Brimbank City Council has welcomed the release of the Sunshine Superhub rail designs for community feedback – describing it as an important step towards unlocking the west’s full potential.
The more than $4 billion joint investment by the Australian and Victorian governments will involve works spanning more than 6km from West Footscray to Albion. Two new rail platforms at Sunshine Station will unlock extra capacity for a rail line to Melbourne Airport and enable electrification of the line to Melton.
Mayor, Virginia Tachos said the redevelopment of Sunshine Station, into an equivalent of Southern Cross, along with the complete delivery of the Sunshine Station Precinct Masterplan was critical to the success of the Melbourne Airport Rail project.
“We’re delighted to see the State and Federal governments confirm their investment into Sunshine and the west, as they shared the early designs of the Sunshine Station today,” said the Mayor.
“We’re very keen to better understand the full extent of the upcoming works, the exact timeline, and the expected impact on the people of the west.
“We’re hopeful that it includes the full delivery of the Sunshine Station Precinct Masterplan which is critical to transforming Sunshine into the ‘CBD of the west’, helping to boost economic growth, housing needs and development needed throughout the west.
“The full delivery of the Sunshine Station Precinct Masterplan and the redevelopment of Sunshine Station into a transport superhub is critical to unlocking jobs, housing and economic opportunity in the west.
“We look forward to working closely with the government to ensure these works progress as a priority.”
The Council has long advocated for appropriate funding and timelines for the development of Sunshine Station and the implementation of the Sunshine Station Precinct Masterplan, along with the fast-tracked delivery of Melbourne Airport Rail before the third runway opens in 2031.
The full implementation of the Sunshine Precinct Station Masterplan will help Sunshine become a key visitor economy hub projected to generate 30,000 new jobs and housing for more than 40,000 new residents in Melbourne’s west, said Mayor Tachos.
“Rebuilding Sunshine Station is the first stage of delivering Melbourne Airport Rail and it will help pave the way for more services across Melbourne’s west,” said Victorian Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Gabrielle Williams.
