Overview
Since the State Government announced some ambitious (and unprecedented) plans to expand Melbourne's rail network back in May 2016, there has been much talk about the $11 billion Metro Tunnel project. The tunnel will see five new stations added to the CBD and its surrounds, which were last year named and given an initial design. Now, Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan has lifted the lid on the latest renders for the new stations, to be known as North Melbourne, Anzac, Parkville, State Library and Town Hall.
The five stations aren't slated for completion until 2025, though with plans as grand as these, it's not hard to see why. According to Ms Allan the focus was on designing stations that were easy to navigate and spacious, but that still looked the goods. The stations and their surrounds are the result of a collaboration between top architects Weston Williamson, Hassell, and Rogers Stirk Harbour and Partners.
State Library Station
And they look nothing like Melbourne Central. Design highlights include a glass feature roof above the Grattan Street entrance to the proposed Parkville Station, a soaring brick archway for North Melbourne Station, and, at Anzac Station, a huge architectural canopy to protect passengers moving between trains and trams.
Meanwhile, in the CBD, State Library and Town Hall Stations will each feature grand entrances, leading to redesigned laneways lined with cafes and retail shops. The stations will also spawn a stack of new open space, including parks, bike zones, plazas and a pedestrian underpass running beneath St Kilda Road.
Anzac Station
Just to catch you up, the Metro Tunnel will see two new nine-kilometre twin tunnels and five underground train stations added to Melbourne's inner city. These new stations will be located in Parkville, North Melbourne, CBD North, CBD South and the Domain, and create a new path into the city that doesn't rely on (but connects to) the City Loop. The idea is that it will ease congestion in the City Loop and allow more trains to be getting in and out of the city.
Construction of the Metro Tunnel has already closed parts of St Kilda Road and Grattan Street and we're sure more routes will be affected in the next few years. We'll keep you updated on that front.