Melbourne’s north-east rail corridor is set for smoother journeys from tomorrow, as the state and Commonwealth governments mark the near completion of one of the city’s longest rail tunnels.
The 500-metre Hurstbridge Line tunnel extension between Grimshaw Street and Elder Street in Watsonia has reached a major milestone, with trains set to resume service following a month-long construction blitz.
The 30-day shutdown between Heidelberg and Eltham stations saw crews working around the clock to rebuild and widen the Grimshaw Street Bridge and extend the rail tunnel as part of the M80 Ring Road Completion project. With the main works now complete, only minor finishing touches to the rail line are expected to continue into early 2026.
The new tunnel is now the third longest on Melbourne’s metropolitan network, behind the City Loop and the soon-to-open Metro Tunnel. The project also includes vital corridor upgrades between Macleod and Greensborough stations, modernising tracks, gantries, wires and signalling to replace ageing infrastructure and improve reliability for passengers.
Above the rail line, drivers are already benefiting from new lanes along the M80 Ring Road and Greensborough Bypass, with construction of the new interchange continuing to progress. Once complete, the M80 will remove an estimated 19,000 cars and trucks from Greensborough Road daily, easing congestion across Melbourne’s north-east.
More than 8,000 workers are currently delivering the North East Link — Victoria’s largest road project — which is expected to create over 12,000 jobs. The broader project, including the M80 Ring Road Completion and Eastern Freeway Upgrades, is jointly funded by the state and federal governments and due for completion in 2028.
When finished, the works are expected to slash travel times by up to 35 minutes and remove 15,000 trucks from local roads.
