Article: Melbourne airport seeks underground train line

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Melbourne airport seeks underground train line

Melbourne airport seeks underground train line
Article from: Herald Sun

John Ferguson

April 29, 2008 12:00am

MELBOURNE airport is pushing for a rail link with an underground station at Tullamarine to help deal with millions more passengers each year.

The push for the rail link is detailed in the airport's 2008 master plan, the draft of which has been released for public consultation.

The master plan backs spending hundreds of millions of dollars on projects at the airport in the next 20 years.

Those include widening the Tullamarine Freeway, extra airport parking, an extra hotel, a possible third runway, improvements to terminals, new and expanded maintenance areas, and more development of the Melbourne Airport Business Park.

The State Government and private investors have been told by the airport they could start digging for the rail link straight away.

The master plan backs an underground line running through airport property.

An underground station has been proposed between the car park and passenger terminals.

Once the link left the airport it would move above ground and take the Albion East corridor to the city via Albion, Sunshine and Footscray.

The move was backed yesterday by unions but the State Government said it had no plans to support the rail link.

The rail link was backed by Labor in Opposition, then dumped as a plan in 2002.

The turnover of international passengers at the airport is expected to rise from 4.5 million last financial year to up to 12.3 million by 2027-28.

Domestic numbers have been forecast to rise from 17.8 million to as much as 42.6 million.

A third runway is not likely to be needed until as late as 2026, later than previously forecast.

This is partly due to improved aircraft technology, which enables jets to land and take off more efficiently.

Government spokesman Bill Kyriakopoulos said: "The Government is not considering a rail link to Melbourne airport at this stage."

Trades Hall Council secretary Brian Boyd yesterday backed the renewed push for an airport rail link.

"It's got to be done now, not later," Mr Boyd said.