Over 100 national and international organisations have registered to be part of this unique project, which will support about 8,000 jobs over its course.
The Sunshine/Albion program works will primarily comprise of works in and around Sunshine and Albion stations, extending to the southern end of the Albion-Jacana corridor to facilitate the Melbourne Airport Rail alignment from Albion Station north towards Melbourne Airport. Included in this package is the upgrading of Sunshine station with a new pedestrian concourse that will enable transfers at both ends of the station, as well as additional lifts, ticketing gates and platform extensions that are weather-protected. Sunshine station will become a ‘superhub’, with more trains more frequently providing connections to employment opportunities and health and education services.
Upon completion, travel from the CBD to Sunshine via the Metro tunnel will take approximately 16 minutes, and travel from Sunshine to the Airport approximately 11 minutes.
Other aspects of the Melbourne Airport Rail link project are still in the planning and design development stage, with both the Australian and Victorian governments having committed $5 billion each. Construction is set to start in 2022 with a target opening of 2029, subject to all relevant approvals.
Melbourne’s west is also benefitting from a $20 billion investment in road and rail projects as part of Victoria’s Big Build, with the Western Roads Upgrade now complete and works progressing on several level crossing removals, the Sunbury Line Upgrade and the West Gate Tunnel.