Airport Rail Link Deal Moves Forward in Melbourne

Melbourne has moved closer to getting a railway line to its airport at Tullamarine as the Federal and Victorian Governments, and Australia Pacific Airports (Melbourne) Pty Ltd (APA) strike a deal. 

The memorandum of understanding means that APA now has to work with the Federal and State Governments to deliver the Melbourne Airport Rail Link (MARL), part of the Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) project. 

It will also establish a steering committee led by senior public servants and officials from APA.

The MOU comes after the Victorian Government began work on redeveloping Sunshine Station and asked for public feedback on draft structure plans for the six SRL East stations. 

Work on the MARL was delayed when mediation was deemed necessary to determine whether the railway station should be above ground or below ground at Tullamarine. 

An agreement was finally reached last year for an above-ground station with the Federal and Victorian Governments acting on the mediator’s recommendations to start work on Sunshine Station. 

▲ A map of the rail connections for the Melbourne Airport Rail Link project.

Sunshine Station will be the next stop on the line to the airport and a major connection hub. 

The project will also set out 6km of track between West Footscray and Albion for freight, metro trains and 70 per cent of the V/Line network. 

It will also allow future railway upgrades in Melbourne’s western suburbs. 

The Federal Government has also recently provided an additional $2 billion for the airport railway line.

Melbourne Airport itself is in the design phase of expanding its international terminal as passenger numbers keep increasing.