Suburban Rail Loop

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The Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) is a rapid transit system currently under construction in Melbourne, the capital of Victoria and second largest city of Australia. The system is divided into three distinct sections (anticlockwise from southeast): SRL East, SRL North and SRL West, connected by Melbourne Airport Rail between the North and West sections. The two main sections, SRL East and SRL North, are designed to form a single 60 km (37 mi) fully automated underground orbital metro line through the city's densely populated middle suburbs, with 13 stations between Cheltenham and Melbourne Airport connecting eight existing Melbourne rail lines and three major university campuses. The SRL is a key part of Victoria's "Big Build" infrastructure initiative first proposed by the Andrews Government, aiming to make Melbourne the second Australian city (after Sydney) to build a fully automated rapid transit system. Several orbital rail schemes have been proposed and some constructed throughout Melbourne's history, but the rail network has remained radial with no peripheral connections among the existing railway lines. The Labor state government led by then-Premier Daniel Andrews announced the SRL as infrastructural policy in the lead up to the 2018 state election. Initial planning for the SRL was carried out in secret prior to its announcement, and, when the plans were released, it received significant attention. The SRL plan has been praised for its long-term vision and ambition, as well as being an innovative solution to the road congestions and commuting difficulties faced by Melbourne's transport network, but is criticised for its political motives, transparency of business case, prioritisation ahead of other transport projects, and huge cost. Although the Victorian government signed the first $3.6 billion contract with the Suburban Connect consortium in December 2023 to build underground tunnels, the conservative opposition Liberal–National Coalition remains opposed to the...