Max Hatzoglou
The state government has today announced it will be adding a new regional platform to Sunshine Station, connecting more people to Sunshine, Melbourne Airport and the CBD when construction is complete in 2029.
The government is looking at transforming Sunshine station into a transport superhub with construction set to begin mid this year with utility relocations.
Victorian Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Jacinta Allan said the new platform is an investment in developing Sunshine as the centre of Melbourne’s booming west.
“With most people travelling directly between the airport and their home, Melbourne Airport Rail Link route via Sunshine provides a solution that benefits most Victorians through good connectivity to the existing metropolitan and regional rail network,” Minister Allan said.
“Pre-COVID, over 40 per cent of the 20,000-plus daily regional trips made to and from Melbourne Airport came from Ballarat, Bendigo and Geelong.
“This is why supporting development of Sunshine’s superhub and running airport services through the Metro Tunnel is so beneficial – it provides easy connections to these regions, to key city services and trips into the heart of the CBD in around 30 minutes.”
Once the works are completed, trains will run every two to three minutes at peak times, including airport services every ten minutes and an approximately 11-minute trip to Melbourne Airport from Sunshine.
St Albans MP Natalie Suleyman said it would benefit the west in many ways.
“This is a fantastic once in a lifetime opportunity not only for the electorate of St Albans but for the west,” Ms Suleyman said.
“Frequent services, more jobs, connectivity to the country, the airport and metro Melbourne, so this is an exciting time for all of the west.”
