Key facts
Date
2026.01.16
By
Bouygues Construction's Press Department
Category
Press release
With the completion of the metro tunnel, its five new stations and its interconnections, Bouygues Construction is contributing to the transformation of urban mobility in Melbourne.
A newly constructed 9-kilometre tunnel now provides five new stations and key connections in the heart of Melbourne.
Awarded in 2017, the Metro Tunnel project was carried out by the Cross Yarra Partnership (CYP) consortium, consisting of Bouygues Construction Australia (a subsidiary of Bouygues Construction), Lendlease, John Holland and Capella Capital. The consortium was responsible for financing, designing and constructing the infrastructure, and will maintain it on behalf of the Victorian State Government for the next 25 years.
The 9-kilometre twin tunnels run through Melbourne’s city centre and serve five new metro stations (Arden, Parkville, State Library, Town Hall and Anzac). The Arden and Anzac stations feature monumental above-ground entrance structures designed to reflect the identity of the neighbourhood while bringing natural light to the underground concourses.
The Metro Tunnel connects three major lines (Sunbury in the north-west, Cranbourne and Pakenham in the south-east) via new tunnels and stations under the city centre. This new configuration significantly increases network capacity and creates new direct access points to the heart of the city.
Beyond rail infrastructure, the project includes the development of public spaces surrounding the stations, with the creation of pedestrian areas, parks, footbridges and new businesses, contributing to the urban regeneration of several neighbourhoods and better integration of the metro in the city.
Works took eight years to complete and required four tunnel boring machines (TBMs). The first passengers were welcomed in November 2025.
The Metro Tunnel is a cornerstone of Greater Melbourne’s long-term transport strategy and complements the Suburban Rail Loop (one section of which is currently under construction in a joint venture that includes Bouygues Construction Australia). While the Metro Tunnel acts as a major connector in the city centre, providing access to major hospitals, universities and cultural venues, the Suburban Rail Loop will be a strategic orbital network linking key suburban hubs such as Box Hill, Monash and Cheltenham, and when fully completed, Melbourne Airport.
This major project demonstrates Bouygues Construction’s expertise in mobility projects and delivering large, complex underground projects in a number of countries. This has included lines 18 and 15 East-South of the Grand Paris Express in France, the NorthConnex motorway tunnel in Sydney, and the Central Kowloon Route (CKR) and Trunk Road T2 in Hong Kong.
ABOUT BOUYGUES CONSTRUCTION
Bouygues Construction employs 35,600 people around the world, all driven by the greatest and most exciting responsibility of all – building for life. In more than 50 countries, we improve daily life for millions of people by creating structures and buildings that serve life and address all our needs: shelter, healthcare, education, work, entertainment, travel, access to low-carbon energy, etc. At every stage of a project, we put all our expertise and our experience into designing, renovating and building differently so that we can meet the critical imperatives of the environmental transition and achieve construction that is sustainable and less resource-intensive. Every day, we make sure that everyone is safe, and that human rights and ethical standards are respected. Committed to strong values, the men and women of Bouygues Construction work passionately alongside their customers and partners so that our footprint becomes ever more positive. In 2024, Bouygues Construction generated sales of €10.3 billion.
PRESS CONTACT
Céline Badet +33 6 9982 3567 – c.badet@bouygues-construction.com