North Melbourne Station construction underway on the Metro Tunnel

Construction has started on the new North Melbourne station – one of five new underground stations being built as part of the $11 billion Metro Tunnel.

Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan made the announcement at the site of the new station, where construction started today.

“The start of North Melbourne station construction marks another major milestone for this mammoth project,” said the Minister for Public Transport.

Dozens of workers will this week start preparing to construct underground walls that will be up to 30 metres deep and help ensure the safe excavation of 330,000 tonnes of rock and soil.

The new North Melbourne Station will then be built within the excavated space, up to 20 metres below ground and long enough to accommodate platforms over 225 metres long. Above ground, the station design includes a plaza on the corner of Laurens and Barwise streets to welcome passengers.

Around 300 people will work on the construction of the station, which will be ready for the Metro Tunnel to open in 2025.

The new station will help transform the area from the industrial precinct to a brand new suburb on the edge of the CBD. Over the next 30 years, the area will become home to more than 43,000 jobs and 25,000 residents.

In coming weeks, construction of new underground stations at Parkville, Anzac and two CBD locations will ramp up, including construction of an $18 million manufacturing facility in Melbourne’s west to produce more than 50,000 concrete segments to line the project’s twin nine-kilometre tunnels.

The Deer Park facility is expected to start operating this year – creating 80 new jobs, including jobs for up to 50 ex-auto workers.

The facility will produce around 150 concrete segments a day, each weighing 4.5 tonnes, before they are transported below the earth’s surface.

Giant tunnel boring machines, two of which will be launched from the site of the new station in North Melbourne, will then install the segments as they excavate deep below the ground to create a permanent watertight lining.