Melbourne Airport Rail Stage 2 will take trains from Albion to a new Keilor East station by 2031

Melbourne Airport Rail has its second stage. On 30 September 2026 the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, and the Victorian Premier, Ben Carroll, announced Stage 2: a new 7.4-kilometre rail line running from Albion toward the airport precinct, ending at a brand-new station at Keilor East.

The two governments say site investigations, procurement and development works begin in the coming weeks, with community engagement and early designs in 2027. Major construction is scheduled from 2028, and trains are due to carry passengers to Keilor East for the first time in 2031.

Project at a glance

What Stage 2 will build

Victoria's Big Build lists four main elements: the 7.4 km line beside the Jacana freight corridor, a new station at Keilor East, a rail flyover at Albion taking airport trains over Ballarat Road, and a new rail bridge over the Maribyrnong River.

The Albion flyover is the 1.1 km of elevated rail in the announcement. Big Build says it will be 17 metres high, built separately from the new Albion Station, with a pedestrian and cycling overpass beside it linking to the HV McKay Memorial Gardens.

The Maribyrnong River bridge is a separate structure: 500 metres long and 50 metres high, built beside the existing heritage freight rail bridge. Big Build's announcement called it Victoria's second-highest bridge.

The line will connect directly to the Metro Tunnel and use the same high-capacity signalling to enable frequent services. Once the line is complete, the governments expect another 6,600 passengers and airport workers an hour to use it.

A first train station for Keilor East

This is the headline for Keilor East, Keilor Park and Airport West. The station will sit near the intersection of the Western Ring Road and the Calder Freeway, with entries from Terror Street, Keilor Park, on the west and Roberts Road, Airport West, on the east.

Big Build says the station will serve about 5,200 passengers a day once the rail line to the airport is complete. Plans include a pedestrian overpass linking both sides of the line, lifts and stairs to the platforms, a commuter car park and a bus interchange.

At opening, trains are planned every 20 minutes through the day, with a trip of about 27 minutes to the CBD through the Metro Tunnel. Services become more frequent once the line reaches the airport.

How Stage 2 fits with Stage 1

Stage 1 is already under construction. It is a $4.1 billion upgrade of the six kilometres between West Footscray and Albion. Sunshine Station becomes a six-platform superhub and the tracks are untangled to create capacity for 1,000 trains a day. It is due for completion in 2030.

Stage 1 makes room on the existing network for airport trains. Stage 2 starts where it finishes, at Albion, and lays the first new track toward the airport.

Stage 1 procurement is well advanced. On 21 October the Network Integration Program Alliance of CPB Contractors and SMEC was named preferred bidder to transform Sunshine Station. Three of the five packages are already awarded to VIDA Rail program alliances, each working alongside Metro Trains Melbourne and V/Line:

• Western Program Alliance (McConnell Dowell, Arup, Mott MacDonald): utility relocation, including the jet fuel pipeline
• Southern Program Alliance (Acciona, WSP): track reconfiguration between West Footscray and Albion
• North Western Program Alliance (John Holland Group, KBR): two new rail bridges, airport rail tracks and Tottenham Station

The last package, the new Albion Station, is due to be awarded in 2027.

Where the airport station stands

Stage 2 ends at Keilor East and does not reach the airport. The final leg, Stage 3, will include an above-ground station in the airport precinct. The Melbourne Airport Rail Steering Committee is still working through options for it. The two governments and the airport's operator have signed a memorandum of understanding to progress planning of the airport line together.

At the announcement in Footscray, federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King said the parties had agreed the scope and were now working through how it would be delivered. Settling delivery would give a timeframe, leading into next year's budget processes, and a clearer indication of cost. As she put it, "you can't get it to the airport if you don't get it to Keilor".

What's next

• Late 2026: site investigations, procurement and development works begin. The Premier and Minister King both said Stage 2 is already budgeted.
• 2027: early designs and community engagement, including a say on Keilor East Station. Stage 1's Albion Station package is awarded.
• 2028: major construction starts on Stage 2.
• 2030: Stage 1 is complete.
• 2031: trains run to Keilor East.

No Stage 2 contractor has been named yet. With procurement starting this year, that is the next milestone to watch.

Published 29 October 2026 · Updated 28 October 2026