Major construction commences on Suburban Rail Loop

The Victorian Government has announced that major construction works have kicked off on the transformative Suburban Rail Loop development. 

Major construction activities are now underway at the tunnel boring machine (TBM) launch site in Clarinda ahead of the beginning of tunnelling works next year. 

The consortium Suburban Connect will be delivering the 16-kilometre twin tunnels between Cheltenham and Glen Waverley. On the other hand, Terra Verde will build the tunnels north of Glen Waverley to Box Hill. The TBMs will begin digging from the Clarinda site, with two moving towards Glen Waverley and two towards Cheltenham. 

In an Australian-first, the TBMs will begin their journeys through ‘flying launches’. This will enable tunnelling to commence while the massive diggers continue to be built from behind a smaller launching area and minimise disruption. 

The TBMs will begin arriving this year and each of the machines will take about three months to be fully assembled. 

Meanwhile in Burwood, excavation on a second TBM launch site is now more than half-way done and is on track to be completed by mid this year. Tunnelling from this site to Glen Waverley will also begin in 2026. 

Each of the TBMs are expected to travel up to 90 metres a week, digging the new orbital rail connection that will help relieve pressure from outer suburbs, ease congestion and improve travel times for 80 per cent of Melbournians – with the Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) East and North stages alone expected to remove 600,000 cars from the road each day. 

“Victorians have backed this project time and time again, and we’re cracking on. 

“The Suburban Rail Loop delivers better public transport and less congestion on the roads,” Premier Jacinta Allan said. 

“With major construction underway on the Suburban Rail Loop we are closer every day to delivering more opportunities and more homes for Victorian families, exactly where we need them,” Minister for Suburban Rail Loop and Housing Harriet Shing said. 

“The Suburban Rail Loop is powering ahead with major works kicking off in Clarinda as we gear up for tunnelling next year,” Member for Clarinda Meng Heang Tak said. 

In addition to delivering a new public transport system that will change how people move around Melbourne and Victoria, Suburban Rail Loop is also Australia’s largest housing project. Melbourne population is anticipated to reach the size of London by the 2050s, and this development will provide 70,000 more homes on the doorstep of healthcare, education precincts and jobs. 

The overall Suburban Rail Loop project is being delivered in sections, namely: 

• SRL East – Cheltenham to Box Hill 

• SRL North – Box Hill to Melbourne Airport 

• SRL Airport – Melbourne Airport to Sunshine (delivered by Rail Projects Victoria) 

• SRL West – Sunshine to Werribee 

Construction of SRL East – commenced in 2022 – is creating up to 8,000 direct jobs, with over 3,000 people already working on the project. 

Trains will begin running on the new rail network in 2035. 

Source: Premier of Victoria – Media Centre; Victoria’s Big Build – Suburban Rail Loop (1, 2)