Metro Tunnel

What is it: An underground rail tunnel from the Domain on St Kilda Road, through the CBD and into North Melbourne via Parkville. When will it open? 2026

This is the big one. Construction of the $10.9 billion Metro Tunnel – Victoria’s biggest-ever transport project – commenced earlier this year, blocking off City Square and parts of the northern CBD. When finished, the Metro Tunnel will free up the City Loop bottleneck. The five new stations will mean that getting from Flinders Street Station up to Melbourne University and Carlton will be faster than ever before. The new station of Arden will service the new suburb of the same name, currently an industrial corner of Melbourne’s inner west. You can visit the Metro Train website to see what the new stations will look like – all sweeping arches, wide skylights and screen doors separating the train doors in the platform.