Melbourne rail link proposal unveiled

A consortium comprising of superannuation fund IFM Investors, Melbourne Airport, Metro Trains Australia and Southern Cross Station has unveiled its proposal for Melbourne's 27km airport rail link. The group is proposing a new interchange at Southern Cross station, the redevelopment of Sunshine station as a hub and a new underground station at the airport. The project could be construction-ready in 2020, two years ahead of the government’s planned schedule.

The A$15 billion ($10.8 billion) project has already attracted A$5 billion pledges from both the federal government and the Victorian government with a full business case for the project due in 2019/2020.