Preliminary planning works are ramping up on the massive Melbourne Airport Rail Link project in Victoria, taking the project one step closer to major development activities such as completion of the detailed Business Case.
The latest preparatory works to commence is geotechnical drilling which is going to determine ground conditions and soil quality along the route of the rail link.
The organisation responsible for overseeing the delivery of the project - Rail Project Victoria - will be undertaking the geotechnical investigations across several locations, and this will help Rail Projects Victoria during detailed planning. There are six sites around the M80 Ring Road - in Tullamarine as well as near Maribyrnong River - involved in the investigations.
The investigation works will help determine the design of Melbourne Airport Rail Link and how the project is going to be constructed.
Major construction works on the project is anticipated to commence in 2022 and it is expected to take up to nine years to complete.
In September 2018, AirRail Melbourne - comprised of IFM Investors, Melbourne Airport, Metro Trains and Southern Cross Station - invested $5 billion towards the delivery of the new airport rail link. This is in addition to the $10 billion already invested by the Australian and State Governments. That same month, Registrations of Interest (ROIs) were opened for submission to find businesses, investors and builders who want to get involved in the delivery of the project.
The Melbourne Airport Rail Link is a 27-kilometre twin tunnel that will run between Melbourne CBD’s Southern Cross Station and a new underground train station at Melbourne Airport in Tullamarine via Sunshine. This new rail link will also become part of the north-western section of the Suburban Rail Loop.
“We’ve made sure the Airport Rail Link will benefit all Victorians - delivering a new super-hub at Sunshine and paving the way for fast rail to the regions.
“It will deliver wider benefits beyond simply moving tourists and business people between the CBD and the airport. It will help us transform the way people live, work and travel right across Victoria,” Minister for Transport Infrastructure Jacinta Allan said.
The project is estimated to be valued between $8 billion to $13 billion, but the final cost of the Melbourne Airport Rail Link is going to be determined by the full Business Case.
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Source: Premier of Victoria; Urban.com.au; The Age