The Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) is a 90-kilometre rail loop of the Melbourne metropolitan area. SRL will connect to every major rail line from the Frankston Line to the Werribee Line. As a result, the SRL will transition Melbourne's rail network from its current radial status to an oribital network.
The Loop will consist of three sections:
- SRL East - Cheltenham to Box Hill
- SRL North - Box Hill to Melbourne Airport
- SRL West - Melbourne Airport to Werribee
The precincts to be connected by SRL include: Cheltenham, Clayton, Monash, Glen Waverley, Burwood, Box Hill, Doncaster, Heidelberg, Bundoora, Reservoir, Fawkner, Broadmeadows, Melbourne Airport, Sunshine and Werribee.
As well as providing a rail link to the airport, the project will also build three 'transport super hubs' at Clayton, Broadmeadows and Sunshine to connect regional passengers to the Suburban Rail Loop.
Given the scale of the Loop, construction is to be staged over several decades, with the SRL East and SRL North sections to be constructed first. The west section will be planned and constructed in conjunction with the Melbourne Metro Tunnel, Melbourne Airport Rail and the Western Rail Plan.
The SRL East and SRL North sections have a preliminary costing in the range of $30 to $50.5 billion. A timeline and estimated cost for the completion of SRL West has not been provided at this stage.
The first stage of the Suburban Rail Loop – SRL East – is a fully-tunnelled 26 kilometre metro corridor between Cheltenham in the South and Box Hill in the North. The line will include six stations, including new interchanges with existing heavy rail stations at Cheltenham, Clayton, Glen Waverley and Box Hill, with new stations at Monash and Burwood. The new interchange in Clayton will act as a 'transport super hub, connecting regional passengers to the Suburban Rail Loop.
The six underground stations will range from 17 to 23 metres below street level and will be built using a 'bottom-up' method. The location of the entrances will be near existing train stations and central amenities.
SRL East has been split into seven work packages:
- Works Package A: Initial and Early Works
- site establishment
- utility relocation and protection works
- road and traffic modifications
- tunnel Access Shaft structures
- drainage and civil works
- ground Improvement works, and
- temporary works and tram works
- Works Package B: Power Construction Supply Works
- connecting Suburban Rail Loop East to Victoria’s shared electricity network, and
- construction of onsite substations
- Works Package C: Cheltenham to Glen Waverley Tunnels
- tunnelling and cross passages between Cheltenham and Glen Waverley, and
- Clayton and Monash station box excavations, including temporary retaining structures
- Works Package D: Glen Waverley to Box Hill Tunnels
- tunnelling and cross passages between Glen Waverley and Box Hill
- Burwood and Glen Waverley station box excavations, including temporary retaining structures, and
- an intervention shaft structure
- Works Package E: Cheltenham to Glen Waverley Stations
- station building works at Cheltenham, Clayton and Monash
- station box excavation at Cheltenham, including temporary retaining structures
- all station work to complete stations, excluding work included in Works Package G, and
- surface work at station precincts
- Works Package F: Glen Waverley to Box Hill Stations
- station building works at Glen Waverley, Burwood and Box Hill
- station box excavation at Box Hill, including temporary restraining structures
- all station work to complete stations, excluding work included in Works Package G, and
- surface work at station precincts
- Works Package G: Linewide
- tunnel fit-out works
- cross passage fit-out
- permanent high and low voltage power supply
- traction power
- track sectioning equipment
- communication systems
- network control, including signalling
- rolling stock
- depot and maintenance facilities
- backup network control and disaster recovery centre
- overall responsibility for systems integration, and
- operations and maintenance.
Key Dates
| Aug 2018 | Project Announcement |
| 2022 | Expected Contract Award (SRL East) |
| 2022 | Expected Construction Commencement (SRL East) |
| 2035 | Expected Construction Completion (SRL East) |
| 2035 | Expected Construction Commencement (SRL North) |
Funding contributions
| Federal Government | |
| Victorian Government |
Procurement
| Procuring Agency: | Suburban Rail Loop Authority |
| Related contracts: |
PROJECT HISTORY
| Aug 2018 | Prior to the State election, then Victorian Government announced that it will start work on Suburban Rail Loop if re-elected. |
| Jun 2019 | Registrations of Interest were called for enabling the Government to assess market capacity to deliver the project. This ROI process is not a pre-qualification for any formal procurement process. |
| Sep 2019 | The Victorian Government established the Suburban Rail Loop Authority (SRLA) to manage and lead development on the project. |
| Nov 2019 | The Victorian Government announced the SRL will be serviced by a new fleet of trains that will be four to five carriages long and be capable of travelling at higher speeds than the existing fleet. The shorter train design will also result in shorter station platforms. |
| Jul 2021 | SRLA released an Advance Notice of a Request for Tender (RFT) for Technical Advisory Services. RFTs were expected to open in August. |
| Aug 2021 | SLRA opened a Request for Tender (RFT) for Technical Advisory Services to support the development and delivery of the Suburban Rail Loop project, closing on 6 October. SLRA noted that the scope of Technical Advisory Services may expand subject to further approvals during the term of its engagement. |
| Aug 2021 | The Victorian Government released the project's Business and Investment Case. The document outlines estimated costs and timelines for SRL East and North. The document detailed changes to the staging of the project, which will be delivered as SRL East, SRL North and SRL West. |
| Sep 2021 | The Victorian Government introduced the Suburban Rail Loop Bill 2021 (Vic) to Parliament. The Bill seeks to formally establish the Suburban Rail Loop Authority (SRLA) and confers on the SRLA the authority to plan, deliver, and operate the Suburban Rail Loop and manage associated developments. |
| Oct 2021 | The Parliament of Victoria passed the Suburban Rail Loop Bill 2021. The Bill formally establishes the Suburban Rail Loop Authority (SRLA) and confers the authority for the SRLA to plan, deliver, and operate the Suburban Rail Loop and manage associated developments. |
| Feb 2022 | The Suburban Rail Loop Authority (SRLA) issued a Request for Tender (RFT) for the establishment of a Planning and Delivery Services Panel to support SRLA's Rail and Infrastructure Delivery Division. The services covered in the RFT are split into four Panel Group Categories, including Technical Services; Project Delivery Services; Land Planning, Environment Sustainability Services; and Precinct Planning and Development Services. The RFT closed on 25 March 2022. |
| Mar 2022 | The SRLA opened a joint Expressions of Interest (EOIs) phase for the Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) East tunnelling packages - Works Package C – Tunnels – Cheltenham to Glen Waverley, and Works Package D – Tunnels – Glen Waverley to Box Hill. |
| May 2022 | The Suburban Rail Loop Authority issued a Request for Tender (RFT) for an Independent Environmental Auditor on the Suburban Rail Loop East project. RFTs close on 20 June 2022. |
| Jun 2022 | The SRLA announced construction had commenced on SRL East - Works Package A - Early Works. |
| Aug 2022 | SRL East received planning approval. |
| Oct 2022 | The 2022-23 October Federal Budget allocated $2.2 billion towards the Suburban Rail Loop East project. |
| Mar 2024 | The Victorian Parliamentary Budget Office published updated cost forecasts for the SRL East and SRL North. SRL East is expected to cost $32.8 billion to construct, with an estimated $51.4 billion operating cost over the first 50 years of service. |
Project factsheet
Concept Map
Connecting our regions factsheet
Business and Investment Case
Suburban Rail Loop Bill 2021
Suburban Rail Loop - PBO East and North Cost Updates 2024
