Melbourne’s most ambitious transport project has taken another major step forward, with the consortium Place Alliance named as the preferred bidder to deliver the first three stations of the Suburban Rail Loop (SRL).
The announcement, made by Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop Harriet Shing, confirms the consortium – a team comprising John Holland, Kellogg Brown and Root, and Arup Australia – will enter negotiations to design and build underground stations at Glen Waverley, Burwood and Box Hill as part of the Stations Alliance North contract.
Each of the new stations is expected to be fully accessible, light-filled and integrated with retail and dining precincts. Designs will also incorporate local heritage and First Nations stories, while meeting a minimum 5-Star Green Star sustainability rating.
Newly released designs for the planned underground stations at Box Hill, Burwood and Glen Waverley reveal expansive entranceways and modern platforms equipped with screen doors.
The stations, set to sit between 17 and 23 metres below ground, will be designed to seamlessly link with Melbourne’s existing suburban rail network, providing smoother interchanges for passengers.
Negotiations with Place Alliance will continue into next year, before the contract is formally awarded. Two other shortlisted groups, Connexus and ESPA, remain in contention for the second package of works covering the southern stations at Cheltenham, Clayton and Monash.
“The Suburban Rail Loop is a nation-building project that will slash travel times and cut congestion for busy families – while delivering 70,000 more homes within walking distance of jobs, healthcare, and Australia’s largest universities,” said Shing.
The $34.5 billion first stage of the SRL – connecting Cheltenham to Box Hill – is set to transform the way Melburnians move around the city, offering faster links between suburbs, major universities and employment hubs. Early works are already underway, with tunnel boring machines due to arrive in 2026.
The project is expected to create up to 8,000 direct local jobs, with more than 3,000 workers already on site as construction ramps up across multiple locations.
