Melbourne to start early works on Keilor East station, aiming for 2031 completion

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Victorian Premier Ben Carroll jointly announced that early works on a new 7.4-kilometre rail corridor from Albion to a Keilor East station will begin in the coming weeks, with full construction slated for 2028 and the station’s completion targeted for 2031. The line will connect directly to the Metro Tunnel and include a 500-metre bridge crossing the Maribyrnong River, forming part of the broader Melbourne Airport rail plan that also encompasses the $4.1 billion Sunshine Superhub.

The project has faced long-standing disputes over the station’s placement and the preferred underground versus surface alignment, which the airport finally dropped in July 2024 to keep the scheme moving. Community engagement and detailed design work are set to start next year, while the timeline for the final stretch from Keilor East to the airport remains undecided. The announcement follows years of delays on a rail link that has been discussed for more than six decades.