New plan for airport link ‘sky rail’ revealed

New details show Melbourne’s airport link trains will travel on 6km of “sky rail”, with an elevated station also slated as part of the $10bn project.

An artists’ impression of Melbourne Airport Rail Link’s “sky rail".

The largest section of “sky rail” along the $10bn Melbourne Airport Rail Link will be up to 6km long, new tender documents show.

And the station at Tullamarine could end up being elevated as well, with project plans leaving the door ajar for the end of the line to be several storeys above ground.

Seven packages of works for the rail link, which would connect the airport to Sunshine before joining the route of the $13.7bn Metro Tunnel into the CBD, are set to be released to the market in coming months. This would allow for major construction to begin next year.

Advanced tender documents for the station precinct and the viaduct or “sky rail” section of the line have been released, showing companies short-listed for contracts would need to manage complex environmental issues as well as power substation and rail systems.

A description of works says there would be “construction of up to 6km (depending on station solution) of twin track viaduct commencing from the Airport Long Term Carpark and continuing along Airport Drive towards Steele Creek north and across the Western Ring Road”.

“In the southern section, the works include crossing environmentally sensitive land and the M80 Freeway,” it says.

Earlier this year it was mooted that this section of sky rail would be 5km long.

Station works documents say designs would have to be worked through with owners Australia Pacific Airports Melbourne, meaning it could result in an elevated station.

A state government spokeswoman said designs were not yet finalised.

“Work on the rail link’s integration with the airport terminals is ongoing, which will determine the precise length of the viaduct — and we’ll have more to say as our work on this landmark project continues,” she said.

The airport rail link is a partnership between state and federal governments, after each committed up to $5bn to get the project built.

Earlier this year federal Urban Infrastructure Minister Paul Fletcher said works would be split into seven packages for a “robust, multi-staged procurement process”.

More than 100 organisations have already registered interest in being part of the mega-project, which is scheduled to open by the end of the decade.