Australia has begun development works on the Suburban Rail Loop Project (SRL) which is set to link rankstone Line right to the Werribee Line via the Melbourne Airport, and connect suburbs from the Central Business District (CBD).
The project will be a fully automated rapid transit system within Victoria in Australia in a 90-kilometer stretch. The project features two main stages categorized into SRL North, SRL West, and SRL East. Together, SRL North and East will form a single 60-kilometer orbital line. Moreover, the line will include 13 stations between Melbourne Airport and Cheltenham.
Suburban Rail Loop project
Additionally, the line will connect a total of eight existing Melbourne rail lines. By 2035, SRL East will be due for opening. Meanwhile, SRL North aims to be open between 2043 – 2053. The total project cost estimate ranges from $31-58 billion.
The stations will be two-level accompanied by large escalators and concourses that will include interchanges that connect bus and train services. Moreover, the station will also include bicycle parking. In an effort to accommodate the train fleet for both SRL North and East, the project will construct a train stabling and maintenance facility. Planned for stationing at a former landfill site, the facility will be in Heatherton. The line’s formation may be through the electrification and extension of the existing Deer Park-West Werribee railway line.