The constructor of the $12 billion Metro Tunnel in Melbourne has revealed that the new completion date would be announced during a business lunch. The new date is expected to be less than one year away.
On Tuesday, Joe Barr, the chief executive officer of the global construction company John Holland, stated at an event hosted by the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry that the tunnel is scheduled to open in September 2024. The announcement that it would open in 2025 had been made by the government earlier this year, which was already one year ahead of the planned schedule.
“It’s very interesting. Barr stated that “next year will be the year where it is revealed,” adding that “we have been working on this thing with our partners and the government for the past 10 years.”
“At this very moment, if you go underground in Melbourne, the trains are being tested at full speed, and we are certainly looking forward to day one operations in September of next year,” said the spokesperson.
The tunnel will relieve the strain placed on the City Loop by connecting the Sunbury line, which travels through Melbourne’s western suburbs, with the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines, which are located in the city’s south-east. The tunnel will stretch for a total of 9 kilometers under the Central Business District.
When Daniel Andrews announced his resignation as premier a month ago, he cited a test drive in the tunnel as the most memorable experience of his nine years in that role.
Additionally, five new stations will be established, some of which include Anzac, which will be located next to the Shrine of Remembrance, Parkville, which will be located close to the University of Melbourne and numerous important hospitals, and Arden, which will be located in a burgeoning area to the north of Melbourne.
reaching the event, the newly appointed Minister for Precincts, Colin Brooks, stated that the rail line would transform the way people travel in Melbourne and would function as a “catalyst for renewal” in regions such as Arden, which he characterized as a “rundown industrial area at the end of its life cycle.” Brooks also stated that the train line will revolutionize the way that people travel in Melbourne.
“Arden will become a thriving new neighborhood that will accommodate 34,000 jobs and 20,000 residents,” he stated. “The neighborhood will become known as Arden.”
During his talk, Brooks mentioned that Melbourne’s population was expected to reach 9 million by the 2050s, which is almost the same as London’s population right now.
If the city does not “reshape” itself, he predicted that more people would be compelled to live further away from places of employment, educational opportunities, and other essential services.
Brooks is quoted as having said, “It is our job to make sure that disadvantage does not evolve through a lack of choice and opportunity.”
He stated that prosperous large cities like London, New York, and Singapore had all made significant investments in transportation infrastructure “that encourages multiple employment and economic districts.” He alluded to the 90 km Suburban Rail Loop as a potential solution for the state’s problem.
Barr also recommended that Melbourne learn from the example of other cities, such as Singapore.
“It is incredible that Singapore is almost at their goal of having a train station within 300 meters of anyone in Singapore,” he remarked. “Singapore has almost achieved their aspiration.”
“That ability to connect and get around locally in Melbourne is there because you haven’t got the same challenges as you have in Sydney, for example with geography and geology,” said the man. “In Melbourne, you have that ability.”
A representative for the Victorian government issued a statement in which they said that crews were “working around the clock” in order to complete the project as quickly as possible.
“We’re entering a complex phase of testing inside the tunnels, and it’s critical that we take the time to get it right so that we can ensure that the Metro Tunnel is safe and reliable before we start passenger services.”
