In the Global Liveability Ranking, an Economist Intelligence Unit report analysing cities with the best or worst living conditions, in 2016, Melbourne was, the sixth time in a row, top of the list as the “world’s most liveable city”, followed by Vienna, Vancouver and Toronto. The city of Melbourne, with a population of over 136 thousand inhabitants, contains the downtown and a series of inner suburbs, its metropolitan area containing 4.5 million citizens. The city is used daily by over 900 thousands people and it hosts over a million visitors every year.
Through the 2026 Plan, the authorities intend for Melbourne to become a sustainable, inventive and inclusive city, approaching all the segments which impact the population. The strategy approaches topics related to the environment, to a city-for-citizens, a creative, smart city, meeting the positive changes brought by economic and technological increase. One of the strategy priorities envisages a zero GHG emissions Melbourne, by reducing emissions and using only renewable energy. When we talk about emissions, we always talk about the transport system, as it is one of the main emitters. The development of the transport system of the Victoria state capital considers projects for extending the cycling routes network, for implementing innovating solutions for urban merchandise transport, the transition to new technologies in this sector, public, regional and global transport. Melbourne will have direct and fast connections to big cities in Australia and international cities and the high-speed transport will provide connections between Melbourne and the big cities of the East Coast, it will have “air-rail” connections, all of these being crucial for a city which is developed from all points of view. Regarding public transport, it will be the main way of transport in the city and the metropolitan area, providing integrated connections between the air and rail system and the tramways and buses, services which will meet the transport demands and completely coordinate with the cycling routes network. All services will be frequent, regular and reliable. At the moment, public transport is the best mobility solution inside and outside the town, consisting of the network of tramways, buses and trains. Nevertheless, according to the authorities, the number of inhabitants will increases and, implicitly the number of jobs in the city and the metropolitan area will increase, putting a lot of pressure on the transport network. Thus, the transport strategy underlines the fact that “this growth will need to be matched by a significant expansion and upgrade of the public transport system.”
Contractor selected for Metro Tunnel construction
Melbourne Metro Tunnel is the biggest investment in the Victoria public transport system and will enlarge the City Loop, enabling significant improvements in the transport capacity and will increase the reliability and efficiency of the rail system in the capital and surrounding areas. The AUD 11 billion (USD 8.5 billion) project consists in building twin 9 km tunnels which will cross the city centre and will take over a big proportion of the traffic flow, creating in the meantime an increased capacity of the city rail network. With the 5 stations which will be built, the Metro Tunnel will form an “end-to-end” line from Sunbury (in the West) to Cranbourne/Pakenham (in the South). The stations will be built underground in Arden, Parkville, two stations will be built in CBD and a station in Domain. “The Metro Tunnel will free up space in the City Loop to run more trains, more often across Melbourne. The Metro Tunnel will change Melbourne forever with a world class design that will see new open space, terraced seating and sweeping arches,” Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan said. A series of demolition and preparation works were launched this year in different locations in order to prepare the major tunnels and stations construction works. Three months after the list of the three final tenderers of Melbourne Tunnel, the Premier Daniel Andrews and the Minister for Public Transport, Jacinta Allan, announced that Cross Yarra Partnership (CYP), a consortium managed by Lendlease Engineering, formed together with John Holland, Bouygues Construction and Capella Capital was selected to carry out the project. The AUD 6 billion (USD 4.65 billion) contract includes the construction of the tunnels and of the five underground stations. The stations will have their own identity, will include large platforms, will have as much natural light as possible, providing a modern urban design for Melbourne and its rail network. The surrounding spaces will be revitalized, several entrances will be built for a greater flow efficiency. Moreover, the passages serving the Flinders Street and Melbourne Central stations will be descended in the underground, facilitating the transfers between Metro Tunnel station and the City Loop stations, forming at the same time an integrated transport network. The Domain station will have a wooden roof and will also be connected to the city rail network and tramway network at St Kilda Road, releasing the pressure of the most crowded tramway corridor in Melbourne. “We’re building the turn-up and go train system Victoria has been waiting for. We’ve chosen the design, we’ve chosen the builders and we’re getting on with it. (…) We’re building the train network Victoria needs and creating thousands of local jobs,” Premier Daniel Andrews said. Along the route, the depth of the tunnel will exceed 42m and the deepest point will be under Swanston Street, North of CBD, where new tunnels will be built under the existing City Loop tunnels. From the station under Swanston Street on Flinders Street the tunnels will go under the Yarra River, before going under the CityLink, in the direction of Domain station. Recently, the Government of Victoria announced that CPB Contractors and Bombardier Transportation won the AUD 1 billion (USD 783.5 million) contract for installing the signalling system. The project implies the installation of high-capacity signalling and communication systems, being the first of its kind implemented on Australia rail networks. The companies will install the new technology on 55 km lines, enabling a significant increase of the train frequency. The system will serve the 65 high-capacity trains, being built in Victoria, which will circulate on the line Sunbury to Cranbourne-Pakenham, through Metro Tunnel. Dedicated control stations will be built in Dandenong and Sunshine, in order to support the new technology, monitoring the trains on the new network of Metro Tunnel. In order to carry out the entire Melbourne project, the preparation works are carried out according to schedule, and the main construction works for tunnels and stations will start next year. According to estimations, the project will be finalized in 2026, and its operation will enable a growth of 39.000 passengers for the rail network. The project is the first step of the authorities towards creating a “metro style” rail network for Melbourne with “turn up and go” services, providing an increased capacity, access to a modern transport system and fast connections in the transport network of the city and of the metropolitan area.
by Pamela Luica
Share on:
