Metro Tunnel to open in 2025 …

Residents 3000 has followed Melbourne’s amazing rail upgrade project every year now for 10 years!

In August 2015, Residents 3000 enquired about the proposed “Metro Rail Project” and arranged for a presentation at one of our monthly Forum 3000 events. The concept was to build a tunnel that would connect the Pakenham and Cranbourne lines with the Sunbury line, creating a new high-frequency cross-city line that bypassed the congested Flinders Street Station and the City Loop.  

At the time, the project seemed to be incredibly ambitious and way, way into the future – projected to take 10 years or more. It was clear that the congestion in the City Loop completed in 1981 had to be addressed in the light of the city’s projected growth. If Melbourne was to evolve into a prominent world class city, a modern efficient Metro was mandatory. 

As it turned out, Residents 3000 has had the Metro Tunnel project team present the latest details every year now for 10 years, including at our recent meeting February 6, 2025. Again, with a large turnout at the meeting, we were shown more insights and details as the project nears completion later this year.

Many of our members and some of our original committee including past president John D’all Amico and our current president, Rafael Camillo, have attended all 10 meetings.  As one of those “originals”, I remember residents’ great concern about tunnelling under Swanston St, which was originally a riverbed.  What if it collapsed?  

There was concern about how all the soil and rocks that needed to be removed, would be taken away. Surely it would need many trucks and that would disrupt the traffic, damage the pavement, and cause air pollution due to excavation dust. And then there was the noise of construction. That would disturb residents. But we were assured these problems would be addressed.  

However, with acoustic sheds, careful scheduling of trucks, all trucks to be covered and not only noise, but vibration would be minimised. As for the security of the underground geology, there was extensive surveying and drilling in strategic places for quite some time before construction actually began.

To its credit the construction team addressed all those issues. Residents, workers, and visitors became used to the acoustic sheds, cranes, and traffic management arrangements. All part of the process required to realise a world-class project.  

Attention was paid to aesthetics. Artwork on hoardings. Graffiti removed constantly. Care and attention to historic buildings and the style of sensitive areas of the city. The people of Melbourne have been patient and adaptive.

The most impressive part of the project was the arrival of those huge tunnel boring machines (TBMs). They each had names: Joan, Meg, Millie and Alice. It seemed as though the nine-kilometre-long, twin tunnels were completed in a relatively short time from late 2019 until mid 2021. These monsters spanned more than 7.29 metres in diameter, weighed 1100 tonnes and reached 120 metres in length. It took a crew of 10 skilled professionals per machine to bore through ground and rock six times harder than concrete! A slurry system was used to bring the excavated material back to the surface, separated and then transported to a disposal site. 

Last but not least are the futuristic designs for each of the five new stations. All to fit well within the character of their location. Arden station with a grand archway that reflects the traditional industrial area. Parkville has a linear aspect with a series of skylights, almost a street within a street. Anzac station’s concept is that of a “pavilion in the park” where the rail and tram networks meet. State Library with Aboriginal art and Town Hall restoring the original ideas of City and Federation Squares.

Next Residents 3000 Forum

We are pleased to welcome back the City of Melbourne CEO, Alison Leighton who is responsible to ensure the decisions of the council are implemented. The meeting will be held at the Kelvin Club on Thursday, March 6, 2025, at 6pm for 6.30pm start. More details can be found on the Residents 3000 website: residents3000.org.au. •