State Library railway station (originally under the working title of CBD North) is a railway station currently under construction as part of the Metro Tunnel project in Melbourne, Victoria. The station will serve the northern end of the Melbourne central business district (CBD) and is adjacent to the existing Melbourne Central station on the City Loop. State Library will directly connect with Melbourne Central via an underground paid-area connection.
The nearby Parliament station once had the longest escalator in the Southern Hemisphere at 30 meters long, holding the title from 1983 - 2022, being exceeded by a 35 meter escalator at Airport Central station in Perth in 2022. An escalator at State Library station will overtake both at 42.5 metres long. However, none of these escalators are the largest in the Southern Hemisphere, with the title belonging to a 45 meter escalator at Central station in Sydney.
History
In December 2008, the proposal for a new underground rail corridor running north-south through the Melbourne CBD was incorporated into the Brumby Ministry's Victorian Transport Plan after originally featuring in a report from Rod Eddington.[1] It was to be built in two stages: the first from Footscray to St Kilda Road, and the second continuing to Caulfield. The need for a new rail corridor and stations through the CBD was identified in an effort to reduce congestion on the City Loop, enabling more frequent and reliable services across Melbourne's railway network.[2]
Following a change of State Government, in 2012/2013 the Baillieu and Napthine Ministries announced a revised plan with the tunnel instead running from South Kensington to South Yarra along a similar route to the original proposal.[3] The revised project included five underground stations, including one under the working title "CBD North" and was listed as the highest-priority infrastructure project in Melbourne by Infrastructure Australia.[4]
The project went unfunded due largely to tension between the state and federal governments. In February 2015 the proposal was revived by the newly elected Andrews Ministry with construction to commence in 2018 and the tunnel and stations planned to open in 2026. The total cost of the project is A$11 billion.[5]
Acoustic shed at a State Library station construction site on A'Beckett Street, 2019.
The Metro Tunnel project began in 2015, with early works commencing on the two central business district (CBD) station sites in 2017.[6][7] Major station works at State Library began in 2018.[8] Sections of A'Beckett and Franklin streets were closed off and acoustic sheds constructed to minimise noise and dust, while small commercial buildings on the corner of Swanston and La Trobe streets were demolished to construct an access shaft for excavation.[9]
Cross Yarra Partnership, led by Lendlease, was named as the preferred bidder for the construction contract in July 2017 and designs for the project's five stations were presented by the consortium were released publicly, as well as details of connections to existing stations and streetscapes.[10] Updated designs were released in 2018, and major construction commenced on the station that year.[11][12]
In August 2017, the Government launched a naming competition for the five new railway stations to be constructed as part of the Metro Rail Project.[13] Following over 50,000 submissions, in November 2017 State Library was announced as the winning entry for the working-title CBD North station due to its proximity to the landmark State Library of Victoria building.[14]
In July 2019, road-headers broke through at State Library connecting two excavated caverns, with four road-headers used on the station in total.[15] The first Tunnel Boring Machine, named Joan, broke through to State Library station in December 2020 before continuing south to Town Hall station.[16] Tunneling was completed in April 2021.[17] After the laying of track, Platform Screen Doors began being installed at State Library in early 2023.[18]
In June 2023 the first above-ground structures of the main station entrance on the corner of Swanston and La Trobe streets were built, with large oversized beams craned in overnight to sit above the main bank of escalators.[19] Works began on the underground connection between State Library and the existing Melbourne Central station, including new escalators to the Melbourne Central platforms.[19] Excavation at the La Trobe street site was completed in July 2023, marking the end of excavation across the Metro Tunnel project, and the first State Library acoustic sheds were planned to be dismantled in August.[19][20]
Design
State Library main entrance construction site in 2018, where an access shaft was dug to allow excavation of the main mined station cavern. Aurora Melbourne Central adjoins the construction site.
The initial build method chosen for construction was cut-and-cover, however this was changed to a deeper, mined station in order to avoid significant disruption and to keep trams running along the world's busiest tram corridor, Swanston Street.[21][22] The station platforms sit 36 metres (118 ft 1 in) below Swanston Street, the city's deepest station, due to the need to sit below the existing four City Loop tunnels.[23]
Like Town Hall station, State Library is designed using a unique "trinocular" construction method involving three large, overlapping mined tunnels with vaulted ceilings.[24] Large arches will define the 230-metre (754 ft 7 in) long platforms.[25]
Australian artist Danie Mellor has been commissioned to create a permanent artwork for the station as part of the Metro Tunnel's legacy artwork program.[27] In 2024 it was revealed that this artwork would be printed glass panels forming the station's large glass facade on its La Trobe Street entrance.[28] The artwork will be a collage of Mellor's photography and historical portraits of Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung women sourced from the nearby State Library of Victoria.[28]
The railway station is located below Swanston Street between La Trobe and Streets in the northern edges of Melbourne's CBD.[29] The station will connect with Melbourne Central station via a pedestrian walkway, enabling transfer from other metropolitan lines and will have entrances at the corner of Latrobe/Swanston Street and Franklin/Swanston Street, enabling more convenient access to City Baths and Queen Victoria Market.[30] Tram services will be accessible on Swanston and La Trobe Streets.
Updated precinct designs for State Library were released in 2022, which included the installation of separated bike lanes on Franklin Street.[31] In July 2023 plans were released by the City of Melbourne for a redesign of Franklin Street between the northern entrance to State Library and a new public square at the Queen Victoria Market.[32] The plans include a narrowing of Franklin Street and the creation of separated bike lanes and 1,250 square metres of linear park, a continuation of the Franklin Street works being delivered by the Metro Tunnel project.[32]
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