Eastern tunnel entrance and precinct design

Entrance location

The eastern tunnel entrance connects the Sunbury Line and the Metro Tunnel with the Cranbourne/Pakenham Line.

Trains will enter/exit the Metro Tunnel near William Street, passing underneath the Sandringham and Frankston lines.

The Metro Tunnel runs west under Toorak and St Kilda roads to the new Anzac Station.

The next stop heading east from the tunnel entrance for the combined Sunbury and Cranbourne/Pakenham Line is Malvern Station.

Eastern Portal - map showing rail connection, track work, rail tunnel and cut and cover location

Precinct features

A render of a vibrant green area, with an oval-like strucutre surrounded by a yellow and pink finned exterior.

Above ground structures

A ventilation shaft will be used for maintaining air quality during tunnel maintenance and removing fumes in the event of an emergency. The Metro Tunnel will be used exclusively by electric trains, which do not emit fumes.

An emergency access/egress shaft will allow crews to access the tunnels in case of emergency.

A copper sculpture in a park with flower detailing.

South Yarra Siding Reserve

The Metro Tunnel Project is revitalising this local park for the community to enjoy, with new landscaping, better lighting and improved accessibility.

The reserve will reopen to the public in 2024 and feature new public artworks.

Aunty Kim Wandin's Murrup Biik and Kent Morris' Where We Walk will sit in the South Yarra Siding Reserve and Arthur Street pocket park, which also include new landscaping and seating.

Decline structure

A decline structure (descending tracks) will allow trains to enter the new Metro Tunnel near William Street and pass underneath the Sandringham and Frankston lines.

The decline structure and the tunnel entrance were completed in early 2021 via the 'cut and cover' method, which involved excavating from the top down, with the surface then reinstated over the top of the tunnels.

Aerial view of South Yarra showing the widened rail corridor for the Frankston and Gippsland lines near the Metro Tunnel entrance

Rail corridor widening

The rail corridor between William and Chapel streets was widened and reconfigured to make room for the 2 additional tracks that enter the Metro Tunnel.

South Yarra Station

The Metro Tunnel Project does not include a new station in South Yarra or a connection from the existing station.

Upon completion of the Metro Tunnel, passengers using South Yarra Station will benefit from improved capacity and more frequent services on the Frankston and Sandringham lines.

To access Metro Tunnel stations, passengers will need to travel into Flinders Street Station or Melbourne Central Station and change there to the combined Sunbury and Cranbourne / Pakenham Line.