Metro Tunnel crews are preparing to lay track through the completed tunnels, moving the project one step closer to enabling more than half a million extra passengers every week on the rail network.
The first of almost 40km of rail has been delivered on freight trains to the Metro Tunnel’s western entrance in the past week as works gear up to install rail systems and tracks through the project’s twin 9km tunnels.
The tracks are made up of 165 m lengths of steel rail that will be progressively clipped to concrete panels and welded to form a continuous rail line along the lengths of the tunnels.
According to City of Melbourne, installing the track will take up to a year, beginning with crews laying 4000 high-performance precast concrete panels through the twin tunnels.
There are 300 different panel shapes to account for the varying curvature and elevation of the tunnels as they wind from Kensington to South Yarra up to 30 m underground.
All rail will be installed by mid-2023 when trains will begin their first test runs through the tunnel.
The Metro Tunnel is expected online by 2025.
For more information visit the Big Build Victoria website.