The Suburban Connect consortium, comprising CPB Contractors, Ghella, and Acciona Construction, has been named as preferred bidder for the construction of the first 16 km of tunnels for Melbourne's Suburban Rail Loop (SRL). The main contract for the project is expected to be completed by the end of 2023. Tunnel boring machines are expected to start work on the 16 km twin-tube tunnel, which runs from Cheltenham to Glen Waverley, in 2026. A second contract for a 10 km tunnel between Glen Waverley and Box Hill will be awarded in 2024. Initial construction work for the SRL East is currently underway at Box Hill, Burwood and Heatherton, with further work due to start soon at Monash and return to Glen Waverley and Clayton later in 2023. Construction will create up to 8,000 direct jobs and deliver six new underground stations between Cheltenham and Box Hill. The SRL East is expected to be operational by 2035.
