Melbourne is on track to officially become Australia’s largest city within the decade, and in order to support such growth, the city needs a public transport system that will get people where they need to go, take pressure off the existing transport network and reduce congestion by taking thousands of cars off the roads each day. Delivered in stages over several decades, the Suburban Rail Loop project is set to help shape Melbourne and Victoria for future generations, all while creating thousands of direct local jobs and helping train the next generation of skilled workers.
Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) will deliver a 90km rail line linking every major train service from the Frankston Line to the Werribee Line via Melbourne Airport, better connecting Victorians to jobs, retail, education, health services and each other.
By the 2050s, Melbourne will be home to nearly nine million people – a city the size of London today. Work needs to be done to meet the challenges of population growth and increased demand for transport connections and housing.
SRL will help transition Melbourne from a city with a single CBD, to a city of multiple centres – with planning and investment to attract more residents, businesses, jobs and opportunities – supported by the interconnection that an outer orbital rail line provides.
Across Australia, finding an affordable home is harder than ever. Victoria’s Housing Statement outlines a plan to address housing supply and the Victorian Government has set a target to build 800,000 homes over the next decade.
SRL forms part of this plan. It is expected to help address housing affordability and enable a more diverse mix of homes – with access to jobs, services and opportunities near good public transport.
High quality public and open space is critical for thriving communities, and the delivery of SRL is an opportunity to achieve positive social, environmental and economic outcomes – and this includes providing services and community infrastructure like schools, parks, playgrounds and libraries close to SRL stations.
Suburban Rail Loop Authority (SRLA) Executive General Manager, Land Planning Environment and Sustainability, Lissa van Camp, said that SRL is more than a rail line – it’s a once- in-a-generation opportunity to shape the way Melbourne and Victoria grow.
“With Melbourne set to be the population of London by the 2050s, SRL is an important part of servicing this growth – by delivering more housing options on the doorstep of great public transport, jobs and local services,” Ms Van Camp said.
“We will continue to work closely with local councils and communities as we plan the future for these local neighbourhoods – ensuring they maintain the characteristics people love today, but allowing them to be fantastic places to live tomorrow.”
SRL is set to open up a host of new social and economic opportunities for hundreds of thousands of Victorians by creating greater access to jobs, health services, education, and a diverse range of quality and affordable housing.
More interconnected public transport, greater investment, thoughtful urban planning and local projects that build on the character and qualities of local communities will ensure that Melbourne’s suburbs will continue to be vibrant, safe and attractive places to live and work as the city grows.
Shaping the future of Melbourne
SRL is broken up into four major components – SRL East, SRL North, SRL Airport and SRL West – with SRL East (Cheltenham to Box Hill) the immediate focus for delivery.
SRL West from Sunshine to Werribee will build on the major road and rail projects already being delivered in the west, to deliver faster and more convenient travel, and improve access to jobs and services in the middle suburbs.
SRL Airport will connect Melbourne Airport to Victoria’s regional and metropolitan train network for the first time, with direct access to Melbourne Airport from more than 30 stations without the need to change trains.
SRL North – from Box Hill to Melbourne Airport – will see the delivery of seven planned new stations at Doncaster, Heidelberg, Bundoora, Reservoir, Fawkner, Broadmeadows, and Melbourne Airport.
Increasing connectivity in the east
Construction of SRL East is already well underway and trains are expected to be running by 2035.
SRL East is set to deliver 26km of twin tunnels and six brand new underground stations at Cheltenham, Clayton, Monash, Glen Waverley, Burwood and Box Hill, providing a turn-up- and-go service. The neighbourhoods around SRL East stations are planned to be as green and sustainable as possible, incorporating new and enhanced open spaces, green areas, and cycling and walking tracks.
Work is underway to develop structure plans for the areas around each SRL East station. SRLA is continuing to work closely with local governments and engage with residents and traders to incorporate their feedback.
Following several years of community engagement, consultation for structure planning kicked off with the release of the SRL Precincts Discussion Paper in August 2023, followed by detailed Draft Visions for each of the six SRL East Precincts in December 2023. The Draft Visions outline preliminary ideas for each SRL Precinct, including opportunities and locations
for more housing, jobs and services, and new types of public spaces.
