Parliament Railway Station (Underground) (City of Melbourne, Victoria) | train station

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Parliament is an underground railway station in the suburban train network of Melbourne, Australia. It is one of five stations (and one of three underground) on the City Loop, which encircles the central business district.

The station services Melbourne's government district, and is underneath the Parliament House of Victoria and the intersection of busy Bourke Street with Spring Street, at the eastern end of the CBD. Passengers can interchange with tram routes 86, 95 and 96 along Bourke Street; 31, 109, and 112 on Collins Street; and the free City Circle Tram.

The station platforms were constructed using mining methods. Each platform is an individual tunnel, and are linked to the other platform in the same level by a number of cross tunnels. This choice in design left the remaining pillar of rock between the tunnels too weak to support the required loads, so it was replaced with concrete. A pilot tunnel was made, enabling the walls to be constructed ahead of the main excavation.

To the south booking hall was constructed 'upside down', with the support columns dug with augers from ground level, then filled with concrete. The roof was then constructed over these piles from ground level during a series of staged road closures, and once this was completed the excavation of the booking hall could be carried out underneath, while road traffic continued overhead. During construction the Parliament House fence had to be removed, stored then re-erected.

The station opened on January 22, 1983. At the time of opening the station had the longest escalators in the southern hemisphere.

www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/stop/view/19843