Victoria’s Big Build is forging ahead this spring on major rail projects, including the Metro Tunnel and the Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) East.
Read more below about the major planned disruptions coming up in inner, west, north, east and south east Melbourne and regional Victoria.
Inner Melbourne
The tram tracks along Swanston and Victoria streets are being upgraded, traffic lanes realigned, and open public spaces created. This work will affect tram routes 1, 3, 5, 6, 16, 64, 67, 72, 30 and 35 from Monday 26 August until Monday 16 September in the CBD.
The intersection of Victoria and Swanston streets will also close in all directions from Friday 30 August, causing an additional travel time of 30 to 40 minutes for motorists.
Melbourne’s west
There will be weekend closures at times on the Sunbury Line from October to November with buses replacing trains for some sections of the line while testing continues on the Metro Tunnel Project’s high-capacity signalling system.
Melbourne’s north
In October, buses will replace trains on sections of the Hurstbridge Line for 3 weeks while tracks, signalling and equipment are upgraded to allow for the extension of a rail tunnel, so the North East Link can be built over the Hurstbridge Line.
Melbourne’s east and south east
With work powering ahead on all six SRL East station sites between Cheltenham and Box Hill in preparation for the start of tunnelling in 2026, there will be some lane and road closures on Burwood Highway, Burwood; Coleman Parade, Glen Waverley; and Whitehorse Road, Box Hill.
Clayton Road in Clayton will be closed from 9pm Tuesday 27 August until late October as crews work to relocate utilities to prepare for tunnelling in 2026 at the site of the new underground SRL station.
There will be weekend closures at times on the Cranbourne/Pakenham Line from October to November with buses replacing trains on sections of the lines while testing continues on the Metro Tunnel.
Regional Victoria
V/Line crews will work alongside the Australian Rail Track Corporation on signalling and track upgrades on the Ballarat Line between Monday 30 September and Wednesday 2 October. During this time, coaches will replace trains between Ararat and Ballarat.
The Metro Tunnel team continues to test the project’s next generation high-capacity signalling system and trains during spring, with coaches replacing Gippsland Line trains between Southern Cross and East Pakenham on some weekends during spring. Coaches will also replace trains between Traralgon and Bairnsdale from Wednesday 16 October to the last service on Sunday 27 October due to annual rail maintenance.
