123 Clayton Station Diaphragm Wall Panels Completed

AUSTRALIA: Clayton station excavation has started after ACCIONA and its Suburban Connect partners completed 123 reinforced-concrete diaphragm wall panels across the site for Melbourne’s Suburban Rail Loop East.

123 panels define the Clayton station box

ACCIONA said installation began in April 2025 and ended on 21 May, when crews poured the final panel during an overnight shift. The package covers both the future station box and the underground passenger connection to the existing Clayton Station.

An official Clayton construction update reported that more than 500 metres of diaphragm walls had been installed across the worksite by May. Built before deep excavation, each wall section is formed by digging a narrow trench from the surface and filling it with reinforced concrete.

Together, the panels create a structural perimeter around the underground works. They also help control groundwater while crews remove soil from inside the station box.

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Excavation becomes the next construction stage

With panel installation finished, crews have shifted to excavating the station box. Work is also progressing on the underground link that will allow passengers to transfer between the future Suburban Rail Loop station and the existing elevated station at Clayton.

The May update outlined two preparatory elements for excavation: a capping beam that connects the diaphragm wall panels into a continuous structure, and specialised equipment for removing groundwater from the worksite. The excavation will create the underground space for the station and allow tunnel boring machines to pass through after tunnelling begins.

This marks a clear change in the site’s construction sequence: the perimeter support system is complete, and the project team can now work inside it to form the future station.

Clayton’s role in Suburban Rail Loop East

The wider SRL East project will add six underground stations between Cheltenham and Box Hill, with passenger services planned to start in 2035. Clayton is intended to connect the new orbital route with the Cranbourne/Pakenham and Gippsland corridors.

The planned interchange will also provide rail access near the Monash Medical Precinct. For the Clayton site, the immediate focus remains excavation of the station box and construction of the passenger connection.

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