Melbourne Airport Rail Link Sunshine superhub planning is underway, have your say

The Melbourne Airport Rail Link (MARL) project has taken an important step forward, with the appointment of Ms Merren McArthur as the independent Chair of the MARL Steering Committee.

This development comes as planning consultation is now underway for the Sunshine Superhub, representing a major milestone for the transformative rail project, which will connect Melbourne Airport to Victoria’s metropolitan and regional rail networks.

The $4 billion Sunshine Superhub, a joint investment by the Australian and Victorian governments, will involve works spanning more than 6km from West Footscray to Albion and represents the first crucial stage of the Melbourne Airport Rail Link project.

Melbourne Airport Rail Link

• Merren McArthur appointed independent Chair of the MARL Steering Committee
• Community consultation for the Sunshine Superhub is currently open via Engage Victoria
• Works are expected to start in early 2026 and be complete in 2030
• The project will create two new dedicated regional platforms at Sunshine Station
• A new Albion Station with a rail flyover will be built as part of the broader transformation

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Community consultation

Community members now have the opportunity to provide input on the planning matters for the Sunshine Superhub project as part of the formal planning approval process.

The consultation covers a range of issues including project boundaries, environmental management, heritage impacts, tree and vegetation removal, amenity considerations, traffic and access arrangements, and construction-related impacts.

The new superhub will untangle Melbourne’s most complex rail junction outside the CBD, adding two new platforms that will unlock extra capacity for additional services for the growing communities of Melton and Wyndham Vale, and to the airport.

When complete, the project will enable more than 40 train services per hour through Sunshine Station, dramatically improving connectivity for Melbourne’s rapidly growing western suburbs.

The Sunshine Superhub project represents essential infrastructure development that will enable the future airport rail connection while also supporting electrification of the Melton line.

Delivering upgrades at Sunshine Station now will drastically reduce future disruptions for both the Melbourne Airport Rail and Melton Line electrification projects that will follow.

The Victorian government has described the project as transformational for Melbourne’s west, positioning Sunshine as a gateway to regional Victoria and creating significant economic opportunities for the area.

The Sunshine Superhub will serve as the crucial first step in establishing the full Melbourne Airport Rail Link, which will provide the city’s first direct rail connection to its major international gateway.

Construction of the enabling works package will commence in early 2026, focusing initially on utility diversions and infrastructure preparation.

The complex project has been divided into five distinct work packages to manage the scale and complexity of the transformation across the six-kilometre corridor.

New Albion Station

As part of work to deliver the Sunshine Superhub, a new Albion Station will be built to become a modern and accessible station.

The new station will deliver upgraded passenger facilities and improved connections to more services and the Metro Tunnel.

The new station will also enable easier access to a future airport rail line, just one stop away from the Sunshine Superhub.

Detailed planning and design work is now underway, with concept designs to be released at a later date and commencement of separate planning consultation for Albion Station in 2026.

Further design development and community engagement will be undertaken to shape the details of the new station.