Passengers are set to benefit from better facilities as Melbourne’s iconic stations receive much needed accessibility, safety and security upgrades.
Acting Premier James Merlino today joined Acting Public Transport Minister Luke Donnellan at Flinders Street Station to inspect work on a new direct entrance to Platform 10 as part of the State Government’s $100 million redevelopment of the iconic station.
Construction started last week on the new entrance, which will provide direct access from Southbank’s Riverside Walk to Platform 10 and ease congestion through the Elizabeth Street subway.
The new entrance will provide another fully-accessible entry to the station that will open in April, meaning Flinders Street Station will continue to meet the needs of all passengers.
The first stage of construction on the Jewell Station Precinct development will also begin this week, which will see better access for passengers, increased bike parking and an upgrade to the Upfield bike path within the precinct.
To enable works to take place, on Thursday 18 January the station's commuter car park will permanently close and the Upfield shared user path will be diverted through the precinct.
The Andrews Labor Government is also investing $134 million in much needed upgrades to safety and security for the 32-year-old City Loop.
As part of this, the Labor Government has awarded a $70 million contract to engineering and infrastructure company RCR Tomlinson Ltd to deliver significant improvements to fire safety systems within the three City Loop stations.
The improvements include new platform smoke extraction systems, upgraded station sprinklers and better passenger information in the event of a fire.
A new alarm system will improve reliability and reduce delays for passengers in the City Loop through an additional 240 CCTV cameras and immediate notifications to train operators in the event of a trespasser on the tracks to keep passengers safe and trains running.
Works on the alarm system have already begun with the entire project set to be complete by the end of 2019.
These upgrades are part of the Labor Government’s $30 billion program to boost capacity, reduce congestion and deliver the transport network Victorians expect and deserve.
Quotes attributable to Acting Premier James Merlino
“We’re getting things done – building the Metro Tunnel, removing level crossings and investing in vital infrastructure upgrades across the city to get people home safer and sooner, every day.”
“Flinders Street is the heart of our train system and the heart of our city – we’re restoring it and making it more accessible, safe and user friendly for passengers.”
Quotes attributable to Acting Minister for Public Transport Luke Donnellan
“More than 111,000 people use Melbourne’s City Loop each day – these vital upgrades will continue to keep them safe and ensure they have a reliable journey.”
"The transformation of Jewell station means the historic station building will provide new shops, services and community spaces for everyone to enjoy."
Reviewed 19 August 2020