Concept art of the Melbourne Airport Rail Station. Image: Victorian Government.
The dispute between the Melbourne Airport owners and the Victorian Government over where the future airport rail line station would be built has been resolved, with the airport backing down and agreeing to an above-ground location.
The dispute has reportedly put the project back some four years, although Melburnians have been waiting for a rail link to the airport for far longer.
Melbourne Airport CEO Lorie Argus said the airport recognised the need to get on with the $10 billion rail link project in the interests of travellers, the city, Victoria and the airport’s expansion.
“Victorians have waited long enough for an airport rail line,” he said. “We will work with the Victorian Government to deliver their preferred above-ground station at the airport so the rail line can become reality.
“While Melbourne Airport has consistently advocated for an underground station, we are prepared to compromise on our position to ensure we have more transport options in place for the millions of new passengers that will visit Victoria, and the airport precinct’s expanding workforce.”
Mr Argus said the rail link would alleviate traffic congestion around the airport and would set it up for an increase in passenger numbers through the addition of a planned third runway in the 2030s.
“With an estimated 45 million travellers a year predicted to be using our airport when the third runway opens, the rail link will support a massive increase in passenger numbers and billions of dollars in additional economic activity for Victoria,” he said.
He said about 100,000 passengers a day passed through the airport. The additional north-south parallel runway will allow the airport to further grow to accept 76 million passengers a year by 2042.
A map of the proposed route for the Melbourne Airport rail line, showing its direct links to the city and eastern suburbs. Image: Victorian Government.
However, the airport’s concession won’t see the rail link fast-tracked, and despite independent mediator Neil Scales being appointed by Federal Transport Minister Catherine King last November, it seems the relationship between the airport and the government remains standoffish.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan told media on the weekend that the four-year delay could not be recouped, and that the line would not be open before 2033. She said the standoff had meant work had been unable to start on the project, and that competing interests such as the Suburban Rail Loop had taken construction and budgetary priority.
“You’d have to ask the airport how they think after four years of delays that can magically be washed away,” she said in response to the airport’s concession.
“We needed their approval to be able to get into the airport footprint itself to be able to do early investigations or site investigations. We haven’t been able to do that.
“For a project the airport aren’t putting one single dollar into, mind you, they were continuing to pursue that position right up until late last night.”
The planned line will run north from Melbourne’s Town Hall Station in the CBD before heading west towards Sunshine, and then northeast to Keilor East and north to the airport terminus. Concept art shows the above-ground station located above the entrance road to the airport terminals.
