Victorian Premier Ben Carroll and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese have jointly confirmed the next major phase of the long-awaited Melbourne Airport Rail project, announcing work on stage two will be accelerated — with a new Keilor East station at its heart. The two leaders stood together on Wednesday to commit to a 7.4-kilometre rail extension from Albion to the edge of the airport precinct, with site investigations and procurement set to begin within weeks.
What Stage Two of the Melbourne Airport Rail Link Involves
The second stage of the project centres on a new rail corridor stretching from Albion through to the airport precinct, passing through a brand-new station at Keilor East — located in the premier's own marginal electorate. The line will include a 500-metre rail bridge built to carry trains across the Maribyrnong River.
"A new Keilor East station will give locals direct access to the city via the metro tunnel," Premier Carroll said at Wednesday's announcement.
While site investigations and procurement are set to begin in coming weeks, major construction is not expected to commence until 2028. The entire $12 billion project — jointly funded by the federal and Victorian Labor governments — is earmarked for completion in 2031, one year after stage one is due to be ready.
Labor estimates the Keilor East station alone will connect approximately 5,200 passengers to the city each day, while the broader airport rail corridor is projected to carry up to 6,600 passengers and airport workers every hour.
"We're building Victoria's future, unlocking capacity to run more trains, more often and ensuring we have a train line to Melbourne Airport," Prime Minister Albanese said.
Stage One: Untangling the West
The $4.1 billion first phase of the project focuses on a six-kilometre stretch of track between West Footscray and Albion, transforming it into a six-platform superhub connected through Sunshine station — referred to as the Sunshine superhub. Construction at Sunshine began in February and has been described by the government as the most technically complex component of the overall project.
Stage one is expected to be operational by 2030, setting the foundation for the airport connection to follow.
Final Stage Still Without a Completion Date
Despite the momentum, the third and final stage of the project — which will include an above-ground station within the airport precinct itself — remains without a confirmed completion date. That uncertainty underscores the complexity that has dogged this infrastructure project for decades.
Plans to connect Melbourne to its airport by rail have been floated since as far back as the 1960s, but the concept has been repeatedly derailed by backflips, reviews and political disputes. Construction was halted in 2023 after the project became caught up in a lengthy federal infrastructure review. Once that review cleared it to proceed, a separate dispute erupted between the state government and Melbourne Airport over whether the planned terminal station at Tullamarine should be underground or elevated.
A mediator, Neil Scales, was eventually brought in to resolve the standoff. His findings determined that an underground station should no longer be on the table — a conclusion that led the airport to drop its opposition. That cleared the way for the project to resume.
What Happens Next
With site investigations for stage two imminent, the immediate focus will be on procurement and planning ahead of the projected 2028 construction start. The Keilor East station is being positioned as a key access point for Melbourne's north-western suburbs, offering residents a direct rail connection into the city through the metro tunnel.
The broader project, once fully complete, is intended to give Melbourne one of the most direct city-to-airport rail connections in the country — a link that travellers and industry figures have sought for more than half a century.
The absence of a completion timeline for the final airport precinct stage, however, means questions persist about when passengers will actually be able to board a train all the way to the terminal. For now, both governments are focused on delivering the intermediate infrastructure that will make that final connection possible — and on demonstrating tangible progress on a project that has long been considered one of Australia's most elusive transport promises.
Victoria's transport network has faced scrutiny in recent times, with disruptions highlighting the pressure on the state's rail infrastructure. As the airport rail link takes shape, state and federal authorities will be keen to ensure delivery timelines hold firm.
