Tunnelling on the Suburban Rail Loop will start in 2026 with the Allan Labor Government awarding the first tunnelling contract for SRL East – marking the next big step in the transformation of our public transport network.

Premier Jacinta Allan and Minister for Transport Infrastructure Danny Pearson visited the SRL East construction site in Burwood today to announce that a consortium of global tunnelling experts have been awarded the contract to build 16 kilometres of twin tunnels between Cheltenham and Glen Waverley.

The $3.6 billion contract to build Victoria’s longest tunnels will be delivered by internationally renowned companies CPB Contractors, Ghella and Acciona Construction.

The project will create 8,000 direct jobs as it delivers six new underground stations between Cheltenham and Box Hill – slashing travel times and congestion and connecting people to new housing, employment and health and education services in Melbourne’s east and south-east.

SRL East will be one of the most sustainable infrastructure construction projects in Australia’s history, with the four TBMs to be powered by 100 per cent renewable electricity and total emissions from construction to be 20 per cent below industry standard.

Skilled workers and training will also benefit from SRL East, with at least 12 per cent of hours to be worked by trainees, apprentices and cadets.

Construction is progressing across the SRL East corridor, with works in Burwood underway to build the TBM launch site. Under the tunnel contract, most ground preparation works required to excavate safety cross passages between the twin tunnels will be managed underground, reducing impacts on local residents, schools and roads.

The two other bidders for the Cheltenham to Glen Waverley Package will now compete for the second tunnelling package between Glen Waverley and Box Hill, with that contract to be awarded in 2024.

In a separate package of works, two consortia have been shortlisted for the Linewide Alliance contract to build the fleet of high-tech SRL trains and signalling system, and to operate and maintain the SRL East network – with the contract set to be awarded in 2025.

Quote attributable to Premier Jacinta Allan

“We are full steam ahead with the Suburban Rail Loop – by 2026, tunnel boring machines will be in the ground and Victorians will be hard at work delivering a project that will slash travel times and transform our transport system.”