Chinese Firms Supplying Tunnel Boring Machines for Melbourne’s Suburban Rail Loop
Udumbara
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Victorian Labor Premier Jacinta Allan has confirmed Chinese backers will be involved in the Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) amid her diplomatic offensive to win over the Chinese market.
The multi-billion-dollar infrastructure project is a 90-kilometre orbital rail line that will connect existing suburban rail lines in Melbourne to the airport.
The announcement was made during Allan’s five-day trip to China, where she travelled to multiple cities and met with Chinese Communist Party (CCP) ministers and other officials.
Her trip came just a week after former Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews was spotted in a photo with CCP leader Xi Jinping and other global leaders from Russia and North Korea.
Allan announced the four massive machines would be supplied by the China Railway Engineering Equipment Group, to be built in Zhengzhou.
“They will soon be sent to Melbourne and launched from Burwood next year. Two will tunnel south from Burwood to Glen Waverley and two will head north towards Box Hill,” the government said.
The Victorian government said four similar machines by the company were currently tunnelling the Chengdu-Deyang Intercity Railway Project in Deyang.
The Victorian government claimed these boring machines were driving major projects, including Beijing’s new Qinglonghu Metro station, Copenhagen’s Sydhavn Metro, Italy’s Naples–Bari High-Speed Rail and Victoria’s West Gate Tunnel.
“Now they’re coming to Victoria to complete the Suburban Rail Loop to take thousands of cars off local roads and slash travel times for commuters and road users alike,” the government said.
Questions Raised
Shadow Minister for Defence Angus Taylor recently raised questions about Allan’s trip on radio, warning the government risked repeating past controversies.When asked on 3AW whether Allan’s trip could be asking for money to fund the Suburban Rail Loop, Taylor said he didn’t know.
“But what I do know is that when Labor sends Victoria broke with more debt than New South Wales, Queensland, and Tasmania combined, then she’s got to go out with a begging bowl and look for money,” he said.
Taylor pointed out it would be “inappropriate” to see a repeat of the Belt and Road fiasco.
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“We’ve seen Dan Andrews being part of a photo with dictators from across the world at this Chinese Communist Party parade just a few weeks ago,” he said.
“There are real questions to be answered here, and I think Jacinta Allan should be answering them.”
In 2018 and 2019, the Victorian government signed deals with Beijing to cooperate on the Belt and Road infrastructure. In 2021, the federal government cancelled these agreements due to concerns they undermined Australia’s national foreign policy.
While in China, Allan signed off on $10,000 scholarships for regional students to study in China.
She also launched a $43 million tourism campaign and said in five years, Victoria wants one in five international visitors to Victoria to come from China.
Suburban Rail Loop
Victoria is building the Suburban Rail Loop connecting Cheltenham, Box Hill, Werribee and Melbourne Airport, to link suburbs without going through the Central Business District.The first stage between Cheltenham and Box Hill will cost between $30 to $34.5 billion alone.
Tunnelling is expected to start next year, while trains will be accepting passengers in 2035.
