Believe it or not, the long-awaited Metro Tunnel is going to be finished soon. It’s set to be up and running in 2025, after almost a decade of anticipation. But we won’t be short of major transport projects for boomers to gripe about. The state government has confirmed that plans are in the works for a sequel: a second underground rail network that will run across Melbourne. Imaginatively, it will be called Melbourne Metro Two.
And this sequel is set to be bigger than the OG – stretching from Newport in the West to Clifton Hill in the North East, with stations in the Inner North (flagged for Fitzroy or Carlton), Parkville, Flagstaff, Southern Cross and Fishermans Bend. This tunnel is also more ambitious than the first, with construction planned to tunnel underneath the Yarra River.
Melbourne Metro Two will run from Melbourne’s North East to South West, while the Metro Tunnelwill run from Melbourne’s North West to South East. This means it’ll be much easier to get across the city when it’s all finished (who knows when that will be). It also means that Melburnians who use the Mernda, Hurstbridge and the new Sandringham to Williamstown and Laverton lines (which will be linked by the Metro Tunnel) will be able to get around quicker by using the Metro Two routes. The idea is that the new connections will improve the frequency, capacity and reliability of Melbourne’s trains – which we’re sure everyone can get behind.
Notably, this new tunnel will also include direct transport to Marvel Stadium, with a brand-new underground station at the site. So getting home post-concert or footy should be easier without having to fight for your life on a packed tram.
This project has been in the pipeline for quite a few years, but the Department of Transport recently made moves to begin confirming some of the details to get the ball rolling. It’s definitely in the very early stages, with no word on when it will actually be built, so don’t hold your breath. We’ve got the first Metro Tunnel opening to think about first, anyway.
Time Out
