Suburban Rail Loop East gets green light for major construction

The Suburban Rail Loop – Victoria’s largest infrastructure investment to date – has reached a new major milestone with the green light for major construction given following the Ministerial assessment of the project’s environmental impacts. 

Minister Lily D’Ambrosio - under the Environmental Effect Statement Act – assessed the project’s environmental effects and found it acceptable. The Minister noted that the project will deliver significant benefits to the community, with “careful management of the environmental impacts”. 

Through her assessment, Minister D’Ambrosio has found several environmental impacts have been avoided by building the project underground. She also found that the environmental effects for SRL East have been identified and carefully considered through EES – Victoria’s most rigorous and transparent assessment and approval process. 

The assessment process addressed construction as well as operational outcomes for local residents, including: 

• Replacement of open space required for the project, including new parkland to offset the land required for the SRL stabling facility at Heatherton 
• Tougher requirements to limit construction noise and traffic impacts 
• Additional bicycle connections and footpaths to encourage walking and cycling, including connections to the Ringwood Cycling Corridor in Box Hill, and upgrading Gardiners Creek Trail 
• More support for businesses affected by construction 

In June of this year, initial and early works commenced on Suburban Rail Loop East (SRL East) to pave the way for major works. These works have generated the first of up to 8,000 jobs this stage of the Suburban Rail Loop will create. 

“Victorians voted for this project, that will create thousands of jobs – and it’s great to see this independent assessment give this project the green light. 

“We’re getting on with this project that will connect communities in the east and southeast and we’ll continue to work with local communities along the way,” Minister for Suburban Rail Loop Jacinta Allan said. 

Suburban Rail Loop map (source: Victoria's Big Build)

The Suburban Rail Loop will deliver a new 90-kilometre rail line as well as stations at key health, employment, education and retail hubs, transforming the region’s public transport system. 

The project is going to be built in sections, namely SRL East – Cheltenham to Box Hill, SRL North – Box hill to Melbourne Airport, and SRL West – Melbourne Airport to Werribee. 

The first section, SRL East, will include: 

• Twin 26-kilometre rail tunnels 
• Six new underground stations, including four with interchanges to existing stations at Cheltenham, Clayton, Glen Waverley and Box Hill, as well as new stations at Monash and Burwood 
• A transport super hub at Clayton for regional passengers 
• A train stabling facility and power supply substation at Heatherton 
• An emergency support facility at Mount Waverley, including an intervention and ventilation facility and backup control centre 
• A power supply substation at Burwood 
• A dedicated fleet of new high-tech trains 

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