Melbourne Airport Rail Stage 1 has entered a new phase. Crews have started work at Albion, one of Victoria’s busiest rail junctions, as reported by Rail Express.

Melbourne Airport Rail Stage 1 starts with Albion works
Photo: Victorian Government

Melbourne Airport Rail Stage 1 work starts at Albion

Hundreds of steel pipes have been delivered to Albion. Crews are starting to relocate a jet fuel pipeline that runs along the rail corridor to Sunshine. Also, the pipeline is the main jet fuel pipeline to Melbourne Airport. It is also the largest one in Melbourne. Its relocation is needed to make way for new rail infrastructure.

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Sunshine Station superhub and track upgrade

The West Footscray to Albion Rail Upgrade is part of Melbourne Airport Rail Stage 1. It includes two rail flyovers and a rail underpass, according to Victoria’s Big Build. Meanwhile, it also includes new and upgraded track between West Footscray and Albion. At the same time, the project includes two new platforms. It also includes an extended concourse at Sunshine Station to turn it into a superhub. In addition, new train stations will be built at Albion and Tottenham.

Jet fuel pipeline relocation and next steps

Over the next eight months, crews will realign the pipeline. They will do this by boring a two-kilometre hole 30 metres underground. The hole will run between the Albion Station car park and a small reserve inside the rail corridor near Sunshine Road. Separately, Albion Station car park will stay closed until later this year. More pipes will be delivered over the coming weeks. For example, crews will then weld the pipes together in 250-metre sections.

When boring is finished, crews will pull the new steel pipes through the bore hole. They will then commission the new fuel pipeline. Still, the old pipeline will be disconnected only after that.

The $4.1 billion Melbourne Airport Rail Stage 1: West Footscray to Albion Rail Upgrade will enable more than 1000 trains to travel through Sunshine Station every day, as previously covered by Railway Supply. It will link regional passengers to Metro Tunnel trains and Melbourne Airport trains in the future.

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