Arden railway station is a railway station currently under construction as part of the

Metro Tunnel The Metro Tunnel (previously known during planning as the Melbourne Metro Rail Project) is a metropolitan rail infrastructure project currently under construction in Melbourne, Australia. It includes the construction of twin 9-kilometre rail tun ...

project. It will be served by the Sunbury, Pakenham and Cranbourne lines. It will be built in

North Melbourne North Melbourne is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Melbourne local government area. North Melbourne recorded a population of 14,953 at the ...

, below Laurens and Arden Streets, using the

cut-and-cover A tunnel is an underground passageway, dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, and enclosed except for the entrance and exit, commonly at each end. A pipeline is not a tunnel, though some recent tunnels have used immersed tube constr ...

method. Major construction commenced in April 2018.

Location

Arden Street was chosen as the site for a new railway station to support the expansion of the central city and provide a focus for the development of a new commercial, residential and activity centre in

. The

Victorian government The Victoria State Government, also referred to as just the Victorian Government, is the state-level authority for Victoria, Australia. Like all state governments, it is formed by three independent branches: the executive, the judicial, and th ...

has stated that Arden station will support job creation by improving public transport access to inner-west Melbourne, an area which has been earmarked for urban renewal. Fifty-six hectares of land around the proposed Arden station, much of which is owned by the State Government, is earmarked for revitalisation as part of the project. The new suburb is expected to house around 15,000 people and provide 34,000 jobs. The Arden Station location will also play a key role in supporting the construction of the western section of the Metro Tunnel, as it houses many important facilities such as a concrete batching facility, offices, and storage areas for concrete segments. Tunnel boring machines were launched towards the western tunnel entrance in Kensington from this location in 2019.

Naming

Following a state government-led naming competition, it was announced that the new station was to be named North Melbourne upon its completion, with the existing North Melbourne railway station to be renamed West Melbourne. However, after a number of security and logistical concerns relating to renaming the existing North Melbourne station became apparent, the government announced that it had decided to retain the station's working name of Arden.

Station layout

Design

The station's external design, made out of clay brick, will reflect the area's industrial heritage. A café will be included in the station, with areas for outdoor dining. New public gathering space will provide space for locals and passengers to enjoy. As the station may be prone to flooding, drainage at the station has been designed to capture the natural flow of rainwater and distribute it into nearby garden beds.

Arden Precinct

The Metro Tunnel is set to transform the Arden precinct, with around 6000 square metres of public gathering space likely to be created. As the area is also prone to flooding, the flood-resistant “urban sponge” landscape strategy will be used to absorb stormwater. This will include rain gardens, tree planters and permeable paving. Nearby streets such as Laurens and Barwise Street will be upgraded to be more pedstrian-oriented.

References

Proposed railway stations in Melbourne Railway stations scheduled to open in 2025 Railway stations located underground in Melbourne Railway stations in the City of Melbourne (LGA)