2024 is set to be a big year for the Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) East project, with works to be undertaken at all six station sites creating up to 8,000 direct jobs.
Construction of SRL East is underway and crews are making progress building the tunnel boring machine launch site in Burwood – with 25m-deep concrete piles being installed and excavation to begin shortly.
Work is also kicking off on a tunnel access structure at the train stabling site in Heatherton, while in Box Hill crews will soon start work on a temporary bridge to keep traffic moving on Whitehorse Road throughout construction.
Works are also being set up in Cheltenham for February, while crews in Monash, Glen Waverley and Clayton are continuing to move underground services like power, water and telecommunications to pave the way for construction of the 26km twin tunnels and underground stations.
With the Tunnels South contract awarded to build the tunnels between Cheltenham and Glen Waverley, detailed survey work and site investigations will continue as crews prepare for tunnelling in 2026.
The Tunnels North contract for the Glen Waverley to Box Hill section will be awarded later in 2024, while two consortia have been shortlisted to build the SRL trains and signalling system, and to operate the SRL East network.
A thousand workers are already helping deliver the project and a recruitment drive is underway as the project ramps up.
There are opportunities for engineers, station and urban designers, systems technicians, construction project managers, and health and safety professionals.
