Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews have made an announcement on 21 November 2020 on the project of Melbourne Airport Rail.
The Melbourne Airport Rail Link route will take travellers into the CBD area of Melbourne in less than 30 minutes following an historic agreement announced between the Australian and Victorian governments.
The construction will begin in 2022, with a target completion date for Melbourne Airport Rail of 2029 – subject to the business case and relevant Victorian and Federal planning, environmental and other government approvals.
Melbourne Airport Chief Executive, Lyell Strambi said:
“We are excited that the Commonwealth and Victorian governments have come together to make this project a reality. Of course, this is just the first step and there remains a lot of detail to work through.”
Melbourne Airport has been a fierce advocate for rail infrastructure to the airport.
“International visitors to Melbourne expect rail transport from the airport. It is an expectation of a truly global city. Victorians too, have been crying out for an airport rail link as Melbourne continues its trajectory to be Australia’s biggest city by population.”
“We are fortunate to have plenty of room to grow on airport, with runway and terminal investment over the next 20 years forecast to service almost 70 million passengers by 2038. Our curfew free, 24/7 operations are a huge competitive advantage for Melbourne and Victoria.”
Mr Strambi also said Melbourne Airport would work closely with government through the details of the project in the coming months to understand how it will deliver against three core principles.
Image Credit: Melbourne Airport
