By Tate Papworth
Preliminary planning work for the Melbourne Airport rail link is being ramped up, with soil testing to help inform the detailed business case for the project having begun.
The testing involves geotechnical drilling, which is used to establish ground conditions and soil quality.
The process involves drilling boreholes up to 25 centimetres in diameter and 45 metres deep to collect soil and rock samples.
The investigations are being conducted at six sites around the M80 Ring Road in Tullamarine and near the Maribyrnong River to guide further planning of the preferred Sunshine route.
Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan said the project was a major win for the state.
“We’ve made sure the Airport Rail Link will benefit all Victorians – delivering a new super-hub at Sunshine and paving the way for fast rail to the regions,” she said.
“It will deliver wider benefits beyond simply moving tourists and business people between the CBD and the airport. It will help us transform the way people live, work and travel right across Victoria.”
The planning work will inform the design of the new rail line and how it will be built, with a further phase of testing to occur later this year.
Expert technical advisors started initial environmental investigations in late 2018, with ecological surveys to identify any protected flora and fauna.
Construction of Melbourne Airport Rail Link is scheduled to start in 2022, subject to required approvals. Construction is expected to take up to nine years. The link will run from the CBD to Melbourne Airport via Sunshine and form the north-western section of the Suburban Rail Loop.
Brimbank council has said the establishment of a “super hub” in Sunshine will be a “game changer” for the municipality.
The total cost of the rail project is estimated to be in the range of $8 billion to $13 billion.
