Thousands of residents of future homes in the Arden Precinct will have access to a world-class transport hub, as construction work on Arden Station nears completion ahead of the Metro Tunnel opening in 2025 – a year ahead of schedule.
Premier Jacinta Allan, Minister for Transport Infrastructure Danny Pearson and Minister for Precincts Colin Brooks today visited Arden Station – the first of the five new Metro Tunnel stations to be completed, with landscaping and final work above ground to be done by the end of this year.
The station sits on a former industrial site and features Victorian-first platform screen doors, a soaring brick arched entrance and skylights allowing natural light to flow 14m underground to the concourse and platform.
Just two kilometres from the centre of Melbourne’s CBD, Arden is a central and connected precinct which will be home to up to 34,000 jobs and around 20,000 people by 2051.
Across the precinct, the Labor Government is investing more than $5 billion to expand both the Royal Melbourne Hospital and the Royal Women’s Hospitals, forming part of a new biomedical and health sciences hub.
The precinct will include affordable housing that prioritises key workers, cutting the cost of travel and quality housing for residents.
Planning and market engagement is underway to ensure industry and development activity in the Arden Precinct begin in line with the opening of the station in 2025.
An expression of interest process with the private sector, industry and investors will get underway in early 2024 for proposals to partner with the Labor Government to deliver the precinct.
The Metro Tunnel will connect the busy Sunbury and Cranbourne/Pakenham lines via a new tunnel under the city, creating an end-to-end rail line from the north-west to the south-east, freeing up space in the City Loop and creating capacity to run more trains more often.
As stated by Premier Jacinta Allan
“Not only will Arden’s future residents have access to high-quality, affordable housing, they’ll also have a brand new Metro station on their doorstep – linking them to the city and to Parkville’s hospitals and universities within minutes.”
As stated by Minister for Transport Infrastructure Danny Pearson
“Arden Station is the first of five new stations that will open when the Metro Tunnel opens a year ahead of schedule in 2025, connecting Victorians to jobs, education and health services across our city.”
As stated by Minister for Precincts Colin Brooks
“We’re making sure we can attract the best the industry has to offer to develop Arden into a thriving urban renewal and biomedical precinct – home to great housing options, jobs and transport connections.”
