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Melbourne Metro Rail Project

Melbourne Metro Rail Project
MMR Authority.png
Melbourne Metro Rail Authority logo
Overview
Locale Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Transit type Commuter rail
Number of lines 1
Number of stations 5
Website mmrailproject.vic.gov.au
Operation
Operation will start 2026
Character Underground
Technical
System length 9 km (5.6 mi)
No. of tracks 2

The Melbourne Metro Rail Project (also known as the Metro Tunnel and formally known as the Metro Rail Capacity Project), is a metropolitan rail infrastructure project currently under construction in Melbourne, Australia. It includes the construction of a twin rail tunnel to travel from South Kensington station (north west of the Melbourne City Centre) to South Yarra (in the south east).

The project is designed to increase capacity and transform the rail network from a commuter-style suburban rail system to a metro-style rapid transit system. In particular, the aim of the project is to "untangle" and significantly add capacity to much of the inner core of the network. The project has been touted as a precursor for various other expansion projects outlined in the PTV Network Development Plan, in particular an expansion of rail services to Doncaster, Melbourne Airport and Rowville. It will also allow for the operational separation of various existing lines, creating a true "turn-up-and-go" metro-style service.

The project is currently the subject of further planning and geotechnical investigations, with community consultations and development works already under way. In February 2015, the State Government announced establishment of the Melbourne Metro Rail Authority, with $40 million in funding, to oversee planning of the project and $1.5 billion to commence land and property acquisitions and detailed route investigations. A further $3 billion in funding, redirected from the now defunct East West Link project, has been committed by the State Government. It announced in November 2015 that most of the project would be built as a public-private partnership, with private sector investors funding much of the estimated $9 billion to $11 billion cost upfront.

Early enabling works commenced in late 2016, with major construction expected to commence in 2018, and expected completion in 2026.

The need for an overhaul of the existing commuter rail network was first discussed in the early 2000s as unprecedented population growth began to place significant pressure on existing rail infrastructure and constraints on the inner core of the network as it approached capacity. A plan to create a London Underground style "tube" system for Melbourne was first proposed in 2005 running between the inner-north and linking up to the south-eastern suburbs via the CBD and St Kilda Road.


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