Melbourne's Metro Tunnel project reaches a milestone with the unveiling of the impressive Town Hall Station concourse, sitting beneath the iconic City Square.
The 18-metre-wide space will function as both a transit hub and public gathering spot, featuring retail and dining options in the heart of the CBD.
Eight soaring concrete and steel columns create a striking architectural feature, supporting the station roof in what will become a free public area accessible without myki validation.
Metro Tunnel’s Town Hall Station
- Opening 2025
- Located beneath City Square, Melbourne CBD
- Part of the Metro Tunnel Project
- 40 metres below ground level
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The keyhole surgery approach
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Rather than disrupting the entire central business district with a massive construction zone, engineers have employed what they’re calling a “keyhole surgery” approach to building the ambitious station. Deep shafts at either end of the site have allowed construction crews to move workers, materials and equipment while keeping Swanston Street operational for trams, cyclists and pedestrians.
“Building a station 40 metres below one of Melbourne’s busiest areas presented incredible logistical challenges,” says Premier Jacinta Allan. “Our city has a new heart. It’s called Town Hall Station.”
The Premier highlighted the community benefits of the design, adding: “You’ll see shops, cafes and a stunning public gathering space that’s free and open to everyone. The Metro Tunnel Project is the biggest upgrade to our rail network in 40 years, and we are getting on with it.”
More than just a station
When complete, Town Hall Station will serve as a gateway to Melbourne landmarks including Federation Square, Birrarung Marr, Southbank, St Paul’s Cathedral and Melbourne Town Hall. The two-tiered space features a northern entrance at City Square, connected by five escalator banks.
The station concourse design emphasizes public accessibility, creating an extension of the square above that invites Melburnians and visitors to gather, shop and dine – even without catching a train.
After construction concludes, City Square will be returned to public use with improved landscaping, seating and art installations, enhancing this central Melbourne location as a community space.
Network transformation
Transport Infrastructure Minister Gabrielle Williams emphasized the broader impact of the project: “The Metro Tunnel will transform the way people travel and ease congestion in the City Loop – enabling more services across the network.”
The completed tunnel will create a new end-to-end rail line connecting Sunbury in Melbourne’s northwest with Cranbourne and Pakenham in the southeast. By freeing capacity in the City Loop, the Metro Tunnel delivers on its promise to run more trains more frequently throughout the metropolitan network.
Major construction has already wrapped at Anzac, Parkville and Arden stations, with work continuing at Town Hall and State Library stations before the project’s completion.
While the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) knocked Melbourne from the top spot of their yearly assessment of the world’s most liveable city in 2018 after a seven-year streak, the overhaul of the public transport network in Victoria could potentially see Melbourne reclaim the title.
Ultimately, the importance that the EIU places on infrastructure projects and their flow-on effects is hard to overstate, but it’s up to them to quantify it. Melbourne could see a rise in next year’s EIU report if the countries ranked above us falter in their own spending: third-placed Zurich, for instance, faces its own housing crisis.
Engineering marvel beneath our feet
The technical achievement of building such a significant infrastructure project beneath an operational CBD shouldn’t be understated. The 40-metre depth presents engineering challenges that have required innovative solutions and precise planning.
The signature columns in the concourse area not only provide necessary structural support but create a distinctive architectural statement that will define one of Melbourne’s newest public spaces. Their branching design evokes organic forms while fulfilling critical engineering requirements.
Despite the complexity, the Allan Labor Government reports that work is progressing well, with crews continuing the detailed fit-out of both the concourse and platform areas.
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