Airport Rail is well along with planning for massive changes to the rail connections between Footscray and Albion that share a corridor with the main bike route out to the west.
To clear a direct path for the Airport Rail Link and a route for the electrification of rail services to Melton, a complete untangling of the multiple historic tracks along the six-kilometre corridor is required.
As well as the new and upgraded urban rail tracks, regional passenger and freight lines will be realigned, three new rail bridges constructed, new signalling technology installed, and two new dedicated regional platforms and an extended concourse provided at Sunshine Station.
As a consequence, there will be capacity for more than 40 trains an hour through Sunshine Station.
Works will start next year and continue to 2030 with an estimated cost of $4 billion.
The bike route from Footscray to Sunshine and Albion runs right alongside the rail corridor and a project of this scale will have implications. Other bike routes, such as the Forrest Street path, may also be impacted.
It is too early at this stage to predict the impacts but Bicycle Network expects that the government will follow usual practice and take any opportunity to improve the quality of the bike links.
The Airport Rail project has already locked in designs which will provide a bike link right into the heart of the airport.
As part of the formal planning process a public consultation has already opened in relation to the works at Sunshine.
This is an opportunity for riders to flag the importance of maintaining and improving active transport routes as part of the project. You can make submissions and ask questions.
Planning consultation for Albion Station will be held next year as part of a separate process.
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