The long-awaited Melbourne airport rail link has moved closer to becoming a reality.
Among a flurry of announcements this week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the Melbourne Airport Rail project, part of the Suburban Rail Loop project, would receive the $7 billion promised by the Commonwealth.
The loop itself had its own good news this month when the Federal Government approved $2.2 billion it committed to providing after the Infrastructure Projects Review of 2023.
The airport link will cost $5 billion to build. Albanese’s announcement included an extra $2 billion to fund necessary upgrades to the Sunshine Station as part of the project.
The Airport Rail Link has been a contentious project thanks to a dispute between the Victorian Government and the Melbourne Airport over whether the railway station and link should be overground or underground. The airport wanted the latter.
Melbourne Airport agreed to an overground station after mediation however the process created delays for the delivery timeline and a cost blowout.
The railway line will connect the airport at Tullamarine to the Metro network via a connection at Sunshine Station.
Sunshine is a 15-minute, four-stop train ride from Melbourne CBD.
“Melbourne Airport needs a rail link,” Albanese said.
“Our Government will partner with the Victorian Government to fund and build a rail link to Melbourne Airport.
“The Victorian Government will bring forward their funding to kickstart work.”
The project has also driven development interest and activity in Sunshine with Veriu opening a short-stay accommodation project opposite the station in anticipation of increased numbers of tourists and business travellers.
Victoria’s Big Build announced that the first stage of the Melbourne Airport Rail project was under way and would include upgrades to prepare for Sunshine Station to be upgraded to handle new rail connections and larger numbers of passengers.
Sunshine Station is also the hub where many regional rail networks connect to the Metro rail network.
Upgrades over a distance of more than 6km from West Footscray to Albion are part of the first stage and include two new regional platforms and an extended concourse.
There will also be three new rail bridges, new tracks and new signalling technology, and passenger and freight lines will be realigned.
The upgrades will also allow other rail connections to Sunshine to be upgraded in the future, including an electrified line to Melton.
Sunshine will need to support more than 40 train services an hour as Melbourne’s western suburbs continue to expand, and it takes on traffic from the airport.
There will also be a new Albion Station with an accessible concourse and lifts and stairs.
The Sunshine Station upgrades are expected to start in early 2026 and be completed in 2030.
