.