Town Hall Railway Station, Melbourne

Town Hall railway station is an under-construction rapid transit railway station on the Cranbourne line, Cranbourne, Pakenham line, Pakenham and Sunbury line, Sunbury lines, serving the Melbourne, Melbourne CBD in Victoria (state), Victoria, Australia. When opened as part of the Metro Tunnel project, Town Hall will be an underground premium station, featuring an island platform with two faces. The station will connect directly to Flinders Street railway station, Flinders Street station via an underground concourse. Major construction commenced in April 2018, with completion in early 2025.

It is being built below Swanston Street between Flinders Street, Melbourne, Flinders and Collins Street, Melbourne, Collins Streets and will serve local destinations including St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne, St Paul's Cathedral, Federation Square, Southbank, Victoria, Southbank and the Degraves Street dining precinct. It is named after the nearby Melbourne Town Hall.

History

The Metro Tunnel project began in 2015, with early works commencing on the two central business district (CBD) station sites in 2017. In April 2017, City Square, Melbourne, City Square on Swanston Street was fenced off for the commencement of construction and staging works. Major station works at Town Hall began in 2018.

Cross Yarra Partnership, led by Lendlease, was named as the preferred bidder for the construction contract in July 2017 and designs for the project's five stations were presented by the consortium were released publicly, as well as details of connections to existing stations and streetscapes. In November 2017, after a naming competition, it was announced the CBD South station would be named Town Hall, after the nearby Melbourne Town Hall. Updated designs were revealed by the government in 2018 that showed Town Hall and State Library stations would feature large platform caverns with archways, and that there would be multiple entrances.

City Square, Port Phillip Arcade, Port Philip Arcade on Flinders Street and several small shops along Swanston Street were demolished to allow construction of the station.

In May 2020, major traffic changes were put in place near Flinders Street railway station, Flinders Street in order to improve safety around large trucks entering acoustic sheds as a part of the project. Left turns from St Kilda Road to Flinders Street were removed, and the pedestrian crossing between St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne, St Paul's Cathedral and Federation Square was temporarily closed.

Two tunnel boring machines arrived at Town Hall station in April 2021 and were dismantled and extracted, signalling an end to tunnelling on the project. Road-headers broke through at the platform tunnels of Town Hall station in August 2021 as the major excavation phase on the two CBD stations neared completion. Town Hall was excavated to a depth of below street level, with the station platforms to sit below street level. This followed the completion of road-header excavation of the platform caverns at State Library in 2020.

In late 2022, acoustic sheds began to be dismantled at the Town Hall and Anzac railway station, Anzac station locations in order to allow construction of above-ground station structures.

Design

The station will feature four entrances, the main entrance being located in City Square opposite Melbourne Town Hall, the second being located off Flinders Street, connected to Cocker Alley and Scott Alley. The third entrance is located within Federation Square, with the Square's information centre demolished in 2018 to construct the new entrance.

The final entrance is an underground connection to nearby Flinders Street railway station, Flinders Street station through the already existing Campbell Arcade connection. A number of changes were made to the design of the Campbell Arcade walkway to preserve the site's heritage character.

Initially it was planned to build the station using the Tunnel#Cut-and-cover, cut-and-cover method, however this was changed so that the tunnels would run deeper underneath the ground in order to not disturb services, utilities and businesses on Swanston Street.

Like State Library station, Town Hall used a unique "trinocular" construction method involved the mining of three large, overlapping tunnels with vaulted ceilings. Large arches will define the 230 metre long platforms. Underneath City Square, the station's main entrance features a 14-metre high concourse space. Eight columns hold up a vaulted ceiling nicknamed "the crypt", an architectural reference to the nearby St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne, St Paul's Cathedral.

The station was designed by architects RSHP, Hassell (architecture firm), Hassell and Weston Williamson.

Over-site development

In December 2022, the developer Lendlease secured planning approval for the over-site development above the Flinders Street entrance to Town Hall. The nine-story office and retail development will feature station entrances opening to Swanston Street, Flinders Street and rebuilt arcades connecting to Cocker Alley and Scott Alley. The site is owned by the Victorian government and sits around the famous Young and Jackson Hotel and adjoins the Nicholas Building.

Art and sculpture

Mexican-Canadian artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer was commissioned to create a permanent artwork for Town Hall as part of the Metro Tunnel's legacy artwork program. In 2024, Rail Projects Victoria stated that this commission had been cancelled due to difficulties from the COVID-19 pandemic, and unlike the other stations Town Hall would not have its own artwork.

A number of artworks and sculptures will be returned to the Town Hall sites once construction has finished, including the King Neptune sculpture by Melbourne artist Charles Bush. The King Neptune sculpture sat above the entrance to Port Phillip Arcade on Flinders Street, which was demolished for the station. The famous statue of ill-fated explorers Burke and Wills expedition, Burke and Wills was removed from City Square in 2017 and is planned to return to the corner of Collins and Swanston Streets after the completion of the station. The John Mockridge Fountain water wall will also be returned and relocated to the northern edge of City Square along Collins Street.

