The the iconic St Kilda Road precinct is one step closer to being connected to Melbourne’s train network for the first time – with major construction completed on the third of five Metro Tunnel stations.
Premier Jacinta Allan and Minister for Transport Infrastructure Danny Pearson announced major works are finished on Anzac Station – which will connect passengers to jobs, schools and iconic destinations including the Shrine of Remembrance, Royal Botanic Gardens and Albert Park.
Sitting 15 metres below St Kilda Rd, Anzac Station features soaring skylights filling the station with natural light and four entrances linking to a new pedestrian underpass beneath St Kilda Rd, including lift access to the Shrine grounds.
The station’s platforms are 14 metres wide and 290 metres long – and all up, Anzac Station has an underground footprint that’s larger than the MCG.
“The Metro Tunnel is the biggest transformation of Melbourne’s train network in four decades – three stations are done, there’s two more to go, and we’re a year ahead of schedule,” Premier Jacinta Allen said.
At its peak, around 450 workers were onsite every day building the state-of-the-art station – installing 12 escalators, Victorian-first screen doors and realigning St Kilda Road four times.
Anzac Station has been designed as a “pavilion in the park” with its signature 85m long, 21m wide timber canopy’s skylights filling the station with natural light, reducing reliance on artificial lighting.
The station’s tram stop, which opened in 2022, has extra-long platforms that can fit 4 trams at a time for large crowds attending events such as Anzac Day and the Melbourne Grand Prix.
The stop will be Melbourne’s first direct tram/train interchange, providing a seamless connection between tram and train services, while the station takes pressure off the world’s busiest tram corridor.
Separated bike lanes that stretch from the suburb of Windsor to Melbourne’s CBD have recently been completed, better connecting Melbourne’s suburbs and providing safer active transport. Charnwood Road to Linlithgow Avenue separated bike lanes were jointly delivered under Victoria’s Big Build through Big Build Roads and the Metro Tunnel Project.
With the completion of major construction, Domain Road is also expected to open to pedestrians, cyclists and drivers next month – after being shut since 2017.
The Anzac Station tram stop opened in 2022 and has extra-long platforms that can fit four trams at a time to accommodate large crowds attending major events including Anzac Day and the Formula 1® Australian Grand Prix.
The stop is Melbourne’s first direct tram and train interchange – with Anzac Station taking pressure off the world’s busiest tram corridor and delivering a seamless connection between tram and train services.
“The Metro Tunnel will deliver Victorians – particularly those coming from the west and the south east – a quicker commute and an easier way to get around Melbourne,” Pearson said.
Victoria’s veterans will forever be linked with the name and place of Anzac Station, which will help thousands of people get to the Shrine for significant commemorations throughout the year. The Government is working with the Shrine to make sure Australian servicemen and women past and present are honoured as part of the Station.
The Metro Tunnel will connect the busy Sunbury, Cranbourne and Pakenham lines through twin tunnels under the city, creating an end-to-end rail line with 97kms of continuous track from the north-west to the south-east – freeing up space in the City Loop and creating capacity to run more trains more often.
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