In short:
Melbourne Airport has agreed to the Victorian government’s request to back the cheaper option of an above-ground railway station.
The stand-off has delayed the start of the construction of the long-awaited multi-billion-dollar project.
What’s next?
The airport hopes the rail link can be ready by the time its third runway is operational in 2030.
Melburnians could be able to catch a train to the airport within six years, after a major obstacle to the construction of a rail line to the airport has been cleared.
The airport has agreed to back down on its insistence that the terminal station be built underground, and will instead adopt the state government’s preferred above-ground station.
The stand-off over the station had been a major stumbling block to beginning construction on the long-awaited $10 billion rail link from the airport in Melbourne’s north-west to the CBD.
Its development had been debated for decades and despite early works starting, the project was paused while a federal infrastructure funding review was carried out.
On Monday, Melbourne Airport chief executive officer Lorie Argus said the airport recognised the need to get on with the rail link in the interests of travellers and the airport’s expansion, which would benefit the entire state.
“Victorians have waited long enough for an airport rail line,” Ms Argus said.
“We will work with the Victorian government to deliver their preferred above-ground station at the airport so the rail line can become reality.”
Airport hopes trains will be running within six years
In November 2023, federal Transport Minister Catherine King appointed an independent mediator to try to resolve the impasse between the airport corporation and Victorian government.
Last month, meditator Neil Scales reported the $10 billion project remained “viable and necessary” and that the station should be above ground unless a “comprehensive” case was put forward for an alternative.
The airport said the mediator wanted it to submit an extensive business case for an underground station, which could have added another two years of delays to construction without any certainty that it would succeed in getting its option approved.
“Enough reviews have been done now,” Ms Argus said.
“We need to accept the state position and work constructively to get that train in place … so we’ve made the compromise.”
The airport said it was hoping to immediately resume discussions with the government with an initial focus on the station’s design, the construction timeline and redress for the land required for the above-ground option.
It said construction on the rail line needed to start as soon as possible to prepare for the airport’s third runway opening in 2030, bringing an estimated 45 million passengers in and out of the airport.
Ms Argus said one of the biggest challenges for the construction of the project was the airport’s need to be operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
But she said most outstanding matters should be able to be negotiated “pretty quickly, because we were well progressed when the project got paused last year”.
The rail line will run through the City of Moonee Valley council area in Melbourne’s north-west, where Mayor Pierce Tyson has welcomed the breakthrough.
He said the new station would also be a major benefit for airport workers, a large proportion of whom live in his community.
“It’s Christmas in July here,” Cr Tyson said.
“This is such a huge announcement, we’re so excited and so happy.”
Cr Tyson thanked the airport “for conceding this point on the underground station”.
“We’ve been waiting over half a century in our community and we really just wanted it to get bloody done.”
He said it made sense to be elevated rather than underground.
“Anyone who knows Melbourne Airport knows that there’s a lot of overground fly overs for carparks and I think it’s absolutely appropriate for the station as well.
“If there is an elevated station, that’s where the departure terminal is, elevated on level one.”
Melburnians won’t believe it until they see it, commuter advocate says
The Public Transport Users Association said an above-ground station was better than no station at all.
“The airport does continue to get busier and it’s becoming very congested around the airport precinct so providing rail access is very important going forward,” said spokesman Daniel Bowen.
He said the airport and government must ensure a seamless connection between trains and terminals.
“That there’s good weather cover, that’s convenient, a short walk, it’s easy to find particularly for new travellers who may not be familiar with the precinct,” Mr Bowen said.
“I think for many Melburnians they won’t believe we’ve got an airport rail link until it actually opens and there are trains running.”
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