Work has begun on Melbourne’s Suburban Rail Loop, a highly anticipated project that will better connect Victorians to the city, the suburbs and the world – via the airport! Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says “the Suburban Rail Loop will change the way our whole state moves, connecting every major suburban and regional rail line to Melbourne Airport.”

Supporting this state-shaping project, the government has committed $143 million to deliver the first stage of the Sunshine Precinct Masterplan, on Wurundjeri land.

Community engagement revealed three project priorities, people-focused streets and junctions; trees and greening; and the Sunshine Spurline – the transformation of the existing Hampshire Road Bridge into a new route for pedestrians and cyclists. The project also includes station enhancements, a new bus interchange, more open space, and the creation of future development sites, making it easier to deliver further stages of the masterplan in the years to come as the community continues to grow.

The masterplan aims to create a healthy and sustainable place that prioritises public transport, walking and cycling. It will help connect the existing community on either side of the railway tracks, develop a wider network of green and community spaces, and encourage greater business investment in the area.

Sunshine Station Masterplan was prepared by Development Victoria and the Department of Transport with assistance from OCULUS (Landscape Architecture and Urban Design), Genton (Architecture and Urban Design) and WSP (Engineering).