CONSTRUCTION will get underway on Suburban Rail Loop East within weeks.
SRL East is the stretch of the planned rail loop which runs from Cheltenham on the Frankston line to Box Hill. It is projected to cost more than $30 billion to complete.
Initial construction on SRL East is expected to start sometime in the next month.
The state government has also opened expressions of interest for tunnelling packages on the project. Crews will build 16 kilometres of twin tunnels from Cheltenham to Glen Waverly, and another will build tunnels between Glen Waverley and Box Hill.
The Suburban Rail Loop team announced a community fund this week which it will use to fund projects in areas affected by SRL East works. The fund will offer grants of between $10,000 and $80,000, with applications open now for the first round. Eligible applicants include not-for-profits, sports clubs and schools.
Transport infrastructure minister Jacinta Allan says that taxpayer funded initiative will “deliver new and improved parks, community facilities, and support for local sports clubs and events.”
Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria Director Professor Tim Entwisle has been appointed to advise on open space projects along the planned train line. He said that the project team would “bring together community feedback and landscape expertise to advise on the best use of open spaces for these neighbourhoods.”
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 30 March 2022
