As part of the $100 million in upgrades to Melbourne’s Flinders Street Station, the Degraves Street and Elizabeth Street subways will be transformed, while the new Yarra River entrance has just been opened to the public.
Works will reportedly include improvements to the subways’ security and accessibility, alongside heritage restorations, including to the tilework.
Lighting systems are also to be upgraded and the Elizabeth Street underpass will have its metal partition fencing replaced with a glazed pedestrian screen.
The Degraves Street subway entrance to Flinders Street Station will receive an extra 4 myki gates (bringing the total to 8).
Flinders Street Station’s new Yarra River entrance has also opened this week, providing direct access from Southbank’s Riverside Walk and Evan Walker Bridge to platforms 10, 12 and 13, the main concourse and the Degraves Subway.
It is also hoped that the new entrance will lessen pedestrian congestion through the Elizabeth Street subway.
“The new Yarra entrance and upgrades to the subways will help ease congestion and improve access for all Victorians,” state transport minister Jacinta Allan said.
“We’re not wasting a minute to restore the heart of our train system – protecting it for the future and improving the experience for the 200,000 passengers that use the station every day.”
Other works at Flinders Street Station have included repairs and restorations to the façade and roof, and to the famous tower clock. The exterior of the administration building has been restored to return it to its original 1910 colour. The roof has also been waterproofed and the whole building stabilised to help prevent deterioration into the future.