The first new train station in Melbourne's CBD in more than 40 years is complete - with construction now finished on Town Hall Station, one of five serviced by the Allan Labor Government's Metro Tunnel.
Premier Jacinta Allan and Minister for Transport Infrastructure Gabrielle Williams today visited the station as the project prepares to open a year ahead of schedule.
Town Hall Station sits under Swanston Street between Collins and Flinders streets, giving commuters direct access to Federation Square, Birrarung Marr, Southbank, the Arts Centre and St Paul's Cathedral.
Its main entrance will open onto a rebuilt City Square, soon to become the city's new heart.
A new pedestrian underpass, connected to the heritage-listed Campbell Arcade and Degraves Street subway, will link Town Hall Station directly into Flinders Street Station, so you can change between the Metro Tunnel and the City Loop without tapping off.
Town Hall's 18 metre-wide platforms are among the widest underground metro platforms in the world and its 'trinocular' design of three overlapping tunnels at platform level features a cathedral-like arched ceiling.
Other key facts:
- The total space excavated for Town Hall Station, including the platform and concourse levels, was 260 metres long - longer than a city block - and as deep as a five-storey building, up to 33 metres underground
- Each of the eight concourse columns is made up of a 7.5-metre concrete post plus three 6.5-metre steel branches extending to the ceiling
- The station will have nine retail and hospitality spaces: four under City Square and five at Town Hall Place on Swanston Street
- Town Hall Station will have 44 escalators and 12 lifts when all entrances are open
- Building the station's internal structures used more than 7,000 cubic metres of concrete and more than 2,200 tonnes of steel
- The station's 18-metre-wide platforms are 220 metres long and 27 metres below street level.
Thousands of workers moved more than half a million tonnes of rock and soil, dug as deep as a five-storey building, built the new pedestrian link, poured giant slabs of concrete for platforms, laid rail, installed lifts and escalators, and delivered Victoria's first platform screen doors.
The complex construction - equivalent to keyhole surgery - allowed the project team to bring workers and equipment in and out of site, while keeping Swanston Street remains open to trams, cyclists and pedestrians.
With construction complete, Metro Trains crews will now train and test at the station. Trains have already clocked more than 265,000 kilometres through the new tunnels - the equivalent of more than six laps of the world.
The Metro Tunnel is the biggest transformation of Melbourne's rail network in more than 40 years and will free up capacity in the City Loop to run more trains more often across more lines.
Never forget, the Liberals called the Metro Tunnel a "hoax", said it was going to be an "an absolute disaster" and refused to fund it while in office.
Labor funded it, Labor built it, Labor is finishing it, Labor will open it.
As stated by Premier Jacinta Allan
"This is the first new station in Melbourne's CBD in 40 years."
"We invested in public transport - and just look at the results."
"The Metro Tunnel will cut congestion and get you to work, uni and home sooner - and it opens this year."
As stated by Minister for Transport Infrastructure Gabrielle Williams
"With Town Hall Station now complete, we're another step closer to opening the Metro Tunnel later this year - completely transforming the way Melbourne moves."
