Work to save and restore Flinders Street Station in the Melbourne CBD is ramping up.
Premier Daniel Andrews joined Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan to announce the contract to transform Flinders Street Station, and reveal new details about the extensive improvements that will be delivered through the $100 million project.
Australian construction company Built Pty Ltd has been awarded the contract to refurbish the historic Administration Building.
The heritage works to be undertaken include restoring and repairing the facade and roof, making the building structurally sound and watertight, conserving and stabilising the building structure, restoring the heritage clock tower and heritage elements and repainting the building, consistent with heritage requirements.
To improve the station for passengers, the concourse will be extended along Swanston Street, with new entrances at the western end of the station near Elizabeth Street, and in the Degraves Subway.
The main entrance on the corner of Swanston Street will be redesigned to make it easier to get in and out, and ticketing services across the station will be revamped to allow people to get through the gates faster.
New information boards and signage will also be installed, the dirty walls will be re-tiled and repainted, and the dingy toilets will be refurbished.
Mr Andrews said Flinders Street was an icon of Melbourne and the heart of the train system.
“Our practical project will fix Flinders Street Station – restoring the crumbling building, fixing the leaks, and making the station more functional for the 200,000 passengers that use it every day," he said.
Ms Allan added: “The new entrances, ticketing and passenger information will make it easier to get in and out of the busy station, and get to the right platform at the right time, to get the train.”
Work on the passenger improvements will begin in the middle of the year. The entire project is expected to be complete in 2018 and will create around 150 jobs.