FLINDERS QUARTER
CAMPBELL ARCADE UPDATE
Campbell Arcade and the Degraves Street Underpass will remain closed until
mid-2024 as construction continues on the Metro Tunnel Project.
In 2019 major construction commenced on the construction of an underground pedestrian link between the new Town Hall Station and Flinders Street Station.
Since the closure of the eastbound lanes of Flinders Street between Degraves Street and Swanston Street works have been underway to construct the underground walkway.
Cross Yarra Partnership have commenced works building the connection between the newly constructed underpass and the existing Campbell Arcade.
Known as “Flinders Link” once complete the underpass will allow passengers to quickly interchange from Metro Tunnel to City Loop services and the rest of Melbourne’s train network without having to touch off and back on.
The walkway will connect to Flinders Street Station via the existing Campbell Arcade/Degraves Street subway, which was built in the 1950s ahead of the 1956 Melbourne Olympics and was heritage listed in 2015.
The design for Flinders Link has changed over time, as Rail Projects Victoria worked with stakeholders - including Heritage Victoria and City of Melbourne - to develop a plan to build this critical part of the Metro Tunnel Project and get the best possible outcome for Campbell Arcade.
The revised design significantly reduces the impact on the heritage elements of both Flinders Street Station and Campbell Arcade, retaining all but one of the arcade’s shop fronts and keeping almost all tenancies outside the myki gates.
Once built Flinders Link will also make Flinders Street Station more accessible by installing six new lifts from the Degraves Street subway to platforms 1-10, with careful consideration of heritage overlay features. Currently the only lifts are at the Swanston Street end of the station, via the concourse.
When finished, the Metro Tunnel will create capacity for more than a half a million additional passengers per week to travel during peak times across Melbourne’s train network and will have a future rail connection direct to Melbourne Airport.
For more information visit https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/projects/metro-tunnel/stations/town-hall.
