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A consortium of private investors has announced a detailed plan to develop a rail link between Melbourne Airport and the city's Central Business District (CBD), with a total investment of AUD15 billion (US$10.76 billion). Melbourne is the capital of the Australian state of Victoria, located in the south-east of the country.

Called AirRail Melbourne, the consortium is comprised IFM Investors, Melbourne Airport (owned by Australia Pacific Airports Corporation), Metro Trains Australia and Southern Cross Station. The latter is owned by IFM under a public-private partnership with the state government. The station is located at the western edge of the CBD. Metro Trains Australia is owned by MTR Corporation (60%), John Holland Group (20%) and UGL Rail (20%).

The project has long been in planning, with the Prime Minister of Australia pledging AUD5 billion (US$3.6 billion) towards construction in April this year. The state government matched this funding pledge in July, announcing a preferred route for the link that would connect the airport and CBD via a new "super hub" at Sunshine, which would connect to regional lines to nearby cities Geelong and Ballarat.

AirRail Melbourne is proposing to match the AUD5 billion funding announced by both governments and build on the Victorian Government’s proposed route via Sunshine.

The consortium claims that it can deliver 20-minute travel time to the city centre, with trains running 24/7, departing every 10 minutes during peak periods. Furthermore, it is proposing to construct 27km of new track and twin rail tunnels, as well as new dedicated tracks to reduce travel times for regional rail services into Melbourne city centre.

The link will be construction-ready in late 2020, two years earlier than the Victorian government's current plans.

AirRail Melbourne will submit its plan to the government this week. This follows the opening of the Registration of Interest (ROI) period for the project last week, which is intended to gauge private sector interest in the project. The government has encouraged designers, engineers, rail systems providers, rolling stock providers, investors, financiers, developers and other rail infrastructure providers to register.