Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel is almost ready to roll! Due to open by the end of 2025, the twin 9 km tunnels will connect Sunbury to Cranbourne/Pakenham with five brand-new underground stations – Arden, Parkville, State Library, Town Hall, and Anzac. It’s the biggest shake-up to our train network in more than 40 years.

This weekend (16–17 August) is a huge moment – the team is running a full “dress rehearsal” with test trains using the new high-capacity signalling system. Think of it as a grand final warm-up for the network: no passengers yet, but all systems will be pushed as if it’s day one.

The Surveyors Behind the Precision

While the shiny new stations and tunnels grab the headlines, land surveyors have been the quiet precision experts making sure every detail lines up – above ground and far below it.

From the very start, surveyors were on-site mapping every street, building, and rail corridor the tunnel would pass under. They carried out detailed condition surveys of nearby structures, so there was an accurate record of their state before work began.

As construction ramped up, surveyors set out critical reference points for the tunnelling machines, ensuring they followed the planned path to the exact millimetre. With the tunnel boring machines operating deep underground and out of sight, this pinpoint accuracy was the only way to keep the tunnels aligned and meeting in exactly the right place.

Surveyors also worked inside the new stations, measuring and checking every stage of construction – from piling and excavation through to platform edges and tunnel entrances – making sure it all matched the design drawings perfectly. And even now, as testing gets underway, they’re still involved in verifying track alignment, platform levels, and clearances to guarantee smooth, safe operations when passengers finally board.

Without that constant measurement, monitoring, and adjustment, a project this complex simply wouldn’t run on time – or as safely.

The Final Countdown

With years of work, thousands of people, and countless measurements behind it, the Metro Tunnel is now in its final stretch. This weekend’s testing is a massive step toward seeing passengers hop on later this year – and it’s a reminder that some of the most critical work happens quietly, in the background, well before the first train departs.