Town Hall station precinct

As part of the construction of Town Hall station, the City Square, Melbourne, City Square precinct is set to be rebuilt as a public gathering and events space. There will be 70 new bike parking spaces built to cope with increasing demand, as well as improved tram interchanges on Flinders, Collins, and Swanston streets. A new tram connection is planned to be built as part of the Metro Tunnel, allowing trams to turn onto Flinders Street from the current tram terminus on Elizabeth Street, Melbourne, Elizabeth Street.

Station layout

Transport links

Train

Passengers have access to Flinders Street station as an interchange from Town Hall Station that is served by Metro Trains and V/Line services:

* all stations and limited stop services to Hurstbridge railway station, Hurstbridge

* all stations and limited stop services to Mernda railway station, Mernda

* all stations and limited stop services to Lilydale railway station, Lilydale

* all stations and limited stop services to Belgrave railway station, Belgrave

* all stations and limited stop services to Glen Waverley railway station, Glen Waverley

* weekday all stations and limited stop services to Alamein railway station, Alamein

* all stations to Sandringham railway station, Sandringham

* all stations and limited express services to Frankston railway station, Frankston

* V/Line services to Traralgon railway station, Traralgon & Bairnsdale railway station, Bairnsdale

* all stations and limited stop services to Craigieburn railway station, Craigieburn

* all stations and limited stop services to Upfield railway station, Upfield

* services via Flinders Street (trains run through to the Frankston railway line, Frankston line)

* services via Flinders Street (trains run through to the Frankston railway line, Frankston line)

* express services to Showgrounds railway station, Melbourne, Showgrounds and/or Flemington Racecourse railway station, Flemington Racecourse (special event days only)

Tram

Yarra Trams operates 18 services connecting with Town Hall station via Swanston Street, Collins Street, Elizabeth Street, and Flinders Street

Swanston Street

*: Coburg, Victoria, East Coburg – South Melbourne, South Melbourne Beach
*: Melbourne University tram stop, Melbourne University – Malvern East, Victoria, East Malvern
*: Melbourne University tram stop, Melbourne University – Malvern, Victoria, Malvern
*: Moreland railway station, Moreland – Glen Iris, Victoria, Glen Iris
*: Melbourne University tram stop, Melbourne University – Kew, Victoria, Kew
*: Melbourne University tram stop, Melbourne University – Brighton East, Victoria, East Brighton
*: Melbourne University tram stop, Melbourne University – Carnegie, Victoria, Carnegie
*: Melbourne University tram stop, Melbourne University – Camberwell, Victoria, Camberwell

Collins Street

*: Docklands, Victoria, Victoria Harbour (Docklands) – Preston, Victoria, West Preston
*: St Kilda, Victoria, St Kilda – Victoria Gardens Shopping Centre, Victoria Gardens
*: Victoria Harbour (Docklands) – Balwyn North, Victoria, North Balwyn
*: Port Melbourne railway station, Port Melbourne – Box Hill, Victoria, Box Hill

Elizabeth Street (planned)

*: Coburg North, Victoria, North Coburg – Flinders Street railway station, Flinders Street Station
*: Maribyrnong, Victoria, West Maribyrnong – Flinders Street railway station, Flinders Street Station
*: Airport West – Flinders Street railway station, Flinders Street Station

Federation Square

*: Docklands, Victoria, Waterfront City Docklands – Wattle Park, Melbourne, Wattle Park

*: Docklands, Victoria, Central Pier Docklands – Vermont South, Victoria, Vermont South

*: City Circle tram, City Circle

Gallery

File:Melbourne Metro Tunnel Town Hall station construction site 2019.jpg, Installation of concrete acoustic shed to shield construction at City Square, 2019.
File:Acoustic box for Town Hall Railway station at Federation Square August 2022.jpg, Acoustic box over the Federation Square entrance to Town Hall station, with Flinders Street railway station, Flinders Street station in the background, August 2022
File:Town Hall Railway Station under construction December 2020.jpg, Acoustic shed over City Square construction site, 2020.
File:Site offices for Town Hall Railway station on Swanston Street August 2022.jpg, Site offices above the footpath on Swanston Street near Flinders Street station, 2022.
File:Town Hall station Melbourne entrance canopy under construction 2025.jpg, Glass City Square canopy under construction, 2025.
File:Town Hall station Melbourne City Square entrance canopy under construction 2025.jpg, Glass canopy under construction, 2025.
File:Town Hall station Melbourne City Square entrance canopy under construction 2025 Westin.jpg, Glass canopy under construction, 2025.

References

Notes

External links

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Buildings and structures in Melbourne City Centre
Collins Street, Melbourne
Proposed railway stations in Melbourne
Railway stations in the City of Melbourne (LGA)
Railway stations located underground in Melbourne
Railway stations scheduled to open in 2025