Structure plans will guide the development of these areas over time – helping to achieve sustainable growth and positive social, economic and environmental outcomes for an area. They cover changes to land use, built form, transport and community infrastructure, and public spaces.
Throughout 2024, there will be more opportunities for Victorians to have their say on the future of their neighbourhoods, as the structure planning process continues. Draft Structure Plans will go on public exhibition in late 2024 or early 2025.
Burwood
The new SRL station at Burwood will enable more well- designed housing – and greater housing options – where people want to live, close to local schools and Deakin University.
SRL will better connect Burwood with key healthcare, education and employment destinations across Melbourne – attracting investment in new job opportunities and unlocking new spaces to boost housing supply and affordability.
The area surrounding the new underground SRL station will become a hub of activity, attracting students, residents and visitors to the area, with high-quality, well-designed public spaces that celebrate the natural environment and provide great connections to local features such as Gardiners Creek and Lundgren Chain Reserve.
Deakin University will be a major driver of growth, innovation and employment in the area, and SRL will help deliver more homes for staff and students nearby.
Box Hill
The new underground station in the heart of Box Hill will be the centre of a vibrant community hub. The SRL station development is planned to include new areas of public space the size of Melbourne’s Federation Square – including a new linear park and a pedestrian boulevard linking Whitehorse Road to Box Hill Gardens.
SRL is set to build on the growth of Box Hill in recent years, bringing more diverse and affordable homes to the neighbourhood, along with new employment opportunities, and better access to the nearby Box Hill Hospital, Epworth Eastern, Box Hill Institute and Box Hill Gardens.
Box Hill Gardens is a valued community space for recreation and providing more housing close to the gardens will allow more residents to enjoy this green open space.
Glen Waverley
The SRL East station at Glen Waverley is expected to be one of the best connected on the metropolitan network – connecting more people to the heart of this vibrant shopping and hospitality district.
It will provide a key transport link to the existing Glen Waverley Line, providing faster and more convenient access for locals and students to universities, employment and hospitals to the north and south of Glen Waverley.
Monash
The SRL East station at Monash will connect more people to Melbourne’s largest employment and innovation hub outside the CBD – providing students, employees and visitors with a direct train connection to the area for the first time.
Along with an interchange for bus services and local road improvements, the station will improve access to education, health and research facilities, delivering important transport connections to Monash University.
Clayton
The SRL East station at Clayton is set to become a major interchange, with trains travelling in four different directions, providing faster and more convenient transport to key destinations across Melbourne and regional Victoria.
The transport super hub will connect metropolitan and regional train services on the Cranbourne/Pakenham and Gippsland Lines – improving access to leading medical research and hospitals in the growing health precinct.
Cheltenham
The new underground station at Cheltenham is planned to be the southern gateway to the SRL network, providing faster and more convenient public transport to key destinations across Melbourne’s middle suburbs.
It will improve access to nearby employment areas and connect more people to one of Melbourne’s major retail and entertainment hubs, Southland Shopping Centre. Providing a link to the existing Southland Station, it will also give Frankston line passengers a convenient connection to Monash, Deakin and La Trobe universities.
More than just a rail line
Over time, this vital city-shaping infrastructure will help recalibrate Melbourne’s growth. As more people choose to live near the public transport connections and more businesses choose to locate there, Melbourne will grow strategically in established suburbs – reducing the expanding urban footprint of Greater Melbourne which puts pressure on transport, road congestion and local infrastructure.
The SRL project is a prime example of an infrastructure project delivering on more than its primary promise.
While the addition of an outer ring rail loop will enhance transport connections around the suburbs of Melbourne, it’s also being developed in a way that ensures the individual elements of the project – the train stations that will serve as the community touch points for the project – have a positive community impact too. The vision for each SRL station is that it will provide a vibrant heart for the communities they serve, helping to make Melbourne’s suburbs homes their residents can be proud of.
