The Metro Tunnel, PPP Tunnels and Stations
The Metro Tunnel, PPP Tunnels and Stations project involves construction, financing, and ongoing maintenance of five underground stations and twin heavy rail tunnels underneath Melbourne CBD. Capella Capital was bid leader, debt and equity arranger and equity investor (on behalf of Lendlease) to the Cross Yarra Partnership consortium (comprising Capella, Lendlease, John Holland, Bouygues and John Laing).
The five new state-of-the-art underground stations will include wider platforms, more natural light and sweeping arches, bringing world-class urban design to the heart of Melbourne and its train network.
There will be revitalised open space above ground at all five stations, and additional entrances to reduce crowding on major streets in the CBD, including two entrances at City Square, and at Swanston Street, Flinders Street, Federation Square, Franklin Street and La Trobe Street.
In Parkville, located in the heart of Victoria’s world-renowned health and education precinct, the station includes entrances directly outside the Royal Melbourne Hospital, Peter MacCallum Centre and the University of Melbourne. It also has a 44m-long pedestrian underpass beneath Royal parade to make crossing the road easier and safer. The station will transform travel for thousands of medical staff, patients, families, students, teachers, and researchers who travel to the busy area every day.
Walkways at Flinders Street and Melbourne Central stations will be put underground, allowing passengers to change easily between the Metro Tunnel stations and the City Loop, creating a true, international-style metro network.
Domain station will feature a floating timber canopy and sit below the new tram interchange on St Kilda Road, relieving the pressure on the world’s busiest tram corridor.
The Metro Tunnel project has now seen major construction completed at both Arden Station and Parkville Station with work continuing at the 3 remaining underground stations -State Library, Townhall and Anzac with Anzac the next station to be completed. The project is now entering a new complex testing phase in preparation for the project opening a year ahead of schedule in 2025. The test trains have already travelled almost 20,000 kilometres since first entering the tunnel in 2023. The rigorous testing also includes running Victorian first systems and technologies including platform screen doors.
Following completion of this testing, trial operations where practice services with drivers and station staff will begin in late 2024, ahead of the tunnel and stations opening to passengers in 2025.
When it opens, the Metro Tunnel will connect the busy Sunbury, Cranbourne and Pakenham lines through a new tunnel under the city, freeing up space in the City Loop and enabling passengers to travel from Anzac Station in St Kilda to Arden in North Melbourne in 11 minutes.
