Metro Tunnel builder says it will open to commuters from September 2024
The builder of the $14bn project has unexpectedly revealed it will be open to the public months ahead of schedule.
Victoria
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The builder of the $14bn Metro Tunnel has revealed the mega project is on track to take passengers by as early as September next year.
John Holland chief executive Joe Barr outlined the optimistic timeline at a lunch event hosted by the Herald Sun and Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Tuesday, to discuss the masthead’s Future Victoria campaign.
Publicly the government has maintained the finish date for the Metro Tunnel is 2025.
But internal documents referred to in a report by the Victorian Auditor-General last year showed that builders had a contracted target completion date of September 2024 for “Day 1” of passenger services.
Mr Barr, a guest speaker at the lunch held at Crown Melbourne, said that commuters could be boarding months earlier than the government’s 2025 finish date.
“It’s exciting, we’ve been working on this thing with our partners and the government for 10 years, and next year will be the year where it is revealed,” Mr Barr said.
“It certainly is on track. We’re delighted to say that. If you go underground in Melbourne at the moment, the trains are being tested at full speed. We’re certainly looking forward to day one operations in September next year.”
John Holland is among the consortium on the project that will build underground twin 9km train tunnels from Kensington to South Yarra.
A government spokesman on Tuesday said: “Crews are working around the clock to finish the project as soon as possible, and the Metro Tunnel remains on track to open in 2025 – a year ahead of schedule.” “We’re entering a complex phase of testing inside the tunnels and it’s critical we take the time to get it right to ensure the Metro Tunnel is safe and reliable before we start passenger services.”
Speaking at the event, Development Victoria and Precincts Minister Colin Brooks said the most successful cities all invested in transport infrastructure, outlining how the Metro Tunnel would transform Melbourne.
“It will deliver Melbourne’s first-ever turn-up-and-go network, allowing more trains to run more often, similar to cities like London, Singapore and New York,” he said.
Mr Barr said Melbourne should be inspired by cities such as Singapore and London to deliver accessible transport closer to where people lived.
“Singapore has almost achieved their aspiration of a train station within 300m of anybody in Singapore, which is incredible,” he said.
“That ability to be able to connect and get around locally in Melbourne is there because you haven’t got the same challenges as you have in Sydney, for example, with geography and geology.”
Herald and Weekly Times chairman Penny Fowler said the Future Victoria event was a great opportunity to come together and ensure Victoria remained the nation’s best state.
Ms Fowler advocated for a nature and science precinct anchored around the Royal Botanic Gardens, to complement the city’s arts precinct.
“Just imagine a triangle of unique, connected and complementary precincts all around our natural landmark, the Yarra River, showcasing our city at its best,” she said.
Herald Sun editor Sam Weir said Melbourne and Victoria had “unlimited possibilities”.
“We already know that by 2030 Melbourne will overtake Sydney as the biggest city in Australia,” he said.
“On some measures, we already have, but while we’ll be bigger, we must also be better. The decisions that we make today will determine whether we take full advantage of our unique opportunities.”
Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Paul Guerra said the appointment of new Premier Jacinta Allan was an opportunity for the state to shift its thinking.
He said: “I see this as a transformation agenda, Victoria’s Transformation agenda.”
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