State Library railway station

State Library railway station (originally under the working title of CBD North) is a railway station currently under construction as part of the Metro Tunnel project in Melbourne, Victoria. Construction commenced in 2018 with the station expected to open in 2025.

State Library
Commuter rail station
Location	Swanston Street, Melbourne Victoria Australia
Coordinates	37.8076312°S 144.9623925°E / -37.8076312; 144.9623925
Owned by	VicTrack
Line(s)	Sunshine–Dandenong
Platforms	2
Tracks	2
Train operators	Metro Trains
Connections	Melbourne Central 10 tram routes
Construction
Structure type	Underground
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Status	Under Construction
Fare zone	1
Website	State Library station
Electrified	Yes
Services Preceding station   Metro Trains   Following station Parkville towards Sunbury Sunshine–Dandenong corridor (under construction) Town Hall towards Pakenham Town Hall towards Cranbourne

History

In December 2008, the proposal for a new underground rail corridor running north-south through the Melbourne CBD was incorporated into the Brumby Ministry's Victorian Transport Plan after originally featuring in a report from Sir Rod Eddington.[1] It was to be built in two stages: the first from Footscray to St Kilda Road, and the second continuing to Caulfield. The need for a new rail corridor and stations through the CBD was identified in an effort to reduce congestion on the City Loop, enabling more frequent and reliable services across Melbourne's railway network.[2]

Following a change of State Government, in 2012/2013 the Baillieu and Napthine Ministries announced a revised plan with the tunnel instead running from South Kensington to South Yarra along a similar route to the original proposal.[3] The revised project included five underground stations, including one under the working title 'CBD North' and was listed as the highest-priority infrastructure project in Melbourne by Infrastructure Australia.[4]

The project went unfunded due largely to tension between the state and federal governments. In February 2015 the proposal was revived by the newly elected Andrews Ministry with construction to commence in 2018 and the tunnel and stations planned to open in 2026. The total cost of the project is A$11 billion.[5]

Naming

In August 2017 the Government launched a naming competition for the five new railway stations to be constructed as part of the Metro Rail Project.[6]

Following over 50,000 submissions, in November 2017 State Library was announced as the winning entry for the working-title 'CBD North' station due to its proximity to the landmark State Library of Victoria building. The other stations will be known as Anzac, Town Hall, Parkville and North Melbourne, following the winning selection of names based on geographical locations and prominent landmarks.[7]

Location

The railway station is located below Swanston Street between La Trobe and Streets in the northern edges of Melbourne's CBD.[8] The station will connect with Melbourne Central station via a pedestrian walkway, enabling transfer from other railway lines and will have entrances at the corner of Latrobe/Swanston Street and Franklin/Swanston Street, enabling more convenient access to City Baths and Queen Victoria Market.[9]

The initial build method chosen for construction was cut-and-cover, however this was changed in order to avoid significant disruption and to keep trams running along the world's busiest tram corridor, Swanston Street.[10][11]

See Also

Metro Tunnel Project

• Metro Tunnel
• Anzac railway station
• Town Hall railway station, Melbourne
• Parkville railway station, Melbourne
• Arden railway station, Melbourne

References

1. Lucas, Clay (9 December 2008). "Brumby transport plan adds billions to Eddington price tag". The Age. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
2. "Frequently asked questions". metrotunnel.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
3. "Will Napthine's new route ruin Melbourne's Metro? - The Urbanist". The Urbanist. 7 May 2014. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
4. "Infrastructure Australia positively assesses Melbourne Metro and Murray Basin Rail business cases". Infrastructure Australia. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
5. Lucas, Clay (16 April 2015). "$9-11b Melbourne Metro Swanston Street project to go ahead: Daniel Andrews". The Age. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
6. "Make Your Mark – Name Our Five New Stations". Premier of Victoria. 27 August 2017. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
7. Jacks, Steve Lillebuen, Timna (29 November 2017). "Metro Tunnel: New train station names revealed". The Age. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
8. "CBD stations construction plans". Metro Tunnel. Melbourne Metro Rail Authority. Archived from the original on 21 June 2017. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
9. "CBD North Station location and access". Metro Tunnel. Melbourne Metro Rail Authority. Archived from the original on 21 June 2017. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
10. Willingham, Richard; Carey, Adam (21 October 2015). "Melbourne Metro rail: Tunnels to go deeper underground to keep trams running". The Age. Archived from the original on 25 June 2016. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
11. Carey, Adam (5 November 2015). "Melbourne Metro to close busy city streets for up to three years, including Domain Road". The Age. Archived from the original on 13 March 2017. Retrieved 21 June 2017.