Passenger Rail, Safety, Standards & Regulation

$134m to upgrade city loop safety

Metro Trains Parliament station in Melbourne City Loop. Photo: Creative Commons / Teknorat

The Victorian Government will spend $134 million over three years to improve safety and security on Melbourne Metro’s city loop.

Public transport minister Jacinta Allan on Monday announced the funding, to respond to a 2012 safety report from the Victorian Ombundsman.

The 2012 report recommended a number of safety improvements in the three underground stations and four tunnels which make up the loop, the heart of the city’s metropolitan rail network.

“The works will ensure passengers can get to work on time, and home safe and sound again at the end of the day,” Allan said. “This is the vital safety upgrade that the city loop needs now, while we get on with the project that the city loop needs for the future – Melbourne Metro Rail.”

The $134 million will be spent over three years to install state-of-the-art intruder detection technology, Allan said.

It will also see the installation of more CCTV cameras, alarms and platform barriers to better prevent and detect trespassers on the network.

Sprinkler systems in Melbourne Central, Parliament and Flagstaff stations will be upgraded, and a smoke management system will be installed, to keep passengers safe in the event of a fire, the minister added.

“This investment will make the city loop safer and more secure for the thousands of Victorians who use it every day.”